Headteacher Autumn 2019 Message
Posted 27/9/2019
Autumn 2019
Welcome to the new school year! I hope your summer was filled with family and fun.
Many of us have returned to Welburn Hall after the holiday ready for an exciting and challenging new academic year. We also welcomed all our new students across the age range, from the youngest in primary, right up to our new College intake. These students are already mixing very well and enjoying our outstanding environment. We said a sad goodbye to our Year 11 and Year 14 leavers and have heard they are progressing well in their new settings, we hope they will come back and visit! Our students did incredibly well taking and passing their exams in the summer term and we are very proud of their successes. We have rated this success as ‘Outstanding’ at Year 14 and ‘Good’ at Year 11, in Ofsted terms.
If you have been into school, you will have seen the amazing work undertaken by our Site Manager Darren Kendell and the contractors to improve various facilities in school. The children are really enjoying using the ‘pod’ and I have suggested maybe the adults need one too!
We are working on a new school prospectus; every parent will have a copy and it will outline all the services and facilities on offer. We are also upgrading the school’s website this term, we will let you know when that is launched.
Some staff have left Welburn Hall over the summer and we have some new teachers and support staff who have really ‘hit the ground running’ and are settling in very well to life here. At parents’ night and coffee mornings, there will be ample opportunity to meet your child’s teacher but do call in and make a separate appointment at any time, if you would like to. Cath McGill is the Family Support Manager and can be contacted through the office.
Our focus for the coming year is ‘Communication’ and of course as always, to improve on our Ofsted ratings. We are awaiting inspections in both the Care and Education setting. Some of our students in College will be attempting Level 1 qualifications which is a huge achievement.
We have applied for National Autistic Society accreditation and we will be continuing to focus on mental health, staff and student wellbeing. We have signed up for the NYCC Wellbeing Award, in order to ensure that we are an excellent employer. We believe that the students’ wellbeing starts with the adults’ wellbeing! We continue our mindful compassion approach to wellbeing of staff, students and we extend this approach to parents too.
Should any parent wish to volunteer in school, or have any concerns about their child’s education here, please contact me through the school office.
Thank you for your continued support - I hope to see you soon.
Mrs Best
