Friday 19 December 2014


It is finally here - the holiday at last. I know the last week is always filled with fun and excitement but I cannot pretend that I am not glad that it is the end of term and I am looking forward to a break – as I suspect all of you are. Christmas is not the most relaxing holiday as it does involve a lot of work but the children with their excitement help to make it very special. They need a rest as well because the autumn term is very long and with all the bugs and viruses that have been going around they really need a break to help build up their energy reserves so they are raring to go again in the new year. They are having a really good time as I type this because I can hear all their screams and shouts coming from the hall as they watch our pantomime.  A lot of them are in fancy dress and I think it helps them get even more into the pantomime spirit.

As I mentioned earlier we have had a lot on this week with all the shows, the carol concert and the parties. These events are only the success they are thanks to all the hard work put in by my staff and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their continued efforts throughout the year. I would also like to thank all the parents for your support of the school over the year as well – everything we do at school would not be the success that it is without that and everyone at Little Heath appreciates the support that we receive.

All that is left for me to do now is to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope you all have a great holiday and I look forward to seeing you all again on Tuesday, 6th January.     

Friday 12 December 2014


I know Christmas is a wonderful time of year and there are lots of wonderful things going on in school but I think everyone here is ‘feeling the pace’ here and we are certainly looking forward to our holiday at the end of next week. Not that Christmas is a relaxing time but at least we do not have to get up so early in the morning (well at least I do not – I do find it strange leaving for work when the moon is still in the sky). Today has been a particularly busy day because we have had our Christmas lunch in school. May I take this opportunity to thank all the kind volunteers who came in today to help supervise the children at lunchtime during the festivities. 

I saw many of you last weekend at the Christmas Fayre which appeared to be enjoyed by all those who attended. As many of you know I was helping with the ‘Bake-Off’ competition which was not really a job at all. I have to say that I think the standard was even higher than last year and I know it sounds like a cliché but it really was difficult to pick a winner. The Mayor and Mayoress of Welwyn and Hatfield were most glad that they had been invited to judge the competition and thought the whole fayre was lovely. I do not know how much money has been raised yet but I would like to thank again everyone who helped organise the fayre and to all the people who attended. Without such support the whole event would not be possible.

Next week, as you would expect, is extremely busy and I have copied the dates of all the events below to make sure that you do not miss anything. As you will see on Friday we have a pantomime coming into school for the children which has become a bit of an annual event at Little Heath. This year it is ‘Dick Whittington’ and as I mentioned in my last newsletter we are allowing the children to come dressed as pantomime characters but in exchange they must donate at least a pound towards the PTA fund. Please also remember that on the last day of term (Friday, 19th December) we always finish at 2pm.

December 15th
Sharing Assembly (9.00am)
December 15th
KS2 Christmas Carol Concert (7.00pm)
December 16th
Foundation and KS1 performance (9.30am)
December 17th
Foundation and KS1 performance (1.30pm)
December 17th
Open Afternoon 3.00pm – 4.30pm
December 18th
Foundation/KS1 parties (in school hours)
December 18th
KS2 party 5.30 – 7.00pm
December 19th
Pantomime for the whole school.
December 19th
End of term 2.00pm

 

 

Friday 5 December 2014


I am writing this blog in the middle of great excitement as everyone is getting ready for the Christmas Fayre. This is an occasion that everyone looks forward to and it is only possible thanks to all the hard work of the PTA and your kind donations. At the moment we unfortunately do not have a chairperson to organise our PTA but this year’s fayre has been co-ordinated by Mrs Hopkins and Mrs Latimir and I would like to thank them in advance for their efforts. As I mentioned last week I will be judging the bake-off with the mayor again and I am really looking forward to it - I cannot think of a better way to spend an afternoon than eating cake.

People who were interested in continuing with the parent council attended an informal gathering this week. Although only a few attended all those present found it a most informative discussion. At the moment there is no formal structure to the parent council but a former member is putting together a letter of the discussion that took place and it will be sent out to all parents next week.

I am afraid I am going to have to have a little moan because it has been brought to my attention that a parent was smoking a cigarette in the KS1 playground at pick-up time. We have a strict no smoking policy in the school grounds. This includes ‘e-cigarettes’ because even though they do not contain nicotine as part of our healthy schools accreditation we must not be seen to promote any form of smoking to the children on the premises.

Christmas is fast descending upon us and preparations for all our Christmas shows and concerts are in full swing. On Monday the Christmas post box will be put out for the children. The box will be situated at the entrance where the children come into the school and the cards will be delivered to all the children in their classes by the Year 6 pupils. To make sure they deliver the cards to the right people can you ensure that your children put the full name and the class of the child they want the card to go to.

We also have our school Christmas Lunch next week on Friday. As I stated in my newsletter this day is also national ‘Christmas Jumper Day’ so we are allowing all the children to come to school in a Christmas jumper. They can wear it as part of their school uniform (instead of their normal school jumper) or they can treat it as a mufti day and not wear uniform at all. There will be no charge for them wearing the Christmas jumper.

That is all for now. I hope to see many of you at the Christmas Fayre. Remember the more money we raise the sooner we will get to our target amount so we can purchase an outdoor classroom.

Friday 28 November 2014


 I certainly did not get the start to the week that I was expecting – having to come into a flooded boiler room and a freezing cold school is not the best Monday morning. I know that having to make provision for your children at the last minute was not ideal but I would like to thank everyone for their co-operation in making this a very easy process for us – unfortunately we were not allowed to have the children on the premises because there was a chance that because of wet electrics, the boiler may blow up.

I do know that after we closed the school some parents felt that they were not been kept informed of developments so they could make plans for the next day but may I assure you that there was nothing we could really tell you during the day. We had men working on the pipes but the man we needed to come was the electrician and he did not arrive until after 6pm because there were other jobs he had to deal with first. We did not know that we could definitely open the school on Tuesday until 7.55pm on Monday evening. I know some parents would have liked to know earlier but this was impossible. I also have a duty to get the school open and if that meant that the men would have to work until midnight then that is what would have happened. Hopefully, we will not have to close the school again this year but could I ask you that if anything does happen in the future that you have a plan in place for the school not opening and then trust us to let you know as soon as possible what will be happening with the school – remembering at all times that the priority is to get the school open. 

As I explained in my newsletter this week we have had more work done in the boiler house and on our drainage system to stop this happening again but as the men working on the boiler told us, there was exceptional rain at the weekend which left us dealing with exceptional circumstances which are very hard to plan for although we do try.

Hopefully next week will be more straightforward and certainly more exciting for the children because they have their Christmas Fayre to look forward to on December 6th. Preparations are now nearly complete and we are all looking forward to a wonderful event. I have the pleasant task of judging the bake-off competition with the mayor so I will probably come in on Monday weighing a few pounds more but looking very happy. The standard was excellent last year and I am sure it will be the same this year.

Before the Christmas Fayre there is an opportunity for parents to come into school on Wednesday, 3rd December at 9.00am. This event will be in the school hall after drop off and it will give you an opportunity to have refreshments and chat with members of the parent council, the chair of governors and me. The parent council would like some suggestions of how they can best support the parents and the school and this will give you the opportunity to share your ideas with them in an informal and friendly setting. I hope to see as many of you there as possible.

I should imagine that most peoples’ weekends will be very busy with the preparations that are required for Christmas but I hope you all still have a pleasant weekend. Let us hope that there are no hitches with the weather so that we can have a normal Monday.

Friday 21 November 2014


As ever, once the term gets underway, the weeks seem to fly by – I could not believe when somebody told me that there were four weeks until the end of term – where does the time go? It has been a very interesting week in school this week because it has been anti-bullying week. This is a topic that we take very seriously because we want all our children to feel happy and safe in school. We also think it is important to teach them what to do if they do think they are being bullied because it has been proven that if all incidents involving bullying behaviour were reported in the first ten minutes of them happening then bullying behaviour would drop by over 70%. The theme for this year is’ Let’s Stop Bullying for All’. This theme has been chosen as it is a sad fact that a child with a disability or learning difficulty is still more likely to get bullied than a child who does not. I think that is quite a shocking statistic in this day and age.

On a more pleasant note we have our Christmas Fayre coming up soon. Preparations are now well underway for the event which is on Saturday, 6th December from 12 noon until 3.00pm. As I have also said in past blogs if you can spare an hour or two to help out at the fayre on the Saturday or even on the Friday evening on the 5th December to help set up then your help will be appreciated. Just contact the school office with your availability and they will contact the PTA. Remember the more money we raise the more we can purchase for the school which benefits your child. At the moment our main goal is to raise money to buy an outside classroom for the school.

You will also have received this week an invitation from the Parents Council to attend a coffee morning. This is not a formal meeting but just an opportunity for as many parents as possible to come and share some ideas and suggestions on how they would like the Parents Council to proceed and also present ideas that could help to make the school a better place for everyone. Even though we cannot guarantee to be able to implement all suggestions we certainly want to hear them. We hope to see as many of you there as possible on Wednesday, 3rd December at 9.00am.

I would like to thank everyone who has sent in a Rotary box to send to Eastern Europe. The pile is building up in my room and I know they will be gratefully received by those who get them. If you are intending to fill and send in a box then you still have plenty of time to do so as the last day to bring them into school is Friday, 28th November.  The more boxes we receive the more difference we can make to those who really need it.

Have a good weekend and I will see you all again on Monday.

Friday 14 November 2014


I have had a lot of meetings this week and I have been away from the school so it is nice for me to be sitting in my office working - it feels very warm and comforting being in a familiar environment. It certainly was not warm on Saturday night when we had out firework display. My prayers for no rain were not answered and the rain did come down - very heavily at times! Luckily when the fireworks were actually lit the weather was not too bad and it certainly was an impressive display. I was amazed at how many people did come in the rain and I would like to thank all those who did come for their support. I would also like to thank again the PTA, Brookmans Park Rotary Club and all the people who helped them run the event and clear up afterwards. Without that support the event would not be possible and I think this year we had more support than ever which is brilliant. Let us hope that we have as many volunteers next year so that the event runs as smoothly.

Another thing that I would like to thank everyone for is the small coin collection that we had for ‘Children in Need’ today. As I explained in my newsletter we do not make a big thing about this event in school because we have already asked you for so much this term and we have just sent out the Christmas boxes for you to fill so I am aware that we should not keep asking for things and exploiting your good nature.

The next big event in school is our Christmas Fayre which is on Saturday, 6th December. I know that the PTA would like support for this so if you are able to help please leave your name at reception and they will pass it onto the ladies who are running the event. Our present chair, Anna Holden, is stepping down and there is no-one to take her place so I would like to thank Mrs Latimir and Mrs Hopkins for volunteering to run the fayre for us. I would also like to thank Anna Holden for all her hard work over the past year and helping the school raise so much money – her support has been much appreciated.

That is all for now - have a great weekend and I will see you all again on Monday.  

Friday 7 November 2014


I think we can safely say that after a warm October autumn has certainly arrived in November – I had to scrape the ice off my car this week and it was hard for me to remember the last time I did that  - all I can remember of last winter is rain. The weather may be cold outside but it is certainly warm and cheery inside at school. All the children seem to have come back refreshed from their half term break and they all appear pleased to be here. They do have good reason to feel that way though because we do provide them with plenty of exciting experiences in school and as you know they have one to look forward to this weekend with our annual fireworks display. This is always a brilliant event and if you have not already purchased your tickets they are available from Darkes Lane tomorrow afternoon or on the gate. The event starts at 6.00pm, the bonfire is lit at 6.45pm and the fireworks display starts at 7.30pm. I will be there all night serving on the barbeque and I hope to see  many of you there. Remember the more money we raise the more the school will benefit. The next fundraising event after this will be our Christmas Fayre which is on Saturday, December 6th from 12noon – 3pm.

Martin Tuck, our school advisor from county, was in the school all day on Thursday to give an external opinion on how the school is performing and also to monitor our progress against our Ofsted targets. He was very pleased with what he saw and does think the school has made progress since the last inspection which is really good news for the school and all its stakeholders. I know all my staff work really hard to do the best they can for the pupils and it is both reassuring and pleasing to have this recognised by an outside agency.

On a sadder note Mr James left us today. Although he has only been with the school a relatively short time he has certainly made a big impact on everybody here and he will certainly be missed. On his behalf I would like to thank everyone who donated to his leaving gift which was some vouchers for IKEA which is what he wanted. His replacement Mr Spena has been here for a week and I would also like to thank everyone for making him feel so welcome.

That is all for now. I hope that I see many of you tomorrow night at the fireworks and I doubly hope that the weather is kind to us. 

Friday 24 October 2014


There is a very spooky atmosphere in school today as everyone is dressed as ghosts and ghouls. There are some amazing costumes but the purpose of the day was for everyone to bring in contributions for the PTA Christmas Fayre so I would like to thank everyone who has donated an item to that cause. All of the donations will be put to good use in the fayre and will help to make the event the big success that it always is. The Christmas Fayre this year will be on Saturday, December 6th.

Over the week I have met many parents in school because of the parent consultations and although it was a late night for the teachers last night from the many positive comments that I have received back all the effort was worthwhile. At least we now have the half term break to help us regain our energy ready for the next half term which contains Christmas. Aagh!!

This morning we enjoyed a wonderful assembly from Year 5 based on an alien invasion in the school. Everyone who saw it would agree that it was an excellent performance and I would like to thank all the children for all their efforts. Let us also not forget Mrs Richardson, Mrs Reynolds, Mrs Ranzetta and Mrs Clarke for all their work in co-ordinating the assembly and helping make it the great success that it was.

You will have seen from my newsletter that Mr James is leaving us and as you can imagine we are very disappointed because he has fitted very well into Little Heath life. He is moving on because he has been presented with a wonderful career opportunity which he cannot turn down. We have appointed somebody new and when all the necessary paperwork has been completed we will let you know who they are. They certainly have very big shoes to fill following in Mr James’ footsteps.

As I also reminded you in my newsletter, when we return after the half-term holiday, we have the firework display to look forward to. It is being held on Saturday, 8th November and the gates for the event open at 6.00pm. If you have not already ordered tickets, forms to do this are available from the school office and we look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible. Everyone who attends comments on what a great event it is.

All that is left for me to do now is to wish you a lovely half- term. I hope everyone has a really good break and I look forward to seeing everyone again on Monday, 3rd November.

Friday 10 October 2014


I cannot believe how quickly this term is passing – when somebody started talking to me about half term I thought they were mad but it is actually just 2 weeks away! We will soon be talking about the dreaded ‘C’ word before we know it. Aagh!

We have had a very pleasant week in school this week even though the weather has definitely changed – we certainly cannot say that autumn is not upon us. Having the ‘Book Fair’ in school always creates a lot of excitement and I am pleased to say that thanks to your generosity just over £1100 was spent on books which means that we have just over £550 to spend on books for the school which is amazing. I would like to thank everyone who purchased a book from the fair and also to all the parents who helped to run it.

As you saw from the newsletter that I sent out we also managed to raise £520 from our Harvest Festival Coffee Morning. We have already sent the money to the ‘Just a Drop’ charity who were amazed at the amount we had raised from a coffee morning in such a small school. I would like to thank you all again for being so generous with your donations and helping present Little Heath so favourably to the outside world. It certainly makes me feel fortunate to work here.

I was a little disappointed though at the response to our ‘Aims and Objectives’ evening. Even though I choose to look at it positively and accept that most people must be happy with the ethos of the school I certainly think that it does no harm to question policy, even when it is successful, because it can lead to improvements, especially when it is looked at by a different set of eyes. I hope we do get a better response to the next parents event that we run, and remember, if there is anything you would like us to run an event on, do let me know.

As you all know I will be attending the Head teacher’s conference next week from Wednesday afternoon until Friday so there will be no head teacher’s blog. While I am away Mrs Zegallo will be in charge so if you have any concerns please contact her. Have a nice weekend – if you are looking for activities to do with your child over the weekend why not visit our maths blog which has some exciting activities for you to complete with your child.

Friday 3 October 2014


I am writing this after an enjoyable morning of helping out at the Harvest Festival. It is always a very frantic morning with lots of people ‘coming and going’ but it gives me an opportunity to meet lots of parents. I would like to thank the PTA for all their efforts in helping to organise the event and I would like to thank all of you for your kind donations of cakes and biscuits because without them there would be no Harvest Festival. We have raised an impressive amount of cash and the charity that we are supporting this year is ‘Just a Drop’. This charity was brought to my attention by one of our parents. It is a relatively small but impactful international water and sanitation charity who has one simple aim – to reduce the number of children dying as a result of water sanitation diseases. Currently this is the biggest killer of children under 5 across the world and every pound raised gives a child clean water for 10 years.

As well as the Harvest festival I know quite a few of you came to the ‘Book Fair’ last night. I would like to thank you for doing so and try to encourage as many of you who have not done so to attend the ‘Book Fair’. The more books that are purchased by you means more books that we can get for the school. I am a great a believer of the saying that ‘You can never have too many books’ and that is certainly true in a school. 

As I stated earlier I was able to chat to quite a few of you this morning which was good for me because I have had so many meetings out of school to attend recently. Fortunately, this is not the situation next week and I should be in school most of the time. One of the things that I am looking forward to is our ‘Aims and Objectives’ evening. The aims and objectives of a school are at the very heart of what it represents which is why we are trying to collate as much information as we can from all our stakeholders. I do hope that many of you will be able to attend because only then can we truly get a true representation of the views of ALL our parents.

Apparently we are going to have the last of the good weather this weekend and then after that autumn is definitely going to arrive so make the most of the sunny weather this weekend because it could be the last we have until March.

 

Friday 26 September 2014


I am typing this today in a sea of red and yellow as everyone is dressed up for the end of our ‘Spanish Week’ which the children appeared to have thoroughly enjoyed. I have had to miss a lot of the activities today because I have had a lot of meetings to attend but I do not think that my absence has spoilt the day. The children have been involved in a lot of interesting activities this week and have produced some really high quality work – some of which will be displayed in the school hall next week. The most important thing is that they know more about Spain than they did at the beginning of the week and I think they will all agree that they do.

I am not going to discuss the argument that occurred outside of the school this week because I think I covered it all in my newsletter. However, I would just like to emphasize that as adults we should be setting our children an example and that includes following rules. Parents should not be parking where the signs show quite clearly that they should not be doing so. The governors and I will be seeing taking guidance as to what measures we can put in place to get rid of this problem once and for all. The police guidance is that the school staff should not get involved in disputes about parking outside of the school but parents can complain to the police directly if they feel there is a need.

Looking forward to better things we have out Harvest Festival next Friday. Over the last couple of weeks the children have been preparing songs to sing to you and I know they are looking forward to performing them to you. If I could remind you that we will need donations of cakes and biscuits sent in on Wednesday and Thursday morning to ensure that we have plenty of cake for Friday (it is the cake that makes it one of my favourite mornings of the year). On the day we also ask for a money donation towards a named charity and we will let you know which one it will be on the morning.

We also have the ‘Book Fair’ arriving next week and starts on Thursday after school. The children always get excited when they see all the new books which I think is a great reaction because you can never have too many books.  As I stated in my newsletter if you are able to help out please contact the school office and then Mrs Richardson will contact you.

I look forward to seeing many of you next week at the Harvest Festival and Book Fair – enjoy your weekend.

Friday 19 September 2014


I found it hard to believe that it was time to write my blog again because the week has just flown by. I have had a lot of meetings to attend so you may not have seen a lot of me but I can assure you I have been working.

One of the more pleasant tasks that I did this week was to go with some members of Year 5 and 6 to the ‘Lochinver Maths Challenge’. Both sets of children had a most enjoyable time and I am pleased to say that we did well in both competitions. Year 5 finished third in their category and Year 6 finished an impressive first. Let us hope that this is the first of many victories for the school this year.

Next week in school is going to be a very exciting one because we are having a Spanish Week. As I explained in my newsletter this is to make the children more aware of Spanish culture as this is now the language we teach in school. I know the children are going to have a great time and we are ending the week with a ‘Red and Yellow Day, which are the colours of the Spanish flag. Do not worry if you cannot dress the children totally in those colours - as long as they have one item that will be sufficient.

The fine weather still seems to be hanging on so enjoy it while you can because autumn in full force will soon be upon us – we have already had a little taste with the misty mornings and the storm during the night. Even when the weather changes we still have lots to look forward to in school such as the Harvest Festival and the Bonfire Night so there will still be plenty to keep us cheery. Have a nice weekend.

Friday 12 September 2014


Second week in and the term is now in full swing. Most of the after school clubs have started up again and key stage two have had a particularly exciting week because of their visits to Stanborough Lake. They all returned after their visits very excited with loads of them rushing to tell me how wet they got and how many times they had been in the lake. Getting wet did not seem to bother them but then the weather has been good so that probably helped. Our new children also seem to be growing in confidence and are coming in by themselves – I am sure before long they will all be racing in like all the other children.

Unfortunately I have had some distressing news this week which I feel I need to share with you. We had a complaint from an elderly gentleman who lives in Frampton Road that some children in Little Heath school uniform were walking to school and were knocking on some doors in the road and then running away. He then claims two girls in our school uniform walked into his kitchen and only left when he shouted at them. He claims that the girls left a boon box behind. As you can imagine he was very distressed and shocked and was not able to contact the school until his carer arrived. This is not the type of behaviour that we expect from Little Heath children and I can only hope that the elderly gentleman is mistaken in his belief that they came from this school. What I would ask you to do is if your children come to school with their friends remind them of what is acceptable behaviour and if they do know anything about the incident to come and talk to me.

It was very pleasant to see many of you in school last night for ‘Meet the Teacher’ and I believe that all the sessions went well. I was a little disappointed that some parents were unaware of the no children rule and claim that they had not been informed. The information about the event was in my blog and last week’s newsletter and so it is clear to me that some people are not reading the letters or the blogs which is our way of communicating with parents.

Summer still seems to be hanging on so enjoy the weekend and I look forward to seeing you all next week.

 

Friday 5 September 2014


It does not seem like two minutes since I was wishing you all a great holiday and here we are back for the start of a new school year. Although it is difficult getting back into a routine I always enjoy returning to school because it is a pleasure to see everyone again and there is something comforting about getting back to your normal routine. That is not to say that I did not have a wonderful holiday but as I went away right at the beginning of the break it does seem like a dim and distant memory.

All of the children appear to have settled back into the school routine and although we have had one or two yawns from them having to get up early again they do not seem too upset at being back again. Even our new children seem to have settled very quickly, which is great, and I am sure that in a short while they will feel like they have been here forever and it will all feel very normal to them. I think it is sometimes more upsetting for the parents to see them start school than it is for the actual children.

Next week we invite in all the parents to a ‘Meet the Teacher’ meeting so that all parents can get to talk to their child’s class teacher and learn about the expectations of the year. We make these meetings for parents only following a request from parents who like the opportunity to ask questions they would not ask in front of children. Although the majority of parents do comply with this request we always seem to have a couple who think that it is okay for them to bring their children and just leave them in the school while they attend the meeting. However this is not acceptable and parents who do bring their children with them will be asked to leave. If you do have problems with childcare ‘Kids and Clubs’ are offering for a one-off payment to look after your child for the duration of the meeting but as I stated in the newsletter they will need to know by Tuesday so they can ensure they have the appropriate cover for the extra numbers. If you are unable to attend because of other commitments the class blogs do keep you informed of what is happening in the classroom.

All the clubs run by the school staff will start again next week so please make sure you return your signing up form by Monday so your child can participate. Those of you who are familiar with our after school’s timetable will notice that there is less netball available than we usually offer. This is because the lady who runs the netball for us has less time available because of other commitments. However, we are looking into ways of running more after school netball and we will inform you if this is possible in the near future.

Have a pleasant weekend - let us hope that the summer weather can last a little longer so we can all enjoy it a little more.  

Friday 18 July 2014


I feel like this blog should begin with “That was the year that was” because I cannot believe a whole year has passed as I can remember so clearly the end of last year. Conversely though, it seems a lifetime since our Ofsted inspection which was back in September because so much has happened since then. 

I am glad that it has been sunny this week because it always makes the last week of term a more enjoyable experience. The week got off to an excellent start as we had a steel band workshop in school which the children loved and gave a real holiday feel to the school. We then had the ‘Apprentice ‘ afternoon on Tuesday which was organised by Year 6 and it was excellent. The children had really put a lot of thought and effort into their stalls this year and there was everything on offer from wand pens to bath bombs so there was something to please everybody. On Wednesday it was the rounders match where the teachers take on the Year 6 and your positive thoughts must have worked because we actually beat them this year. The teachers treat it all as a bit of fun but judging by the Year 6’s reaction they take it a bit more seriously because they were not happy after their defeat. They redeemed themselves yesterday with their excellent performance of a ‘Midsummer Night’s  Dream’ which they performed for their families and friends. This was followed by a lovely party which was enjoyed by all who attended.  The ‘Leavers’ Assembly’ was a bit more formal this morning but still a lovely occasion as it gave us a chance to give the Year 6 a proper goodbye. All that is left for us to do is give them their ‘farewell parade’ and then they will truly have left us. I still cannot believe they are ready to leave as I can remember them as tiny infants  - it certainly makes me feel old and wonder where the years have gone.

I would like to thank you for all your support in what has been a very successful year for the school – we could not achieve what we do without you.  I hope you all have a brilliant holiday and I look forward to seeing you all again on Tuesday, 2nd September.

Friday 11 July 2014


I know it has only been a week since I last wrote my blog but there has been so much going on in school I feel like I have been here for three. I have had numerous meetings to attend, lots of visitors in school, the SATS results have been published, I had my termly visit from the school county advisor, the new children and parents visited on Thursday while many of the Year 6 children were visiting their new secondary schools and, today, it is the school Summer Fayre - I will certainly be glad when the end of term eventually  arrives next week. Still, I should not grumble as it is also a very enjoyable time of year with lots of different activities taking place - I am certainly looking forward to the Summer Fayre and before it even begins I would like to thank all the people involved for all their time and energy in organising the event. Without the efforts of the PTA the school certainly would not be as well resourced as it is.

Last week I received a donation from an anonymous group of parents of a trophy to present to a member of the Year 6 in their leaving assembly. It was specified in the letter that I received with the trophy what they wanted it awarded for.   Although the governing body and I very much appreciate the gesture we feel that the award duplicates one that we already have. I would appreciate it if the parents who donated it could come and see me.

Although everyone always looks forward to the end of term it is also a bit of a sad time for us because we are losing our Year 6 for good. We do wish them well in their new schools and we hope that they take happy memories of Little Heath with them. We do try and make the last week of term special for them as they have a party and a leavers’ assembly to which the parents of Year 6 are invited. They also put on a performance for their friends and families and the rest of the school have an opportunity to see it during the week. This year it is ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and I know everyone who has been invited is looking forward to watching it. As well as that the Year 6 have the opportunity to play the school staff at rounders. Every year I am determined to win but every year we get beaten so if everyone could send positive thoughts in my direction on Wednesday I would appreciate it – perhaps the staff can finally break their losing streak this year.

I am sure that I will see many of you at the Summer Fayre tonight although I will not be staying to the end as I have to attend a charity event that I was committed to before the date for the Summer Fayre was set. I hope you all have a great time and you all enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Friday 4 July 2014


I am writing this blog just as the children have arrived back from the Rounders Festival which was held at Dame Alice Owens School. Thankfully the good weather lasted and everyone who took part enjoyed the tournament very much. Both teams did very well but one team got through to the final and were just narrowly beaten by Oakmere School by half a rounder. Congratulations to all who took part and a big thank you to Mr Mills and Mrs Robinson for their excellent coaching of the teams.  

This week has been ‘Parent Consultation Week’ in school and it has been lovely to see so many parents in school. All of those that I have spoken to appear very happy with how their child is progressing which is always good to hear. However, if you do have any concerns with your child’s learning remember that you can always make an appointment to see your class teacher or me outside of the parent consultation evenings.

It is another really busy week in school next week as is typical of the end of term. On Monday we have our last ‘Sharing Assembly’ of the year and then on Thursday most of the Year 6 children will be visiting their new secondary schools, which is always very exciting for them. On Thursday we also have the new children who are joining us in reception and nursery in school for a familiarisation visit which makes the school a slightly chaotic but very exciting place to be in. At the end of the week we have the summer fayre to look forward to. It is on from 3.30pm until 8.00pm on the Friday night so let us hope that the good weather from this week lasts until the summer fayre is over.

Have a wonderful weekend and I am sure that with all that is going on in school I will see many of you next week.

 

Friday 27 June 2014


As you all know I have been absent for a couple of days this week as my father took ill. He had to undergo an emergency operation but thankfully it all seems to be going well and he appears to be on the road to recovery.  Thank you to everyone for your understanding.

I was disappointed not to be able to attend Sports Day as it is one of the main events of the school calendar. I believe it all went very well and I would like to offer my congratulations to Grangewood for winning the trophy. All the other houses will just have to try a little harder next year if they wish to be successful.

Today is ‘World Cup Day’ in school. I would like to thank everyone who made a donation towards the summer fayre. Although our national team has not done well in this tournament I am sure that our summer fayre will be a big success on July 11th if all the preparations that are taking place are anything to go by. I know that the PTA could always do with more help so if you think that you could help with the summer fayre this please let a PTA member know. If you do not know who they are contact the school office and they will inform the PTA for you.

Next week I will be seeing a lot of parents in school as it is ‘Parent Consultation Week’. It will be nice to see so many of you and I know you all love to see your children’s work and hear how they have been progressing. However may I please gently remind you all that each session only lasts ten minutes which is a good length of time to discuss your child’s progress.   If you do  feel that there is a matter you would like to discuss in more depth please make an appointment to see your child’s teacher at another time and do not take up more than the allocated time as it is unfair to the other parents and the teachers.

I would also like to warn you in advance that the school may be a little bit messy when you come in next week as we are renovating the children’s toilets. We are starting with the KS2 boys toilets and then we will be updating the toilets in the corridor that leads into the hall.

I hope you all have a great weekend – I know that I will certainly have a more relaxing one than I did last week.

Friday 20 June 2014

I cannot believe a week has passed since I wrote my last blog but that is what happens at this time of year. Everything passes by in a whirl because there is so much happening and before we know it, it will be the end of term and another year will have passed by. As I am typing this preparations are well underway for the second part of our “Grow a Pound” event. After this has been held we will total the amounts and then let you know which class was the most successful. Although that will be important to the children it does not concern me too much as I think the most important thing about this event has been the process of the classes putting their ‘business venture’ together. I am also sorry that I could not attend the actual event but I am sure that everyone will tell me about it on Monday.
Next week is a big one in school because we are having our ‘Sports Day’ on Wednesday. The KS1 event will start at approximately 9.15am and the KS2 event starts at approximately 1.30pm. This is a hugely enjoyable day for both the children and the parents so let us all pray for fine weather.  If we are unable to hold this event for any reason we will inform you as soon as possible but unfortunately we are at the mercy of the elements and we may not be able to inform you until Wednesday morning. The reserve day is Friday but hopefully we will not need to go to this day. As you already know Friday is going to be ‘World Cup Day’ in school when all the children can come to school dressed in their favourite football strip or sport s clothes so if the Sports day has to take place on this day they can just wear what they have on to participate. Remember they must bring in a donation to give to the PTA for the’ Summer Fayre’ if they do not wear their uniform. The donations they would like are red wine/white wine/ Prosecco (these will have to be brought in by adults), new toys or wrapped sweets.

That is all for now. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and I look forward to seeing you all next week.

Friday 13 June 2014


Somebody said to me the other day that “if the British did not have the weather to talk about they would have nothing to say” and I think that fact is becoming true about my blog as I always seem to bring weather into it. However, I do feel that I must mention the wonderful weather that we have had this week – I finally feel that summer has actually arrived and it makes all the difference in school because everybody appears happier and full of energy. I could hope that it lasts until the end of term but since it is the English weather that we are talking about that is not likely to happen. I think all we can do is make the most of it while it is here.

With the return of the Year 6 this week school life has returned to normal and we have been sharing all the happy memories of Kingswood with the children thanks to the many photographs that were taken on the trip by the teachers. Although they may have wished they had gone this week because of the weather they all appear to have had a great time. They also did not appear too upset by the delay they had when they returned home. Unfortunately, their coach got a flat tyre but when they eventually arrived home they all still had smiles on their faces – I think it just added to the whole experience. 

Next week is a busy week in school with lots happening. There is the primary athletics meeting at Mount Grace on Wednesday, a girls’ football tournament on Thursday at Wroxham and on Friday, as explained in my newsletter, we have some classes taking part in the ‘Grow a Pound’ event which starts at 2.30pm on Friday. Let us hope the good weather lasts long enough for all these events to take place without disruption. 

Friday 6 June 2014


It has been a rather quiet week in school because the Year 6 have been away on their school journey. They return this afternoon so school life will return to normal next week. I believe they have all had a great time. The weather has not been the best but it does not appear to have dampened their enthusiasm for all the activities. I am sure we will hear all about their adventures next week.

While on playground duty this week I noticed that a lot of children were bringing out snacks that were not fruit. May I remind everyone that the only snack that can be eaten during the morning break is a piece of fruit or a vegetable. This is to help to ensure that the children eat at least five pieces of fruit or vegetable each day. Can you please remind your child of this fact and then they will not be disappointed when they have to return their ‘forbidden’ snack to the classroom.

Some of you may remember that some of the classes took part in a ‘Grow a Pound’ activity on the Friday before Easter. On Friday 20th June the event will take place again with all the classes that did not take place in the first round – i.e. Years 2, 3, 4 and 5. Details of what they will be actually doing will be in the individual class blogs and I will put a reminder about the event in a newsletter that I am sending out next week. The event will start at 2.30pm.

On Saturday, 14th June the PTA are holding a’ Dads and Lads/Ladettes’ camping event. I am sure that this is going to be a fun afternoon and evening and remember that all the funds raised do go towards the school.

I hope you all have a good weekend. I think that all the Year 6 parents will have quite a quiet one as I am sure the children will all be exhausted from their week away.  

 

 

Friday 23 May 2014


I feel like I have not been in school very much this week as I have had to attend a lot of meetings and I have accompanied the children on a few visits so I have to admit that I could hardly believe the week had passed and half- term is here – let us hope that next week does not go as quickly when we are actually on holiday.

One of the important events that I had to do this week was interview for the Year 4 position and I am glad to announce that we were able to appoint. When all the paperwork and safeguarding checks have been completed I will announce who the successful candidate is.

The Oakmere mini marathon was held this morning and it was the first one that I did not go to as I had to attend some training. However, all went smoothly and some of our children did very well. Two boys in Year 4 finished 2nd and 5th in their event and three boys in Year 5 finished 3rd, 4th and 5th in their race. I would like to thank all the staff who attended the event for their efforts in ensuring that the event ran smoothly.

All that is left for me to do now is to hope you have a good half term holiday and I look forward to seeing everyone again on Monday, 2nd June. I must remind the Year 6 to have lots of sleep during the holiday because when they come back they are going to Kingswood for the week and they will need lots of energy for all the activities they will be involved in.

Friday 16 May 2014


Life always appears more pleasant when the sun is shining and we have been experiencing that the last couple of days in school - let us hope that it lasts until the half term break which starts next Friday. We were fortunate that the sun shone for the ‘Le Gros’ netball tournament on Wednesday night. All the girls who took part did the school proud and I am pleased to say that our one of our teams managed to get through to the semi-finals but were beaten by the eventual winners of the tournament who were Cuffley. I would like to thank Georgina Parkinson for all her hard work throughout the year in preparing the girls for the tournament and all their matches.

There is another sporting event this afternoon when some of Year 3 and 4 children take part in a football tournament at Cranborne School. All the children are very excited about it and I will let you know how they do next week. Mr Mills is the one who has prepared them for this event but in his absence I am accompanying the children to the tournament which is why I am writing this blog a little earlier than usual. Everything will be back to normal next week when Mr Mills returns to school on Tuesday.

Some of you will have noticed that we have had some workmen in school this week. This is because they have been installing a new piece of playground equipment. It is a tyre park and I know the children are going to enjoy playing on it. We did not have to pay for the equipment or the installation as we managed to obtain a lottery grant which covered all the costs – good news indeed!

You may also have noticed that we have a new sign outside the school to discourage people parking on the yellow zig-zag lines. I know that the majority of people do not do this and that most people are concerned about the safety of the children but it gets constantly brought to my attention that there are a few persistent people who think they do not have to follow the signs. As I have said many times before I do not want something to happen to one of the children before people start taking notice of the road signs.

This morning we were presented with a real treat when the reception children did their class assembly. It was based on ‘The Enormous Turnip’ and it was a delight to watch. As well as the children I would like to thank Miss Jaeger, Mrs Beadle, Mrs Aldridge and Mrs Pittson for all their hard work in putting on the assembly – it was much appreciated by all who watched it.

We have just one more week before we break up for the half - term holiday. I know the Year 6 will be feeling a lot happier now they have the SATs examinations behind them and Kingswood to look forward to when they return after the holiday. Next week I hope to see a lot of you when we have our half-termly ‘Open Afternoon’ which gives parents the opportunity to look at their children’s books. Please remember that it has only been a short half term so the children may not have completed as much work as they normally do  - in particular Year 6 who have been preparing for SATs tests.

Have a great weekend and I look forward to seeing you all next week.

 

Friday 9 May 2014


Even though the sunny weather has deserted us this week at least it was sunny for the Bank Holiday which made the long weekend even more enjoyable.

The big news for us in Little Heath this week is the arrival of Mr Mills’ baby. Jessica May Mills arrived on Saturday morning at 9.45am weighing in at a healthy seven pounds, eleven and a half ounces.  Both mother and baby are doing well and Mr Mills is on paternity leave, hopefully being very helpful to his wife at home. He will be returning the week before half term and in the meantime PE sessions are being covered by the class teacher and/or teaching assistants.

Next week it is SATs week in school which a lot of Year 6 children tend to worry about but then find that it was nowhere near as bad as they were expecting. However it is not all about exams next week as the netball team has the ‘Le Gros’  netball tournament to look forward to. It is held at Mount Grace School on Wednesday evening straight after school and if you have some free time I am sure the teams would appreciate your support.

The PTA have also organised an Egg Drop competition for after school on Friday night. Details about the event were sent out yesterday and I know it will be an enjoyable event   for both children and adults and a great way to start the weekend.

Let us hope that the fine weather returns for this weekend (although the forecast is not good) and I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday.

Friday 2 May 2014


I did say in my blog last week that it was going to be a busy week in school and it certainly has been – on the plus side I also said that it would mean that the week would pass very quickly and that has happened too.  I can hardly believe that it is Friday again. If all the weeks pass as quickly as this one it will be the summer holidays before we know it.

I have seen quite a few mums (and a couple of dads) walking around looking a little more glamorous and relaxed than usual. This is because the PTA held an indulgence evening last night and some parents treated themselves to a variety of beauty treatments and massages. All those who attended the evening said what an enjoyable event it was and I would like to thank the PTA for all their hard work in organising it – especially Amanda Garey who co-ordinated the whole event. An impressive £578 was raised. With all the fundraising that is happening in school the outdoor classroom will soon be a reality.

All the lunchtime and after school clubs started again this week which the children always love. The long awaited ‘Mills’ baby has still not arrived although there are signs that it is on its way which is why he has been absent today. We will inform you as soon as we know exactly what is happening and we will let you know as soon as possible if his after school clubs are running. I know this situation is inconvenient but I am sure that you will all understand given the circumstances.

We have a bank holiday coming up so we all have a long weekend to look forward to which is always nice. As I have a course I have to attend on Tuesday I will not be back into school until Wednesday (I am not taking an extra- long weekend) so if anyone needs to see me they will have to wait until then. I will be at the Brookmans Park May Day Event on Saturday as some of our children our performing a maypole dance at 2.30pm so if you have some free time do pop up to watch them as it is a lovely event.

If I do not see you on Saturday I hope you all enjoy the extended weekend. Let us hope that the sun shines and everyone returns feeling refreshed and invigorated on Tuesday, 6th May.

Friday 25 April 2014


Welcome back everyone. I hope you all had a great holiday and managed to enjoy some of the lovely weather. I know I say it at the beginning of every term but even though we have only been back a few days we have settled back into our routine very quickly and the holiday seems a dim and distant memory. I also find it hard to believe that it is going to be May next week – the year is just flying by.

Next week all the school clubs start up again although if your child attends a club run by Mr Mills please do keep an eye on your phone as his wife is due to give birth to their second child at any time and he may have to rush away at a moment’s notice to ensure that he is there for the birth. Therefore, we may have to cancel a club at very short notice but I know you will understand under the circumstances.

It is actually a very busy week in school next week as we are hosting two events in school (some early years moderation and an inter school maths competition) and the PTA are holding an indulgence evening on Thursday. It is running from 7 -10.00pm and you can already pre-book your treatments if you come into reception and sign up on the sheets which list all the different types of treatments that will be available on the night. Remember the more people that come, the more money that will be raised for the school which benefits your children. I also think that an indulgence evening is a lovely place to give yourselves a well - deserved treat.

We also have the class photographs on Monday morning and we do ask that children come in winter uniform for this as it looks better on the photograph. It may be good idea also to ensure that your child takes a little extra care with their hair on that morning although with some children this will not be necessary because I can tell by some of the styles and hair gel used that some children spend hours on their hair before they come to school on any day. Some of the Year 5 children have cycling proficiency next week as well so please do take care in the playground when dropping off as there will be a lot of extra bikes around.

With so much going on next week it is all going to pass by in a whirl. I hope you all have a great weekend and I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday.

 

Friday 4 April 2014


As I said in my blog last week we were going to be busy during the last week and we certainly have been – thank goodness it is the Easter holiday! The big event of this week was the production of ‘Cinderella Rockerfella’ put on by Years 3, 4 and 5. It certainly was an epic production and much enjoyed by all who watched it. The children certainly did themselves proud! I would like to thank all the staff in Years 3, 4 and 5 for all their efforts in putting on such a magnificent production and I would also like to thank the PTA (and all the parents who donated cakes) for  providing the refreshments. Year 6 certainly have a lot to live up to next term.

I am also glad to announce that I have appointed a new music teacher. When all the paperwork has gone through I will say who it is but hopefully they will be able to start the first week after Easter. The new music teacher is very experienced and has carried out this role in a number of schools. 

I have had a lot of positive responses to our ‘Sports Relief’ video which can be found on the website which is good to hear. The children (and the staff) had a lot of fun making this and I am glad to say that as well as having fun we managed to raise an impressive £260 for the charity. I would like to thank everyone for their donations.  We will have to start thinking to see what we can do for ‘Comic Relief’ next year.

As I type this blog preparations are well underway for the first of our ‘Grow a Pound’ events which is taking place this afternoon.  All the food preparation is making me hungry and I hope all the classes raise a lot of money because the more they raise the better it is for the school. I will let you know how much each class raised after the holidays and I will also let you know when the second event is to take place so all the other classes can have a go at trying to be the most successful  to raise the most money.

All that is left for me to do now is to wish you all a Happy Easter. I hope you all have a great holiday and I look forward to seeing you all again on Wednesday, 23rd April.

Friday 28 March 2014


I know that it is nearly the Easter holidays and I should be feeling happy as I am about to have a holiday but I am going to have to start my blog this week with a couple of moans. The teachers and I have noticed recently that a number of pupils are being a little ‘lax’ about their uniform. Ties are being forgotten, girls are wearing earrings and nail polish and some non-school uniform shoes are being worn. Can you please support us by ensuring that your child comes to school in the correct uniform.  Although we are pulling them up on it at school it would make our lives a lot easier if you could support us with this. If you need reminding of what the uniform is there is a list on our website under ‘school info’. Remember that after Easter summer uniform can be worn although we do ask that you do not get rid of their winter uniform as we like them to wear that for the class photographs which are on the 28th April.

The problem of parking in front of the school has also been brought to my attention again. May I remind you that it is illegal to park on the yellow zig-zag lines in front of the school and the ‘Keep Clear’ sign means just that. Apparently there is a persistent offender who makes the excuse that they have to park near the school because they have young children in the car but so do all the people who park their cars away from the school and use push chairs to walk their young children to the entrance. People who tend to park in front of the school are those who arrive late so my advice to those people would be to leave home five minutes earlier so there is time to park away from the school and get here on time. We have contacted the local police again as have some parents so if you do get a ticket or a fine you cannot say that you were not warned. As a school I have to say that parents receiving fines does not bother me but a child getting injured does.

Anyhow, now onto happier matters. Next week is the last week of term and we have an action packed week in school. During the week all the children will be taking part in an egg decorating competition. We are supplying the children with a polystyrene egg to decorate but what we are asking them to do is to come up with an idea for their design over the weekend and then bring any ‘bits’ they think they might need into school next week. We will have some materials in school for this but we cannot guarantee that we will have everything your child may require. The day the children are actually decorating their eggs will be on their class blogs.

On Wednesday afternoon we also have our regular half termly ‘Open Afternoon’ which allows parents to look at the work the children have done over the half term. The session runs from 3.00pm – 4.30pm and I look forward to seeing many of you there.

Some of the classes (Nursery, Reception, Year 1, Year2 and Year 6) are also taking part in the PTA scheme for ‘Grow a Pound’. All the classes have been given £30 to spend on resources for money raising schemes in the hopes of making far in excess of the £30 that they started with. At 1.30pm on Friday we would like to invite all the parents to come to school and purchase what the classes have made. This is going to include plants, cakes and paella so do not have lunch before you come because there will be plenty of food for you to eat. The class that raises the most money will be awarded a cash prize to donate to a charity of their choice.

Those of you who have children in Years 3,4 & 5 will know that they are putting on their production of ‘Cinderella Rockerfella’ next week and so will not be taking part in the ‘Grow a Pound’ challenge until after Easter. We are all looking forward to the show and if you have a child in that year group and do not have any tickets for the show please contact the school office.

I am sorry that I have given you a long blog to read. I hope that you all have an enjoyable weekend and please remember that, as next Friday is the last day of term, school will be finishing at 2.00pm.

 

 

Friday 21 March 2014


We have certainly had an eventful morning today. This is because we have had the whole school performing to ‘Happy’ for Sport’s Relief. I do not know how the panel on ’Strictly Come Dancing’ would judge it but we certainly had a good time and what we lacked in technique we made up with enthusiasm. I did not venture onto the stage because when we had a sound check in the morning I thought I would do a little dance on the playground and tripped over my own feet so I was considered too much of a health and safety risk to put on the stage. We did video the event and we will get it uploaded onto the website as quickly as possible.  I do not know how much money we raised with the sale of bracelets or donations but as soon as I do I will let you know.

The busy morning followed an active afternoon as we held our second maths event yesterday. This event was for KS2 and as with the KS1 event was well attended and received. I would once again like to thank Mrs Hopkins for organising the event and to all my staff for helping to run it. We will now see if we can organise something similar for literacy in the future.

Next week we do not have quite such a busy week in school although we are having a karate demonstration in our assembly on Tuesday. Preparations are also well underway for ‘Cinderella Rockerfella’ which Years 3, 4 and 5 are putting on the following week and which I am very much looking forward to watching. Then after that it is the Easter holiday. Where does the time go?

I hope you all have a nice weekend even though it is predicted to be colder than last weekend.  I will see you all next week.

 

Friday 14 March 2014


At last the sun has returned. It has been so long since we have seen the sun that my eyes are having difficulty adjusting to the brightness. I would still rather squint all the time though than have the return of the rain. The children are also enjoying the sunshine although yesterday we did have a few disputes in school so perhaps even they are having difficulty adjusting to the sun.

The main event for me this week was the visit from our Hertfordshire improvement partner who visits the school every term to monitor the quality of our work. Together we did some joint observations of lessons and then he analysed our recent data. I am pleased to report that he was very happy with the school and even though we only had an Ofsted inspection last term he thought that the school has moved forward since then, which was good to hear. The ‘outstanding’ rating gets ever closer.

In school next week we have two big events going on. The first is the KS2 maths event which runs on Thursday evening from the end of school until 5.00pm. This is an event for parents to attend with their children so they can complete some maths activities together. The KS1 maths evening was a great success and I am sure that this one will be as well. Refreshments will be provided and younger siblings are allowed to attend.

The second big event is ‘Sports Relief’ on Friday. The children are allowed to come to school in sports clothes and only have to make a donation to the charity if they have not already purchased one of our ‘Sports Relief’ bands which are currently being sold in school for a £1. During the day, as I explained last week, we are going to perform a dance routine together as a whole school and then post pictures and hopefully a video of this on our website. If the rain does return and we are unable to go outside to do this the school will split into two key stages and perform the dance in the hall.

Have a pleasant weekend and I will see you all next week.