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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
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RL: Really?
Rachel: Yes, we’re setting up the plans for next year and have been checking with our stakeholders what they felt we had to celebrate from this year – that’s the staff, the parents, the children, the Governors, the Children’s Centre and Nursery. So we asked them what we have to celebrate this year, where we need to do a little more work and to challenge us.
RL: So what did the parents pick up on that they thought were good?
Rachel: Some of the lessons, especially the Spanish lesson, all of the clubs, the weekly awards they liked, celebrating behaviour, the homework, the tyre park, the healthy meals, the relationships between the children and the teacher, and the dedication of the staff.
RL: You must be quite pleased with that?
Rachel: Oh definitely, it been good getting everyone’s opinions.
RL: What have the children come up with?
Rachel: Well the younger children said things like playtimes, lunchtimes, swimming, clubs, assemblies, learning new things. The older children gave us more detailed things, outdoor maths, clubs, attendance, behaviour, homework and so on.
RL: So what about the Governors, what did they comment upon?
Rachel: Well, the good staff team, the improvements in learning, behaviour and attendance, good Ofsted.
RL: And you have ideas for things for next year?
Rachel: Yes we have things that were working all right but we think with a bit more effort could be improved some more. Those are in the School’s Improvement Plan. In my new role I’ve been going on a number of courses and one of them was on Improvement Plans, suggesting no more than 4 core priorities, and so we will be focusing more on certain agreed issues in the coming year.
RL: You’re at the end of your first proper year as head, on your own, although you we working in it the previous year. What additional load do you carry as head?
Rachel: Yes, but that previous year as acting head prepared me, and so this year has just been improving on the previous year and learning to do it with more confidence.
RL: One academic thing that comes to mind that you’re pleased about from this year?
Rachel: Well, in July we’ve just achieved the Quality Mark Award for basic skills. This recognises the provision, practice and performance in literacy and numeracy within the school. That is very good.
RL: OK, what about something that I might call non-academic that you’re pleased about?
Rachel: The assistant head teacher, Bruce, has significantly improved the enthusiasm for taking part in sports and so the children are now showing real commitment. He organised a whole-school triathlon which parents came to watch. This also made use of a swimming pool, so one person swam, one cycled and one ran. Last weekend we entered a team to the Try–a– tri, a Southend event . Our team came first and also raised money for Bosom Pals.
RL: Congratulations! Anything else of significant note?
Rachel: Yes. We have also just had our fete and raised over £500. The FLOWS (friends league of waterman) organised the event, which was really well attended, and the money is going towards developing our garden area further.
RL: Well it sounds like it’s been a good year!
Rachel: Yes, I’m very proud of the achievements of Waterman this year and look forward to the new academic year where we will continue to improve. In September we have a new intake of 15 to Reception, and so all our places have been taken up.
RL: Well thank you and congratulations again. I have to say it has been a real joy talking to all of you this year, and I hope to do a round-up article in a week or so. May you all have a good Summer break and I look forward to seeing you in what looks to be an exciting Autumn Term.
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Rachel: Yes, we’re setting up the plans for next year and have been checking with our stakeholders what they felt we had to celebrate from this year – that’s the staff, the parents, the children, the Governors, the Children’s Centre and Nursery. So we asked them what we have to celebrate this year, where we need to do a little more work and to challenge us.
RL: So what did the parents pick up on that they thought were good?
Rachel: Some of the lessons, especially the Spanish lesson, all of the clubs, the weekly awards they liked, celebrating behaviour, the homework, the tyre park, the healthy meals, the relationships between the children and the teacher, and the dedication of the staff.
RL: You must be quite pleased with that?
Rachel: Oh definitely, it been good getting everyone’s opinions.
RL: What have the children come up with?
Rachel: Well the younger children said things like playtimes, lunchtimes, swimming, clubs, assemblies, learning new things. The older children gave us more detailed things, outdoor maths, clubs, attendance, behaviour, homework and so on.
RL: So what about the Governors, what did they comment upon?
Rachel: Well, the good staff team, the improvements in learning, behaviour and attendance, good Ofsted.
RL: And you have ideas for things for next year?
Rachel: Yes we have things that were working all right but we think with a bit more effort could be improved some more. Those are in the School’s Improvement Plan. In my new role I’ve been going on a number of courses and one of them was on Improvement Plans, suggesting no more than 4 core priorities, and so we will be focusing more on certain agreed issues in the coming year.
RL: You’re at the end of your first proper year as head, on your own, although you we working in it the previous year. What additional load do you carry as head?
Rachel: Yes, but that previous year as acting head prepared me, and so this year has just been improving on the previous year and learning to do it with more confidence.
RL: One academic thing that comes to mind that you’re pleased about from this year?
Rachel: Well, in July we’ve just achieved the Quality Mark Award for basic skills. This recognises the provision, practice and performance in literacy and numeracy within the school. That is very good.
RL: OK, what about something that I might call non-
RL: Congratulations! Anything else of significant note?
Rachel: Yes. We have also just had our fete and raised over £500. The FLOWS (friends league of waterman) organised the event, which was really well attended, and the money is going towards developing our garden area further.
RL: Well it sounds like it’s been a good year!
Rachel: Yes, I’m very proud of the achievements of Waterman this year and look forward to the new academic year where we will continue to improve. In September we have a new intake of 15 to Reception, and so all our places have been taken up.
RL: Well thank you and congratulations again. I have to say it has been a real joy talking to all of you this year, and I hope to do a round-
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“Looking Forward - Looking Back”
End-of-School-Year Interview with Rachel Welch, Head of Waterman School
(11th July 2011)
(11th July 2011)
Having carried out a number of interviews in the school over the year, it seemed only right that we squeeze one more in before the end of the Summer Term, to catch an overall sense of the year that has just been and briefly to look forward to next year.
Rochford Life: Rachel, so here we are penultimate week to the end of the school year.
Rachel: Yes, it’s a tiring time of the year, but actually we’ve starting to think about next year and put together our Improvement Plans for next year.