It might have only been a four-day week, however this week’s blog starts last Friday and takes in part of the weekend. We certainly like to keep busy.
I referenced last week’s ‘space week’ for Year 5s in my previous blog and not long after it went live, pupils from Voyager and Apollo were back in school – on a lovely clear evening – for their ‘space night’.
It was a really successful evening in which the pupils had a talk from the Luton Astronomical Society on the James Webb telescope. This was followed by Mr Jackson from Hitchin Girls’ who, visiting for the tenth year in a row, delivered a talk on whether aliens really exist. I must admit that the results to the poll we put out on social media did baffle me somewhat.
After some well-deserved planetary pizza, the pupils did a carousel of activities including another session in the planetarium. This was kindly led by a teacher from Mark Rutherford School in Bedford who leant us the resource and who was also so impressed with this enrichment opportunity, he volunteered to join us for the night.
Mrs Burniston ran a space-themed scavenger hunt (who doesn’t enjoy being allowed to run around the school building without getting moaned at) and I was outside making the most of the cloud-free sky getting the pupils to see Jupiter (and four of its moons) or Saturn (and its rings) through the telescope. Feedback along the lines of, ‘[my daughter] had such a great time and came home full of excitement and couldn’t believe that she had actually seen Saturn, she will remember that forever’ make it all the more special.
It was a wonderful evening with a huge thank you going to the Year 5 teaching team for giving up their night to bring this curriculum topic to life.
On Sunday, Mr Lord was on school duty again with our trampoline team who were competing in the first round of the national schools’ competition. Huge thank you to Mrs Wood who sent over the photos and the exciting news that our junior girls’ team had finished second overall and qualified for the zonal finals which means a trip to Cardiff! Well done to the team of Yael, Lara (Year 4s), Emmeline, and Emily (Year 3s). A special mention for Yael who also placed in the individual competition.
I didn’t get out of my room much on Monday but as always did break duty and lunch duty. After lunch I may have broken a record for the longest prospective parent tour with the clock stopping at one hour, 20 minutes. I think Mrs Granger was planning on sending a search party out to rescue my visitors.
Although cold, it was a lovely morning on Tuesday and so I joined Year 6 outside as they supported HGS’s Year 11 Sports Leaders. Former pupils Bea and Lydia were amongst the visitors, and it was clear from what I observed our pupils were having fun.
This week at Whitehill is assessment week. An opportunity for the teachers to carry out more formal assessment to capture some data before next week’s pupil progress meetings. We use a range of methods including written tests as well as targeted group work to get a clear picture of how the pupils are doing against their end of Key Stage estimates.
My supply of hot chocolate is decreasing significantly and although I have not had a Year 3 ‘Biscuits with the Boss’ session for a couple of Fridays, I have had an opportunity for other chats with pupils in Year 6 and in Year 5. I will get some more invites out to our Year 3s for next Friday and perhaps we can include a governor in this session as they will be meeting with me that morning.
In my walk around the school on Tuesday afternoon, I saw some lovely art in Year 6, some Year 5 mediator training and a practical Year 5 science lesson looking at the way the planets orbit our sun. It was a very clever lesson outlining some complex information. For reference, Zico made a very cheerful sun in Apollo Class.
I don’t usually report on staff meetings in these blogs, but I heard something during this week’s session which really resonated with me. Looking at evidence from the Education Endowment Foundation, it referenced that pupils should have ‘achievement at and enjoyment of’ school and this is something that we strive for and, in my opinion, achieve at Whitehill. Long may it last.
Whilst we were having our staff meeting, a netball team were out at St Francis College taking part in a mini festival. Reports and scores suggest they played very well indeed, winning all their matches, which is a fantastic place to pause for the winter break.
Our two Year 4 classes have been out and about in Hitchin this week on art walks. Both classes are really impressing their teaching teams this term and this continued during these offsite lessons.
I regularly remind our school community about the importance of attendance. If pupils are not in school, they are not learning and there is significant evidence around the link between attendance and outcomes at every educational milestone, especially in Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5. I was therefore delighted to receive notification of not one, but four national attendance awards from one of our data platforms placing us in the top 10% of all schools nationally across four different measures. We will take that.
A good many Headteacher’s Awards have been handed out this week. Eloise (Year 4) received one for some wonderful spelling homework she did, and I also gave her a second for her patience whilst waiting for the first. She tried to show me her work on countless occasions over three days, each time my door was shut as I was busy in meetings or on calls. We finally got together on Wednesday afternoon.
Mats and Hudson (Year 4) did some wonderful work on the computers, impressing both me and Mrs Davies. A special well done to Mats who only joined us on Monday.
Both Year 6 classes invited me to view their finished artwork. Their Henry Moore inspired artwork was finished and they had also produced some wonderfully creative Raven inspired ink drawings.
I hope you enjoy the long weekend. We have a busy three weeks left before the Christmas break and we are going to need all the energy we can muster. When we return on Tuesday, it will be December.
Year 5s continue their space topic with a satellite-themed workshop and our Year 6s have another visit from Phase. Phase have been selected by our JLT as one of the charities we are supporting this year and so this relationship is particularly significant.
We have some dancers out on Wednesday afternoon from Lower School, who are taking part in a local Christmas dance festival.
On Friday morning I am being joined by a governor for the morning, and I have already invited six Year 3s for Biscuits with the Boss so that they can also have a chat with my visitor about all the things they have done since joining Whitehill.
On Friday evening, straight after school, the Friends’ Association are holding our Christmas celebration event at Highbury, and it would be lovely to see you there. Mrs Burniston is taking one of our choirs (we currently have three running) to perform some festive songs. It is your support of events like this which allowed me to upgrade our library, for example, and so I really do appreciate everyone’s hard work.
One of the other choirs, who are working with Miss Moorhead have their concert on Sunday 7th December in Stevenage and I am looking forward to seeing what they have been practising.
I will leave you with another piece of lovely feedback I received this week following, but not exclusively referencing, our Year 5 space week. ‘Honestly seeing what, as a team, you achieve at Whitehill restores my faith in the education system in this country. It is totally possible for state schools to be enriching, inspiring and nurturing places of learning – Whitehill is living proof of that. I just wish every child could go to a school like ours.’
Have a wonderful (long) weekend. I am off to catch the train to a European Christmas market courtesy of Mrs Mills.
Best wishes,
Steve Mills
Headteacher
