Latest News
-
CEO's Blog - 22nd October 2021
Fri 22 Oct 2021CEO’s Blog 22nd October 2021
Working Together For A Better Future For All
I wonder if, like me, you watched the Earthshot Prize award ceremony on Sunday evening? The five ‘Earthshots’, which aim to drive change and inspire people to work together to repair the planet, chime exactly with the UN’s sustainable development goals that underpin our enhanced curriculum. This half term, staff and pupils have done their bit by participating in lessons and assemblies focusing on sustainability, creating visual displays, reusing surplus materials and reducing printing. In addition, our pupils and families have enjoyed planning and launching a variety of sustainable projects from creating allotments and litter picking to setting up food banks and selling pre-loved Halloween costumes and uniform. I can’t wait to see what they will come up with next!
In other news, at our first trust board meeting, trustees approved the appointments of a new chair and vice-chair of trustees, Caroline Hoddinott and Andy Jobbins. I want to take this opportunity to thank Caroline and Andy for their commitment to the trust and to wish them well in their new roles. Similarly, my thanks go to our former chair, Emma Hughes, who continues to support the trust as a valued member of the board. My thanks also go to all trustees and SIB members, who generously give their time and expertise and work together to improve outcomes for all our pupils and families.
Finally, I wish you all a restful and very well-deserved half-term break and I look forward to hearing your ideas for even more sustainability projects when we return to school.
Kate Brunt
CEO
-
Christmas Tree Decoration Competition
Wed 20 Oct 2021Create a decoration from a toilet roll tube.
We are holding a competition, open to all Rivers pupils, inviting them to create a decoration for our Rivers Christmas Tree.
The tree will be on display at Worcester Cathedral as part of the Christmas Tree Festival 2021.
- Children will need to create a tree ornament from a toilet roll tube and hand it in to their class teacher by Friday 12th November.
- The class will then decide on their favourite decoration. Each class should submit their one chosen decoration to the school office by Wednesday 17th November.
- Chosen decorations from each school will be shortlisted for final selection to adorn the trust tree.
Being part of the Christmas Tree Festival is a great opportunity for the Trust to show our committed to achieving the Sustainability Development Goals and our vision to teach children to love, learn, live as a global citizen in an ever-changing world.
-
What to consider when choosing a school for your child?
Mon 11 Oct 2021All schools should be child focused, offer a high-quality education and have the best interests and outcomes of the child at their heart.
So, what makes each school different and how do you know if it’s the right school for your child?
Here are some things you could consider.
- Vision
What is the vision for the school and pupils? How is this achieved? - Values
What are the schools key values? What behaviours does the school value and uphold? How is this lived? - Transition arrangements
How will your child be settled into school? - Policies
What are the school’s policies? Visible on the school website - Class sizes
Reception classes have a maximum class size of 30. All schools will try to fill these places. - School size
Form entry tells you how many classes there are in each year group. A small one-form entry school will have one reception class, one year 1 class etc. A bigger four-form entry school will have four reception classes, four year 1 classes etc. - Pride in the school
Does the school take pride in its appearance? Are the staff proud to work there? Are the pupils happy there? - Curriculum
How inspiring is the curriculum? How does it link to the vision of the school? - Pupil performance
Pupil performance takes into account the attainment and progress of pupils. It is worth considering that a higher ability pupil may have high attainment but may not necessarily make good progress. A lower ability pupil may have low attainment but might make good progress. Therefore, it is worth considering the nature of each school rather than comparing school achievement reports - Distance
It can often be a struggle to find a parking space near the school. Can you walk there? - Parent engagement and involvement
How and when do parents receive communication? How approachable and welcoming are the staff? Are parents encouraged and invited to give feedback. How active is the Friends group (PTA)? Are there opportunities for parents to get together? Are there family events organised? - Enrichment activities
Are there a wide variety of activities and opportunities on offer to children, in addition to the curriculum? What trips and visits will the children benefit from? Are there after school clubs and are they open to all year groups? What is the cost? - Wraparound care & holiday clubs
Is it onsite? What’s the price? What hours to they cover? Is food provided? What entertainment/activities do the children do? What is the cost? - Additional needs
How well does the school support children with additional needs?
The most important consideration is...
Will your child be happy at the school? This is most important because Happy Children Learn.
You cannot gain information about all of these considerations from the website or recommendations alone, therefore we highly encourage visiting each school to see for yourself what the school is like, ask any questions and get a feel for whether the school is right for your child.
- Vision
-
Commitment to Sustainable Development Goals
Mon 11 Oct 2021Throughout our schools you will see children and staff taking action to protect the planet. This fresh focus on sustainability is due to our enhanced curriculum, which now considers the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are global aims agreed by world leaders that intend to protect the planet.
In line with our vision to teach children to love, learn and live as global citizens in an ever-changing world, we are committed to teaching our pupils about the challenges ahead and the importance of achieving the Sustainability Development Goals.
As a trust we are aware we have to act now to protect the planet and are taking steps to promote and support sustainability. Our Sustainability Charter sets out long and short terms goals that we are working towards to achieve sustainability goals in the following areas:
- Reduce consumption and waste
- Support mental & physical health
- Environment
- Promote sustainability
- Alternative energy
Actions of schools
Our schools have already begun to raise awareness of sustainable goals and take action. These actions include:
- Sustainability focussed lessons and assemblies
- Creating visual displays to raise awareness and educate pupils
- Reusing surplus materials
- Establishing school allotments
- Carrying out daily exercise/ daily mile
- Writing to the local MP to campaign for change
“We are using surplus 2020/21 term date calendars as bookmarks”. Michael Evans - St Clements C of E Primary School
“We are keeping off cuts of card rather than throw them away and keeping all of the election/polling station posters so that we can re-use them next year” Rosemary Thorp
Cherry Orchard COSA, Friends of North Worcester and Cranham PTA (Parent Teachers Association groups) are also supporting the Sustainable Development Goals by introducing some new ideas, one is a pre-loved Halloween costume sale to save wasting costumes and props which children have outgrown.
One of the sustainability charter goals is for staff to lead by example. “I personally have become a pescatarian and have been since the end of the last academic year.” Ben Holman, Year 2 Teacher North Worcester Primary Academy.
Mr Holman has also started an eco-warrior after school club for Year 1 pupils. During the club children learn about sustainability and how to look after the environment, starting with the local community.
So far, the children have been litter picking and creating posters to raise awareness in the community on the need to pick up litter. They also plan to make bird feeders out of recycled materials.
Children have developed an awareness of the environment and a passion for protecting it. “Litter is not good for the birds, animals or our ocean” “Litter is dirty and messy”
“Everywhere we go for walks there’s lots of litter. We are going to go litter picking as a family”. “I’m going to tell everyone in my neighbourhood to pick up litter” pledged Polly a Year 1 pupil at North Worcester Primary Academy.
At Cutnall Green CofE Primary School, Year 5 and 6 pupils have created a SDG tree made from sewn fabric, to depict the development goals. Year 5 pupil Alessandra who helped make the tree said she hoped the tree would draw attention to the goals.
Alessandra felt so passionately about all areas of sustainability that she created a comic in her own time to raise awareness. Her comic was such a big hit that she was asked to take an assembly to present her comic to children.
-
Suitcase stories dementia project
Mon 11 Oct 2021Children at Cherry Orchard Primary School, Worcester have been working with Museums Worcestershire and Arts Uplift CIC on an arts project for dementia patients.
The Suitcase Stories programme is a local reminiscence and arts project which enables dementia patients in care homes to share and relive memories. As part of the project primary pupils have been invited to create drama performances inspired by the patient’s memories. The performances will be filmed and watched by the patients.
Over the past few weeks Year 5 pupils at Cherry Orchard Primary School have been listening to the memories of dementia patients and taking part in drama workshops and games to explore the themes of the memorise and to develop performance skills prior to creating their own dramatisation.
Pupils have also been learning songs that patients have talked about and will perform these to the care home residents.
Suitcase stories has influenced other areas of the curriculum with children making blankets for the dementia patients during design and technology lessons.
As part of the programme pupils have also undertaken dementia awareness training from the Alzheimer’s Society to better understand how a patient with dementia ‘sees the world’.
The project is a great way for the children to learn about the past and to create links with the wider community. We look forward to seeing the final performance.
-
Cutnall Green Pre-school official opening
Thu 07 Oct 2021Over a year after it was completed, Cutnall Green CofE Primary School was today (Wednesday 6th October) able to host an official opening of the brand-new purpose-built Pre-school.
This official opening had unfortunately been delayed due to Covid restrictions; however today the school was finally able to show off the fantastic new facility and thank the Elmley Trust for their generous investment and support with the build.
Children from Pre-school and Reception sang beautifully to an audience of parents and invited guests.
Head of School, Stuart Grimes thanked the The Elmley Trust for their significant investment in the new The Perceval Pre-School Building before it was officially opened by Kate Brunt, with Nicolas Wright and James Homer of the Elmley Trust in attendance.
The new Pre-school, which was completed in Summer 2020, has a spacious open plan classroom and is surrounded by a large outdoor forest area and playground providing a fun and exciting place for children to learn and play.
The Pre-school offers parents and carers full-time or flexible childcare for children aged 3 to 4 years. Cutnall Green CofE Primary and Pre-school is passionate about delivering high-quality childcare and education to young children.
When asked about their new learning space, one Pre-school child said they “loved the new room” particularly the “comfy reading corner”.
Cutnall Green CofE Primary School will be holding an open morning on Saturday 16th October for prospective parents to look around the whole school, meet the staff and discover what learning is like at the school. Contact the school for further information: www.cutnallgreenprimary.co.uk
The Pre-school at Cutnall Green is one of nine (soon to be ten) nursery and Pre-school provisions within The Rivers CofE Academy Trust. The Trust are early years and primary specialists with a shared aim to provide the best learning experience and prepare children for the next stage of their learning.
As a family of 15 schools our vision is to ensure children value education and become lifelong learners. By working together as a community, we can build strong foundations for young children to love learning for life. This inspiring new Pre-school space will help us to deliver that even more effectively.