Celebrations Begin

It’s Monday morning- 8.00 am and after a long summer break, the place is already buzzing. The staff are back, energy restored. From exotic, tropical locations to the beaches and countryside of Devon and Cornwall, they’ve returned tanned, rested and raring to go. Or perhaps they are just excitedly discussing their holiday adventures!

An hour later and the first briefing of the year is underway. There’s plenty to celebrate this year- a rise in already above average A level performance at A-C grade by 10%, a 7 percentage point rise in GCSE results and some outstanding progress in KS3 SATS, especially in the numbers gaining level 6. And, in addition, several students at GCSE and A Level gained some of the top marks in the country! What an accolade for them- and for their teachers.

A number of letters and emails from parents arrive, congratulating us on the results their children have achieved- always heart warming and really appreciated. Jonathan Timms sends me a financial contribution for the prizes to be awarded at Presentation Evening next week. He sums up how I feel: “I am delighted to enclose a cheque from the John Timms Prize Fund to help mark the efforts made by your students in the last year. Perhaps there should be awards for staff too!” What a lovely thought! But for most teachers the greatest rewards come from job satisfaction. And even as we bask in the glory of these results, we are thinking about the year ahead- the pressure is always on.

A press release from the DCSF (Department for Children, Schools and Families) names us as one of the first Trust schools in the country and the first in Devon. It’s all a bit scary! Although this is new and unchartered territory, our existing partnerships are well established so there is plenty of good practice to build on. This is another way in which we can continue the improvement drive, both results themselves and the quality of the experience for our students. The trustees will hold their first meeting later this month when long term plans will be made. Governors and staff are particularly pleased to have in our charitable Trust four highly successful organisations, each nationally recognised leaders in their area. I believe that schools need to look outwards and draw in the skills and talents in this way so the concept is one that I fully support.

The Local Authority will continue, I’m sure, to be an excellent provider of services for us and we intend to continue our close links and strong relationships with them. Devon’s support for its Trust Pathfinder schools and the Authority’s forward-thinking approaches have been recognised by the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Two teachers from Science and Maths, joint appointments with the University of Exeter, will work across both organisations developing the kind of links that the Prime Minister has recently proposed should become the norm. Capita Children’s Services will continue with us in testing software and refining their products to help schools nationally on data analysis. TLO, the educational and publishing company, have plans to help us audit our teaching to generate greater consistency across the school. And, of course, we continue to rely on the enormous support and goodwill we have enjoyed for many years from E& J.W Glendinning Ltd, particularly in developing our sports provision. Will it all help improve results? I can’t prove that it will, but my gut feeling is that it will bring benefits we haven’t yet dreamed of.

Our Governing Body has the opportunity to grow in expertise as it takes on the new responsibilities that go with this. And we now become part of a new national network of Trust schools. I am convinced that a national Trust Partners Association will soon be formed. For the first time, businesses, charities and higher education establishments will have a voice in the education debate made meaningful by their direct association with schools through the growing Trust movement.

Perhaps, then, in the future, who knows, we will be discussing new awards after all- to recognise the contribution of partners as well as students and staff. As I think more about it, I realise that it’s not such a silly idea.