Posted on: Monday 13th March 2017
So, the Campaign for Fairer Funding is gaining momentum and this week I was presented with letters, written by some of our pupils, to forward on to the PM. We all know that politicians are terrified of dismissing the views of children, so any support with this underhand tactic is encouraged. The initial reaction to potential funding […]
Posted on: Monday 6th March 2017
David Cameron’s election promise to maintain funding to our schools grabbed the headlines and no doubt contributed to an overwhelming victory at the polls. It’s only now that we’re starting to understand what ‘maintaining’ looks like. At Highgate Primary School we’ve just received our budget for the next financial year, and true to Mr Cameron’s […]
Posted on: Monday 27th February 2017
One of the main advantages of being a non-uniform school is that children don’t have to wait until World Book Day to dress up as their favourite book character. Indeed on most school days at Highgate Primary there will be at least one Harry Potter, several Spidermen and an occasional Princess Belle. It therefore amuses […]
Posted on: Monday 20th February 2017
This half term I was lucky enough to spend a few days in the village of Highgate on Sea, known locally as Walberswick. It’s a beautiful spot on the Suffolk coast, with a collection of cottages grouped around the village green and its iconic telephone box. There’s something very comforting about this design icon. As […]
Posted on: Monday 6th February 2017
Writing the Headteacher’s blog has made me very aware of the importance of feedback, after all, without feedback, how do you know whether what you’re doing is any good? Children get feedback all the time. At school this tends to come in the form of marking – written responses, marks out of 10, targets for […]
Posted on: Monday 30th January 2017
Working within the framework of a prescriptive national curriculum, with an ever-increasing drive to raise standards, everyone in our schools is under increasing pressure to deliver on outcomes. Sadly, all too often, this culture of accountability leads to a stifling of creativity. But does this really need to be the case? Take a step back […]
Posted on: Monday 23rd January 2017
Right at the heart of our school values is the statement that we want our school to be a healthy place for our bodies and our minds. With John’s ‘Get Up and Go’ sessions, numerous opportunities for children to be active and Mustafa’s brilliant lunches, I think we’re doing quite well with the healthy body […]
Posted on: Monday 9th January 2017
Since the excitement of writing my inaugural blog, I’ve been carrying out extensive research into the best school in the world – where is it and what is it like? Enter ‘best school in the world’ into Google and what comes up is Le Rosey, a boarding school in Switzerland. At £86,000 a year it […]
Posted on: Wednesday 4th January 2017
It’s scientifically proven that the older you get, the faster time travels. Age 5, a year lasts forever. Age 50 and it’s gone in the blink of an eye, as was the case for me last year at Highgate Primary. There’s something about the pattern of the school year, with its topics and calendar of events, that means something […]
Posted on: Tuesday 6th December 2016
Fundraising News Summer Fair 2016 Under the summer sun, the Toy Story Summer Fair was a roaring success. Happy children, families and staff filled the playground, bursting with colour and energy. The BBQ, face painting, Story Tent, marvellous music and all the eclectic stands, succeeded in enchanting and delighting hundreds of children. Thank you to […]
