Posted on: October 21st 2011
Hasn’t it been a very busy and swift first half of term? As we draw to a close on the final day, it seems only recently that we were opening the doors to a new year and all the buzz and excitement of new classes, a new Reception intake and my new role as Head.
For me this first half term of leading the school has been a privilege; when meeting prospective parents, visiting senior schools or receiving visitors, the passion with which I speak about what we do at Norfolk House is frequently commented on. It is because I know that we do so many things well here and I have a strong belief in our ethos and vision. The comments I’ve heard from Head Teachers during my senior school visits recently, about our leavers, is also a resounding endorsement of how well we prepare our children for all aspects of their next schools. Ensuring our children are happy and engaged in their learning through exciting approaches to the curriculum is paramount. The way our pupils are able to articulate what they are learning, when asked by visitors, and the way they are able to evaluate and reflect on what they have learned never ceases to be impressive.
But that's not where it ends. The children have also worked incredibly hard this half term on all the various extra curricular elements such as the harvest festival, chess and sporting fixtures, visits, focus days and assemblies. I'm proud to say they've done it with excitement and interest and have been the best ambassadors for the school.
The Harvest Festival was a great success, thanks to all the hard work of the children and the staff organising it. The support we had from parents was also very much appreciated. It was lovely to see so many parents and grandparents celebrating with us, as well as the huge amount of donations. Father Pybus commented on how confident and engaging our pupils were; their energy and enthusiasm coming across greatly in the performances and presentations they contributed.
So now it comes to the final afternoon, and looking through the diary, I know that we have some great ideas and events coming up before the Christmas break, and that our teachers are working hard to plan that these are all successful and exciting for the children.
I'm sure that everyone is looking forward now to a restful week's break, to re-charge batteries, ready to enjoy the second half of term!