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Waterman Primary School,
The Boulevard, Rochford,
SS4 1QF
Head: Mrs.Welch
01702 546237
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Waterman Primary
Waterman Primary
www.watermanprimaryschool.ik.org
admin@waterman.essex.sch.uk
admin@waterman.essex.sch.uk
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Catching up with the Head at the End of 2012 (Nov 28th 2012)
If you have followed these pages of Waterman’s School you will know that our last article for the school was an interview with the new Chair of Governors back in the Summer Term. The end of the Summer Term is always busy as is starting off the new Autumn term with a new intake and in this case, a new deputy head. Thus we stood back from the school until nearing the end of his term, when we sat down with Rachel and did a ‘catch-up session’ with her. We hope you’ll agree there are real insights here into the school and where it is going and what it is doing that re really exciting.
Rochford Life: Well thank you for giving us this time, Rachel. I wanted to get in before we get into December because I know that is always a busy time for a school, but I begin to wonder if there are any times for schools today that aren’t busy?
Rachel: That’s right and this has been a really long term, and it’s just been relentless throughout the term. There have been lots of bugs going around and it’s been really hard. Of course with a new deputy head as well, she’s been finding her feet and that’s always quite challenging.
RL: You’re soon going to be coming up to your second anniversary as head, aren’t you? How have things changed in that time?
Rachel: Well it is still changing. We have the Director of Learning coming to see us in February. There’s lots of talk around about schools becoming Academies. Our SATS results were really very good in the summer, so we’re doing well.
RL: And you’re still doing training for Ofsted aren’t you?
Rachel: Yes, I’ve actually done all the training which started a year ago and the next bit is supposed to be a Shadow Inspection which should have been in the Summer term but it’s been put off until the Autumn. I did it eventually in a primary school in Thurrock, and it went really well. I was really nervous but it went well and I think we watched about fifteen lessons in the two days, and I was with my coach the whole time, who was one of the three Inspectors. The pressure is of going in and watching the lesson and knowing that my judgment had to match hers, and so as soon as we came out she’d ask me what I felt. The pressure of it for two days was really intense but fortunately all of our judgments matched and I received very favourable responses from them when we finished. I’ve just to go to the sign-off inspection now which goes alongside a test with an HM Inspector, but they are only doing category schools now so I’m waiting for one of those to come up. In the meantime I have a 6000 word dissertation to write, and that’s on the impact of the training in my school. Because I was working for the local authority my mind is in that way of working but I think it has given me more confidence. I continue to do some work for the local authority so I continue to do some LA Reviews etc. in schools, and I go in there with a bit more confidence now.
RL: So how does that work out with your own school?
Rachel: Well, I’m obviously more aware of the process and what will happen and what they are looking for, but the flip side of that is that I am more nervous about it because I know what it should be like! It means that the staff are more aware of it as well.
RL: Other things happening?
Rachel: We’ve been taking park in a research project for the Literacy Trust so I’ve got training for that at the end of December. I have to learn to know when to say enough is enough instead of taking on too many things. Obviously we’ve had Louise who is an NQT and she’s now in her second year, and we have to build up her capacity, and we have a new deputy and it’s her first post as a deputy so she’s obviously got a lot to learn. We try and do things together so she joins me in some of the observations of staff, but I don’t want to overload her either, so a lot of it is about building capacity within our own school now.
RL: Do you think the staff feel nervous about you and your role with Ofsted training?
Rachel: I think the staff probably feel more confident that I’m here and I’m part of that. I think it’s a selling point for the school as well. When we had our Open Day and parents came in for children to start in September, it came out then and adds a bit more credibility to the school. The problem is that we’re already full for our intake and we’re showing round people but we haven't got the spaces which is really sad. We have the potential to grow but not the space. When I get the final bit done of my training it will start bringing income into the school and also it’s good for Kelly, our deputy, because when I’m not here it gives her more experience. There are lots of things changing and so it’s all about what happens next.
RL: Is the talk of academies realistic?
Rachel: Well I think we’d struggle on our own to become one. If we could sponsor another school that means we could share responsibilities. If it’s a bigger school you have more capacity then, and they’ve been talking about small schools joining together. If three or more small schools go in together and form like an umbrella trust it can work. You’re given money to encourage smaller schools to join together. At the moment we do quite a lot of work with Rochford; we are doing a project together for the next two years and we obviously cook for Stambridge, providing about eighty dinners a day now, which is good. We have to think what else can we provide. We obviously hire our pool out to Stambridge and Rochford but that’s only half of the year. We have people looking to hire our grounds. We already hire out to the archery club and now a local football team hire the hall one night a week for winter fitness. There are also local motor cycle training people who are going to hire our playground at the weekends, so that’s two lots more revenue coming in. That all helps and of course it brings people in who can see the school.
RL: Anything else?
Rachel: Well yes, we’ve set up a School Council which is something we’ve never done before. We have three children from each class. In the older class we had to have a vote because so many of them wanted to be part of it. Part of it is that they tell us things they want and we’ve done quite a number of things already that they asked for. They asked for a drinking fountain out in the playground so our caretaker connected it all up at half term and so it’s there now. They had ideas about the breakfast club and we sent out flyers if people had any old games or dressing up clothes, and they have boys’ and girls’ days on the Wii, and that works much better. They wanted films on in the morning so that is going on; we’ve done quite a lot of things that have come from them.
RL: Is there a direction when the Council meets?
Rachel: Well, we have themes at the meetings so that, for instance, talking about play, they had things out at lunchtime but at playtimes we didn’t because it is just fifteen minutes, but they needed something to occupy them, so they said they wanted a few things out. So we have different boxes made up with different things in, so they pick up the day’s box and take it out so, for example, the Monday box has skipping ropes and tennis balls and things in. We’ve had three meetings now and at the last meeting the theme they had to talk about with their class was ‘wet play’ and they’ve come back and basically said that what they have for wet play is enough, they didn’t want anything else. At the next one they’ve got to go back to their class and talk about ‘lessons’. Another thing that came out of it was First Aid. A couple of the children had said about doing a First Aid Course. We have two TA’s who had just done their paediatric first aid training, and they have been running first aid over five weeks and they had ten children. They learnt about the recovery position and all sorts of things, and they had a certificate at the end and they’ve really enjoyed it. We set up the meeting just like the governors and we write the minutes and so on. We have nine children on it, and for the younger children we have their TA come and support them and make sure they feed back to the class, so it’s been really good. They were allowed fifty pounds and they had to find out what they could spend it on and they went back to their classes and decided that they wanted a tent for the Summer so they can go out in it to do drawing and reading and such things in this tent. It’s been really good.
RL: I am really impressed! This school never ceases to come up with something new and surprising. It’s a joy to be here and hear all that you are doing. Thank you again, Rachel, for giving me the time and may the closing weeks of the term not be too strenuous. Thank you again.
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Rochford Life: Well thank you for giving us this time, Rachel. I wanted to get in before we get into December because I know that is always a busy time for a school, but I begin to wonder if there are any times for schools today that aren’t busy?
Rachel: That’s right and this has been a really long term, and it’s just been relentless throughout the term. There have been lots of bugs going around and it’s been really hard. Of course with a new deputy head as well, she’s been finding her feet and that’s always quite challenging.
RL: You’re soon going to be coming up to your second anniversary as head, aren’t you? How have things changed in that time?
Rachel: Well it is still changing. We have the Director of Learning coming to see us in February. There’s lots of talk around about schools becoming Academies. Our SATS results were really very good in the summer, so we’re doing well.
RL: And you’re still doing training for Ofsted aren’t you?
Rachel: Yes, I’ve actually done all the training which started a year ago and the next bit is supposed to be a Shadow Inspection which should have been in the Summer term but it’s been put off until the Autumn. I did it eventually in a primary school in Thurrock, and it went really well. I was really nervous but it went well and I think we watched about fifteen lessons in the two days, and I was with my coach the whole time, who was one of the three Inspectors. The pressure is of going in and watching the lesson and knowing that my judgment had to match hers, and so as soon as we came out she’d ask me what I felt. The pressure of it for two days was really intense but fortunately all of our judgments matched and I received very favourable responses from them when we finished. I’ve just to go to the sign-
RL: So how does that work out with your own school?
Rachel: Well, I’m obviously more aware of the process and what will happen and what they are looking for, but the flip side of that is that I am more nervous about it because I know what it should be like! It means that the staff are more aware of it as well.
RL: Other things happening?
Rachel: We’ve been taking park in a research project for the Literacy Trust so I’ve got training for that at the end of December. I have to learn to know when to say enough is enough instead of taking on too many things. Obviously we’ve had Louise who is an NQT and she’s now in her second year, and we have to build up her capacity, and we have a new deputy and it’s her first post as a deputy so she’s obviously got a lot to learn. We try and do things together so she joins me in some of the observations of staff, but I don’t want to overload her either, so a lot of it is about building capacity within our own school now.
RL: Do you think the staff feel nervous about you and your role with Ofsted training?
Rachel: I think the staff probably feel more confident that I’m here and I’m part of that. I think it’s a selling point for the school as well. When we had our Open Day and parents came in for children to start in September, it came out then and adds a bit more credibility to the school. The problem is that we’re already full for our intake and we’re showing round people but we haven't got the spaces which is really sad. We have the potential to grow but not the space. When I get the final bit done of my training it will start bringing income into the school and also it’s good for Kelly, our deputy, because when I’m not here it gives her more experience. There are lots of things changing and so it’s all about what happens next.
RL: Is the talk of academies realistic?
Rachel: Well I think we’d struggle on our own to become one. If we could sponsor another school that means we could share responsibilities. If it’s a bigger school you have more capacity then, and they’ve been talking about small schools joining together. If three or more small schools go in together and form like an umbrella trust it can work. You’re given money to encourage smaller schools to join together. At the moment we do quite a lot of work with Rochford; we are doing a project together for the next two years and we obviously cook for Stambridge, providing about eighty dinners a day now, which is good. We have to think what else can we provide. We obviously hire our pool out to Stambridge and Rochford but that’s only half of the year. We have people looking to hire our grounds. We already hire out to the archery club and now a local football team hire the hall one night a week for winter fitness. There are also local motor cycle training people who are going to hire our playground at the weekends, so that’s two lots more revenue coming in. That all helps and of course it brings people in who can see the school.
RL: Anything else?
Rachel: Well yes, we’ve set up a School Council which is something we’ve never done before. We have three children from each class. In the older class we had to have a vote because so many of them wanted to be part of it. Part of it is that they tell us things they want and we’ve done quite a number of things already that they asked for. They asked for a drinking fountain out in the playground so our caretaker connected it all up at half term and so it’s there now. They had ideas about the breakfast club and we sent out flyers if people had any old games or dressing up clothes, and they have boys’ and girls’ days on the Wii, and that works much better. They wanted films on in the morning so that is going on; we’ve done quite a lot of things that have come from them.
RL: Is there a direction when the Council meets?
Rachel: Well, we have themes at the meetings so that, for instance, talking about play, they had things out at lunchtime but at playtimes we didn’t because it is just fifteen minutes, but they needed something to occupy them, so they said they wanted a few things out. So we have different boxes made up with different things in, so they pick up the day’s box and take it out so, for example, the Monday box has skipping ropes and tennis balls and things in. We’ve had three meetings now and at the last meeting the theme they had to talk about with their class was ‘wet play’ and they’ve come back and basically said that what they have for wet play is enough, they didn’t want anything else. At the next one they’ve got to go back to their class and talk about ‘lessons’. Another thing that came out of it was First Aid. A couple of the children had said about doing a First Aid Course. We have two TA’s who had just done their paediatric first aid training, and they have been running first aid over five weeks and they had ten children. They learnt about the recovery position and all sorts of things, and they had a certificate at the end and they’ve really enjoyed it. We set up the meeting just like the governors and we write the minutes and so on. We have nine children on it, and for the younger children we have their TA come and support them and make sure they feed back to the class, so it’s been really good. They were allowed fifty pounds and they had to find out what they could spend it on and they went back to their classes and decided that they wanted a tent for the Summer so they can go out in it to do drawing and reading and such things in this tent. It’s been really good.
RL: I am really impressed! This school never ceases to come up with something new and surprising. It’s a joy to be here and hear all that you are doing. Thank you again, Rachel, for giving me the time and may the closing weeks of the term not be too strenuous. Thank you again.
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