Chair of Governors annual report to parents

2022-23

Chair of Governors: Adam Hughes

Dear Parents, Carers and Guardians

 As I write my first letter to you as the Chair of Governors at the end of this academic year, it gives me the opportunity to reflect on the many successes of the Watling Lower School community.

This year has been the first for a long time without the shadow of a pandemic hanging over us and this has enabled Mr Cook and his excellent team to consider how we transition to ‘normal’ teaching as well as presenting an opportunity for the Governors to become more involved in the day-to-day school experience. 

Personally, I have really enjoyed my visits to the school this year, in particular attending the curriculum day in March to celebrate International Women’s Day and the school sports day last week.  These events were really engaging for the children, and it was obvious that a lot of hard work had gone in to both, thanks to all involved!  I know I speak for the rest of the Governing Body when I say that it is so nice to be able to experience these interactions with staff, children and parents. 

However, it should be recognised that this year hasn’t been without its own challenges and Watling Lower School will continue to be as supportive and inclusive to all as ever and I hope that we can engage with the wider community more as we look to the future.

The Governing Body has seen some changes this year with the introduction of several new Governors including Frances Calvert, Rev Rachel Phillips, Stuart Moody and Mo Mujaed, each bringing a diverse range of skills and ideas to add to the group.  Anisha Varughese unfortunately leaves us at the end of this academic year and we will miss her valuable contributions and positivity.  I wish her luck with all her future endeavours.  As a new Chair of Governors, I want to express my thanks to each of them for the support they have provided to Mr Cook and I this year.

I want to give a special mention to our Year 4 leavers.  Although your time at Watling Lower School is coming to an end and has been far from normal, I am sure you will go away with fond memories of us, and I hope that we will see some of you again in the future.  You should all be very proud of your achievements here; I know I am!

With the summer rapidly approaching, I wish you all a fantastic end to the school year and I hope the weather allows for some great days enjoying the sunshine.  The new academic year will be with us soon and I expect new opportunities will arise for Watling Lower School to shine and demonstrate our key values enabling children to be kind, respectful and responsible.

A final thanks to the fantastic staff; Governors and children of Watling Lower School – this experience as Chair of Governors has been extremely humbling and one of the proudest achievements of my life.  Something which can only be attributed to the fantastic community spirit you have all contributed to.

Adam Hughes 

2021-22

Co-Chair of Governors: Kirsty Faulder and Busola Fasida

 As we come to the end of another academic year, we reflect on all that we have achieved over this past year, last year's home learning now seems like a distant memory and it has been fantastic to have completed a full academic year in school with very little disruption. This hasn't been without its challenges and we would like to personally thank Mr Cook for his tireless efforts in ensuring this, right down to covering classes himself. The school celebrated its 60th birthday and the Queen’s jubilee in style with a Decades Day and a street party.

 As parents ourselves we love seeing all the hard work our children get up to during the day through Seesaw, it definitely makes having a conversation after school about their day much easier! We do hope that the dragon that was on the loose on the playground was captured quickly!

 We would like to send all the Year 4 children special good wishes as they leave Watling and are lucky to be able to celebrate this important time with them, many of whom will have started at Watling in our nursery. Please humour your parents by posing for equally cute photographs on your final day!! We hope you have fond memories of Watling and enjoy looking back at how much you have changed during your time here. We wish you great success as you continue your schooling journey.

 This year hasn't been without sadness and I'm sure you will all join us in thinking of special memories of Mrs Field and Amelia Ridout, we will carry our memories of them with us and our thoughts go out to their families, they will forever be a part of our community at Watling.

 Thanks go to Gill Short, our serving Governor who will be stepping down at the end of this academic year. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the school and Governing Board, we wish you the very best wishes for the future. A thanks must also go to Danielle Ellis, our clerk, who retired in May. Thank you Danielle for all your help and support and we wish you a long and happy retirement.

 I would like to say a huge thank you to  the entire Watling Lower School team for their absolute dedication to the school and most importantly the children for stepping straight back into school life. We are confident that our wonderful school community can work together to ensure that Watling Lower School continues to be a place where our children learn to be kind, respectful and responsible.

We wish you a very happy summer holiday.

Yours sincerely

Kirsty Faulder and Busola Fasida

Co-Chair of Governors