Better never stops – October 2018
Welcome to my first ever Blog and my first ever Blog as Headteacher of Chantry Middle School, Morpeth. Four weeks into the Term and it seems as though the Summer Holidays are just a distant memory.
It has been an extremely enjoyable first few weeks getting to know staff and students of the school whilst trying to prioritise they key strategies for development. One thing that I have picked up very quickly is the dedication of all the staff across the school and the fantastic team spirit that exists amongst us. I am overwhelmed by their welcome and support and have been reassured by their professionalism each day.
From the outset, my main priority is to ensure that Teachers are enabled to deliver high quality lessons to ensure students are making the most progress possible. This includes using research into the most effective strategies to ensure this. As part of our professional development programme we have had a focus on asking students the right type of question in lessons, to aid understanding as well as developing a greater depth of knowledge across the curriculum.
As a trained PE teacher, another major priority for me is to promote and develop the extra curricular offer within school. We are very lucky to have such dedicated PE, Music and Art teachers who deliver the majority of the extra curricular offer on a weekly basis. However, the dedication of staff outside of these departments to run teams or trips is above and beyond the norm. It is rare to see a staff body so committed to both their teaching inside the classroom as well as developing the young person outside of the classroom.
You can see the majority of this success through our website or through our twitter feed https://twitter.com/MorpethChantry
Our Year 5 students have settled in quickly and are now Chantry students through and through. They have been through a sharp learning process in the last month adapting to a new School and a new way of doing things. They have had some superb opportunities to develop their learning outside of the classroom with team building days, trips to Cragside and swimming lessons at the Leisure centre. I would like to thank the Year 5 Teaching Staff for their dedication and relentless drive in ensuring that Year 5 have settled well after their first month.
I regularly get asked by friends and family if I am enjoying the job? I can sincerely say that I am, due to the staff and students at Chantry who have made it such a smooth transition. As with everything in life, we still have things that can be developed further to become even better.
I once attended a conference where Baroness Sue Campbell of UK Sport used the phrase, “Better never stops”. That was her mantra as the Head of UK Sport in the lead up to the Olympics in 2012 where Great Britain and Northern Ireland had one of their best finishes ever in the medal table. This phrase resonates with me now and is one that I will use in my current role moving Chantry Middle School forward into a new era.
