Wow! What a year. It has probably been the most challenging year most of us will ever experience. As my first year as Head Teacher it has most definitely been an experience. Having said that, as I reflect upon the last 16 months since March 2020 I feel so proud of everything our school community has achieved during the COVID-19 pandemic. It would be easy to focus on the negatives but there have been so many positive outcomes, too.
We have found so many creative solutions to problems, we have worked with different people and become closer as a team and we have successfully navigated our way through the maze of COVID-19. The staff in school have had to cope with a huge array of change over the last year including: a new Head Teacher; a global pandemic; becoming part of the Durham and Newcastle Diocesan Learning Trust; the introduction of our remote learning platform and the setting up of our Learning Zones and superpowers. Under normal circumstances any one of those events would have justified a detailed Change Management Plan and you would never choose to implement them all in the space of one year!
Our team has grown and developed over the last year and I feel incredibly proud of every single one of them. We have welcomed Mr Storey and Mr Clarke to the team who have both made huge contributions to the school. Every single individual, without exception, has gone above and beyond what could reasonably be expected of them and they have done so without complaint or a moments hesitation. The measure of a team is how well it responds when the chips are down and I can honestly say that after working in the NHS and in Education over the last 35 years I have never worked with a more dedicated and committed team. They all embody the ‘family first’ ethos of the school and they literally live and breathe our core values.
They have supported each other (and me) through hard times, sad times and hilarious times, too, and I don’t think any of us would have got through this period without each other. Who knows what our next Ofsted or Church inspection will bring but regardless: to me our team will be ‘Forever Outstanding’.
Our children are always at the centre of every decision we make and every event that we plan and we have some amazing ideas for September and there is a lot to look forward to! But first let’s enjoy a well-earned summer break. I hope you all have a great summer and I look forward to seeing you all in September.
Mrs D Cross
Head Teacher
2020-2021 in pictures:
