Latest News
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Ukrainian families get together at Cherry Orchard Primary School
Thu 26 Jan 2023Cherry Orchard Primary School in Worcester held a get-together for Ukrainian families who attend other schools in The Rivers CofE Academy Trust.
Parents and children from Great Witley CofE Primary School, Heronswood Primary School in Kidderminster and Northwick Manor Primary School in Worcester joined children and parents from Cherry Orchard for a morning of games, crafting and play.
The event was organised by Cherry Orchard’s Headteacher, Karen Banford following an initial meeting between families at St Clement’s CofE Primary in Worcester and Cherry Orchard. That initial meeting enabled a Ukrainian parent at Cherry Orchard to help interpret and support a parent at St Clement’s in settling her son into school life.
Headteacher, Karen Banford recognised how beneficial it would be for all the Ukrainian families in the trust to get together, network and help support each other through a challenging time of change.
The Ukrainian children were joined by year 6 children from Cherry Orchard’s school council. Together the children created a display of rainbow hands symbolising togetherness and played party games. For the Ukrainian children, it was an opportunity to have fun and speak and to other children in their first language.
It was a great opportunity for the Ukrainian parents to talk to others, share experiences, and widen their network of friends in the UK.
The children were asked how they felt about their new schools, Year 6 pupil at Great Witley, Damien said he enjoyed school. Year 6 pupil at Cherry Orchard, Volodymyr acted as interpreter for the children who could not speak any English, he said the event was a good idea and he was very happy to be able to meet up with other Ukrainian children.
Volodymyr’s mother Iryna said of Cherry Orchard “it is a very happy and very nice school; children are calm here and it is a safe place. Iryna said that her son missed Ukraine but starting school has helped.
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Staff STARS awards
Mon 23 Jan 2023We’re delighted to announce the winners of the Staff STARS Awards!
- Sharing - Emily Calvert, Headteacher at North Worcester Primary Academy
- Trust – Lauren Bradley, Rivers Central Team Finance Assistant
- Achievement – Caroline Chambers, Pre-school Manager at Heronswood Primary School
- Respect – Rachel Bishop, Office Manager at St Clement’s CofE Primary School
- Safety – Brian Dudley, Site Manager at Cranham Primary School
Winners were announced at a special ceremony at Bromsgrove Hotel on Friday 20th January.
In all we do and every decision we make, we use our STARS values to guide us. By living our STARS values we will fulfil our vision.
Staff were given the opportunity to recognise their peers who demonstrate a commitment to our STARS values. After a fantastic response of over 170 nominations, 28 finalists were shortlisted and invited to the ceremony along with headteachers and advocates from each of our 15 schools, and trustees.
Also in attendance were representatives from the companies who kindly sponsored the awards ceremony. Thank you to Dolphin Tec, Education Mutual, Joskos, Every and Sheppard Building and Project Consultancy. Without their generosity, the ceremony would not have taken place.
Winners from each category were presented with a certificate and an engraved glass trophy, from Kate Brunt, CEO and the event sponsor.
Congratulations to all the award winners. The ceremony was a fantastic event, enjoyed by all in attendance.
Thank you to all those who took the time to nominate a colleague, without you we wouldn’t be able to celebrate the wonderful achievements of staff.
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Children’s Mental Health Week 2023
Mon 23 Jan 20236 - 12 February 2023 is Children’s Mental Health Week.
This year’s theme is Let’s Connect.
6 things you can do to connect with your child and help them make meaningful connections.
1. Connect with your child in everyday ways
- Try to give them your full attention and see if this helps you feel better connected as you hug, talk, smile and hear about their day.
- Watching your child play and joining in is really important to them – so have a bit of fun and join in– being playful is good for adults, too!
- With older children, you may find times such as car journeys a good time to talk, or to re-connect by playing music you both like.
2. Talk to your child about important connections
Talk about family members, neighbours and people in the local community. It’s ok to talk about people they miss.
3. Talk to your child about their friends
As children become teenagers, their friendship groups become increasingly important to them. Be open to hearing about their friendships and try to listen without judgement.
4. Connect by taking an interest in your child’s world
Taking an interest in things your children and teenagers are interested in e.g. music, fashion, and what they watch, may help you feel better connected to your child and the important things in their world. This can lead to other conversations about other things in their lives that matter to them.
5. Find time to connect as a family
Family life can become busy and stressful, so it’s important to find some time where you connect together. This could include simple things like cooking, watching a film, playing a game, going to the park.
6. Try to resolve conflict and re-connect after arguments
It is important that children learn how to disagree appropriately, say sorry and make amends when they have done something wrong. They will learn a lot about how to do these things from you - so try to model the behaviour you want to see in your children.
Let your child know that if they are worried about something, they should always talk to an adult they trust. It could be you, someone in your family, a teacher or someone else in their school. If you’re worried about your child’s mental health you can talk to your GP or someone at your child’s school.
Find out more: Families - Children's Mental Health Week (childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk)
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St Peter's praised as 'Excellent'
Mon 09 Jan 2023We are extremely pleased with the “Excellent in all areas and Excellent overall” outcome achieved by St Peter’s Droitwich C of E Academy for their SIAMS inspection which took place on 9th December 2022.
This is the highest outcome possible under the current SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) evaluation schedule and follows the school’s previous “Outstanding” grade achieved in their last SIAMS inspection of 2014.
The report highlights how effective the school is in enabling pupils to flourish and for all members of the school community to live well together.
Below are some of the key findings:
- “Leaders at school and trust level create a community built on love that ensures all ages learn and live well together, now and into the future.”
- “Pupils, including the youngest, talk with wisdom of the Christian foundations of their school and how these make them feel safe, secure and so able to learn… Their learning goes beyond the expectations for pupils in a First school setting.”
- “The vision inspires learning. The curriculum is highly ambitious and provides spiritual as well as academic nourishment.”
- “Pupils hold a wealth of knowledge which is evident in their understanding of and respect for others in our multi-cultural multi-faith world.”
Comment from Tracey O’Keeffe-Pullan – Headteacher:
“I am immensely proud of all members of the St Peter’s community. I am particularly pleased that the report accurately reflects the lived experience of our children, demonstrates how they flourish and references how we live well together. This is an achievement for the whole school community and the wider Trust.”
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STARS Staff Awards 2022 finalists
Sun 08 Jan 2023We are delighted to announce the finalists shortlisted for the STARS Staff Awards.
After receiving over 170 nominations, it is a huge achievement to be named as a finalist.
The winners will be announced on Friday 20th January at an awards ceremony at the Bromsgrove Hotel.
The event has been generously sponsored by Sheppard Building and Project Consultancy, Dolphin Tech, Iris (Every Compliance), Education Mutual and Joskos.
Sharing Award
The award recognises an individual who demonstrates working together for the greater good.
The finalists are:
- Charlotte Parkin
- Emily Calvert
- Jennifer Lune
- Lynda Williams
- Tanya Price
- Vicky Briand
Trust Award
The award recognises a reliable, honest individual who chooses to see the good in others.
The finalists are:
- Becky Miller
- Laura Carradine
- Lauren Bradley
- Shelley Ford
Achievement Award
The award recognises an individual who always works hard and does their best.
The finalists are:
- Aaron Roberts
- Amanda Mason
- Caroline Chambers
- Gail Kainey
- Naomi German
Respect Award
The award recognises an individual who values the diversity of people, treats people fairly and ensures everyone’s voice is heard.
The finalists are:
- Emma Bell
- Helen Keen
- Kathryn Roberts
- Rachel Bishop
- Steph Bryan
Safety Award
The award recognises an individual or team who puts safety first and helps others stay safe.
The finalists are:
- Brian Dudley
- Charlotte Houghton
- Cranham Family Liaison and Nurture Team (Sue Turner, Janine Stephens, Emma Kelly & Amy Birt)
- Dudley Wood Cleaning Team (Mrs Pat Totney, Mrs Lisa Smith and Mrs Claire Fellows)
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Teacher training open event
Sat 07 Jan 2023The Rivers Teaching Alliance is holding a Train to Teach open event on Wednesday 18th January.
Anyone interested in teacher training is welcome to drop in anytime between 10 am -2 pm to discover more about our School Direct PGCE with QTS programme.
Our full-time 1-year programme starts in September 2023.
For further details visit: Train to Teach | The Rivers CofE Multi Academy Trust
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CEO made an Honorary Senior Lecturer
Thu 05 Jan 2023CEO Kate Brunt has been made an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Worcester. An honorary appointment is a voluntary arrangement which allows esteemed individuals from other institutions and businesses to cooperate with academic staff at the University of Worcester.
An honorary appointment is not a contract of employment and honorary appointments will not receive any remuneration for work they undertake in their honorary capacity.
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Nurture Lead wins Community Award
Wed 04 Jan 2023Sue Turner, Family Liaison and Nurture Lead from Cranham Primary School, Worcester was presented with a Community Award by the Transforming Lives for Good charity.
Sue was given the award in recognition of the help she provides to families.