Week 4

Dear Parent/ Carer,

I had the pleasure of observing lessons at Haseltine on Monday this week alongside Ms Brumby and Ms Bernard.  I spent some quality time with Liz Stone at Kilmorie on Monday and Tuesday that included sitting in on pupil target setting meetings with Liz and the teaching team.  I was very impressed with the rigour of this work and the determination of all staff to help our children to succeed.  I met with Governors and colleagues from Lewisham at Fairlawn during Tuesday and visited the DfE building in Westminster to discuss the next stage of development of the Teaching School, based at Fairlawn.  Wednesday was spent between Haseltine and Kilmorie, followed by a trip North to Nottingham for training with ofsted on Thursday and Friday at the National College for School Leadership.  A busy week, and another week spent deepening my understanding of the workings of the schools and identifying the opportunities for us to work more closely together for the benefit of our children.

I am looking forward to the week ahead and to shifting my focus slightly, after spending these first weeks establishing our ‘baseline’ across the partnership, onto the development opportunities ahead.  Key amongst these are developing outstanding communication with parents and developing a really strong and influential ‘pupil voice’ in our schools.  These aspects are really important to me and are, of course, an important measure of really successful schools.  Educating your child is a partnership… and every good partnership is based on good communication.

Finally, congratulations to Eva Lee (parent), our gardening clubs and parent volunteers, for winning 1st prize in the school's category in Lewisham in Bloom Awards for Kilmorie. Our first prize of the year with, I am sure, many more to come...

Have a lovely week,

Mark Wilson

Week 3

Dear Parent/ Carer,

First... an apology.  My blog posting is 'late' (posted Monday morning) this week due my Friday “sleep-over” at the Science Museum with children from Haseltine.  Sleep-over is deserving of the inverted commas… there wasn’t a great deal of sleep involved.  Below are some photographs from the visit… which was very much enjoyed by all.  Our thanks to the Sage charity and to the Science Museum staff for making this event possible for our children.  Sincere thanks also to the staff from Haseltine who participated in the visit.

 

This week, Ms Brumby, Chair of Governors Victoria Widdows and I enjoyed a Learning Walk at Haseltine.  We were all very impressed with the purposeful learning evident in the classrooms and with the calm and happy atmosphere in the school.  From there, I went to Kilmorie for a tour of the school with Chair of Governors Anita Gibbons.  This was Anita’s first visit since the refurbishment and she shared her delight with the quality and finish of the building that we have taken over.  At Fairlawn this week I was fortunate enough to be present during the Fairlawn Singers and Friends performance.  It was a lovely community event.  My thanks to Shirley Streets for being the inspiration behind the event.  I spent some late nights at the schools last week as I work through my ‘baseline’ fact-finding at all three.  I, and a team from Fairlawn, met with Teaching School Alliance partners this week and shared a vision for how we might develop the Teaching School in the coming months and years.  The Teaching School offers some exciting possibilities for our three school partnership and, indeed, for our Teaching School Alliance partners and wider network.

It is endlessly fascinating… and also a real privilege… to work with the Heads of the respective Schools and with the staff and children within.  The Executive Head teacher role is evolving week by week as we talk, assess and evaluate and work out the differing needs of the Heads, the staff and the schools themselves.

I shared a quote from Jim Collins’ fantastic book Good to Great with the teaching staff at Fairlawn the week before last.  I think it bears a wider circulation for our partnership of schools.  The book begins with the following:

“Good is the enemy of great.

And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great.

We don’t have great schools, principally because we have good schools.  We don’t have great government, principally because we have good government.  Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life.  The vast majority of companies never become great, precisely because the vast majority become quite good – and that is their main problem.”

Jim Collins, Good to Great

Our collective aim throughout the partnership is to push through good, always, to outstanding and beyond.

Have a lovely week.

Mark Wilson

Week 2

Dear Parent/ Carer,

I began my week at Fairlawn this week, where I led the Monday Whole School Assembly – The History of the Olympics in 15 minutes.  ‘Heroes’, by David Bowie, played as the children came into the Hall... We can be heroes!  I was glad for support from Remarnae, my impromptu Assembly sidekick.  The History of the Olympics in 15 minutes, Part 2 is ready for this coming Monday.  I have enjoyed meeting many children at Fairlawn this week and to meeting parents in the playground before school.  My thanks to those children, parents (and indeed staff) who have taken the time to introduce themselves.  That really helps me to quickly get to know people and to gain a deeper insight into the school.  I led the staff meeting at Fairlawn this week, too, and met with the school senior leadership.  Together, we are beginning to take those small next steps that will lead to larger strides in the weeks and months to come.

Things are going well for us at Haseltine.  Ms Brumby and I spent some more time this week preparing for the visit from ofsted that we expect this year.  The improvement that the school has made in recent years under Ms Brumby is truly impressive and is a testament to the hard work, commitment and impact of the whole Haseltine team.  Ms Brumby and I talked about some exciting developments that we would like to see at Haseltine.  We will be working on these in coming weeks.  I had a learning walk around the classes and was struck by the calm and purposeful atmosphere everywhere.  I also spent time on the playground before and after school meeting parents and talking to children.  There is a real community spirit at Haseltine.  It is a truly caring school, one in which parents recognise the value that the school gives to their children.  

After a delayed start, Kilmorie finally opened to children on Monday.  This was a huge relief to Liz Stone and I.  After spending most of the summer at the school, Liz was there until after 10.00pm on each of the weekend nights and was back early the following mornings.  Liz and I did a final site risk assessment at 7.00am on Monday and were pleased to be able to declare the school ready for occupation.  Though there is work on the building still to do, we have been delivered of a beautiful environment for learning.  Lakehouse have done a wonderful job at the school, achieving a truly impressive quality of finish and attention to detail.  It was a delight to speak to parents and children on Monday morning, all of whom were amazed at the building.  Children at Kilmorie have been saying all week how wonderful the building is - which is lovely to hear.  The building refurbishment is another step on our journey to outstanding in every aspect at Kilmorie.  

The ofsted report from the July inspection was published this week.  This is further concrete evidence of the continuing improvements at the school, improvements that we are determined to build upon.

Teaching School

I met with a National College Associate this week to discuss the Teaching School, based at Fairlawn, given the change of leadership.  I was able to satisfy the College that there remains a strong vision for the future development of the Teaching School.  The Teaching School is a very important part of our drive for continuous improvement, development and innovation at all three schools.  All three benefit from the trainee, teacher and leadership development that the Teaching School gives access to and all three will benefit even more as the Teaching School grows into an important School Improvement driver for Lewisham and South East London.

Week 1

-->

Dear Parent/ Carer,

It has been wonderful to welcome you back to the new school year at two of our schools this week.

I had the privilege of talking to staff at all three schools on their Training Days this week.  We will be unwavering in our ambition to achieve World Class for our schools and for our partnership and I hope that it is a vision that motivates, inspires and enthuses our staff to give their very best for your child. 

At Kilmorie, of course, we are still to open to children.  All staff have been working incredibly hard – under very difficult circumstances – preparing the building for occupation and for the job of learning.  We have a building to be very proud of, one in which it is our duty to look to help children enjoy it and get the very best from it.

I met parents in the playground at Fairlawn this week, said a few words in the Assembly and visited classes.  I was delighted to hear the very, very positive sentiments expressed by parents about the school.  As I said to the staff, there is a very deep feeling of love for the school... amongst parents and staff.  That is a wonderful and a very powerful thing.  I found a couple of fellow Leeds Utd supporters at Fairlawn… who will now be my friends for life.  It was great to see rich and powerful learning in every class.  My special thanks this week go to Mrs George, who is taking children to the Thames Festival today (Sunday).  It is the willingness of staff at our three schools to commit extra time to the children and to wonderful experiences like this for them that makes the difference… I am inspired and hugely grateful that there are a great many examples like this going on at all of our schools, all of the time.

There was a brilliant start to the school year at Haseltine.  We get up to full speed at Haseltine very quickly.  I have had my lunch with children there twice this week and have learned a great deal.  Two of the girls were telling me how Mr Buxton is their hero.  He is Ms Brumby’s and my hero too… after the immense efforts that he put into ensuring that Haseltine was able to open on time on Wednesday.  We breathed a sigh of relief as the last truck rolled out of the playground at half past eight on Wednesday morning.  I met parents in the playground after school and was taken with the community spirit there.  I am always taken with the sheer passion and enthusiasm for the children amongst the staff at Haseltine.  It is quite breathtaking. 

I said to the children at the Fairlawn Assembly, my job as Executive Headteacher simply means ‘Best Job in the World’.  It is a privilege to be working with you all.   

I am settling into life in London... and am not 100% reliant on my Sat Nav to get around now and am managing a level of domestication and self-reliance that remains a bit of a surprise to my wife (my family having remained in the North of England).  I have only managed to get to one session of British Military Fitness thus far and haven't got out for any runs yet... I do hope to improve this miserable record soon.  My eldest son has identified the  weekends that he wants to come down to London... which just happen to coincide with Leeds Utd games against Palace and Charlton. So all is going well...

I hope you enjoy a super week ahead,

Mark Wilson

Summer Works and the journey ahead

-->
Dear Parent/ Carer,

Wow!

It has been an extremely busy summer for many of us.  My very sincere and public thanks to all those colleagues who have spent a substantial part of their summer both in the schools and at home preparing for the new school year.  I have been struck this summer with the level of dedication that I have seen from staff across our partnership of schools.  Very particular thanks go to Liz Stone at Kilmorie and to Jeanette Brumby and Vince at Haseltine for their brilliant management of the huge projects that have been going on in their schools.  The sheer number of hours that these colleagues have put in this summer is in itself worthy of very special praise.

Kilmorie will be hosting some open visits when the new school year starts.  I would encourage you to visit, if at all possible.  Lakehouse – the project contractor – have delivered us a building that we can be very proud of, one in which an exceptional quality of education for children will be suitably housed.

My goals for this year include fostering closer partnership working, achieving an improved level of communication and information for our stakeholders and communities and enhancing both pupil provision and the quality of the experience for children in all of our schools.

Welcome back to the new school year and I look forward to travelling alongside you on our journey to World Class.