Team work makes the dream work!
"Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success."
- Henry Ford
"Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success."
- Henry Ford
Welcome back and happy New Year to you all. Not the start to the year that any of us would have hoped for, but we remain optimistic for the future. Due to the current serious nature of the pandemic and the impact of the new strain of Covid - 19, we are educating some pupils in school and some will be at home. Our online learning has been set up and is ready for such a situation. Therefore:
We will get through this difficult time and all of our pupils will be back, where they belong at some point soon when it is safe for all parties.
Christmas is coming!
I think we are all looking forward to the holiday period this year, for some of the usual reasons (long term, being tired, the fact that we love Xmas etc) but also due to the extraordinary months we have had since March. However tough and challenging it has been, some things never change. Your children have coped brilliantly with all of the change, the worry and need to be careful on a day to day basis. They still bring huge smiles to our faces and so many of them have made great progress in different ways.
Another aspect of life that stays the same os the amazing human spirit within our community. Our Toy Drive organised by Mrs Osobu and closely supported by Mrs Ford has generated some outstanding returns. I have written directly to those local companies that have supported us but would also like to thank them here:
During a period of time that could easily be seen as very dark, you have all shone a bright light that personifies the human spirit of kindness and community. My thanks to you all.
Have a wonderful and restful Christmas break. Please ensure you read the letter published Friday 11th Dec re Covid tracing during the holiday period up until Dec 22nd.
Much of this month has been dominated by Covid, the substantial rise in infection rates and the associated uncertainty that it also brings to many areas of life. We continue to provide the following:
We will monitor and revise our practice as we need to but we have ensured that we meet guidance and in fact where possible, go above and beyond any guidance offered. Staff and pupils continue to react superbly to the changes and I thank them all for their help and cooperation.
BLOG #1
Welcome back! It has been such a joy to see so many smiling faces coming back through our doors over the last few days. It’s great to be back and to be returning to some form of ‘normality.’ No matter what, the start of the academic year is exciting and we are planning lots of great activities/learning opportunities for our pupils.
Please note that all of the staff and I, are very grateful for your kind words and gifts at the end of last term. Many of your comments help to remind us about our mission at school and that is to support our pupils ‘achieve, believe, expect and enjoy’ their time with us.
Clearly we cannot forget that we are still in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. I have shared the measures that we have taken with you, and will continue to do so, over time. It’s still hard to work in this way. We all want to return back to how we were, but we cannot do that without creating further risk to health and well-being. Therefore, we have to continue to have different protocols for entry/exit for pupils, lunchtimes, curriculum provision, movement around the school and the way that we interact with parents (Teams meetings/calls etc. rather than physically based meetings). All of these measures are designed to keep children, staff and families as safe and healthy as we can. It will be interesting to see what happens with infection rates during the next few weeks/months.
Although I have no doubt this will be another unusual year, please be assured that we will do all that we can to make it as enjoyable and progressive for your children, as we can. We remain guarded but optimistic and I look forward to seeing your children make the amazing leaps of improvement that they usually do, as the year takes place.
BLOG #5 Covid 19
Please see the weekly letters sent to all parents and carers in relation to this. We continue to adopt a ‘first do no harm’ approach to this crisis and are open for Key Worker pupils and those classed as very vulnerable only. Frequent weekly communication is taking place with you all, to check in and see if there is any other support that we may be able to help with, where appropriate.
Please also see our Larwood School YouTube Channel for lots of activities. This is updated daily.
Stay safe out there, keep your distance and wash hands regularly.
BLOG #4
Did you know that at Larwood School:
We always have lots of exciting projects and activities taking place and if you ever want more information about any of these, please do see our website or just call us.
BLOG #3
Welcome back and Happy New Year! I hope that you had a great time during the festive break.
On behalf of all staff, I would like to pass on thanks to all parents that sent in gifts of appreciation to staff at the end of term. It was very much appreciated by all concerned.
We have started the year considering the word ‘impossible.’ The first assembly back reflected on the many things we now have, or do, that are taken for granted but were once thought impossible. Staff shared with pupils their own historic ‘impossibles.’ We also discussed some challenges that we all have in our future that may seem very daunting or impossible. The main message of the start of this new term is that anything is possible! Hard work, reflection and support where needed, means that whatever goal or challenge we each may set for ourselves, we can do it!
BLOG #2
The Ofsted report is live on the Ofsted website:
https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/25/143604 This link will take you to the Larwood Academy Ofsted page, which includes the Academy conversion letter published on November, 10th 2016. The Larwood School Ofsted page, now reads as CLOSED.
You should have received your own personal copy of this via email. If you haven’t, and you would like a paper copy; then please do let us know.
I am very pleased and proud to report that the inspection led by Fyfe Johnston identified the tremendous work that staff undertake with our pupils and the amazing progress that they make with us. As always, your support is essential with this process, alongside the challenge and support of the governing body.
However, we have no time to ‘sit on our laurels’ and therefore we are continuing with our development plans to make our school truly outstanding in every way.
BLOG #1
Welcome back. It’s the start of a new academic year and a chance to be successful in lots of different ways. This has formed the basis of my first assembly back, where we discussed what success is and what it may look like. I was shocked that nobody recognised Jayden Ashman as part of this assembly, bearing in mind how popular Fortnite is, and that he had recently won £1.8 million in the Fortnite World Cup Finals. Please note I am not a player or fan of the game but came across this in the news! Our definition of success was not rooted in fame or fortune. It was firmly grounded in making a small change in the right direction, which can then lead to another and another etc. With this type of attitude, you can quickly become a great reader, artist, mathematician or be great in a sport of your choice.
As it is the start of the year please I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that just as in previous years, we do not expect you to take pupils on holidays (unless truly exceptional circumstances and agreed with us). This is detrimental for your son/daughters learning you do have the extended October break where better value holidays can be sourced. In similar fashion to last year, Mr Van and I will be personally seeing any parent that takes this course of action.
Thanks you for your support with this matter.
BLOG #8
What an amazing group of very special young people we have at Larwood. I am so proud of our pupils and staff for the way they work together to overcome barriers and achieve so much together. As we approach end of the term, there are so many examples of this including; the way pupils are working towards a performance of Aladdin; taking part in a three day PGL trip; some amazing pieces of work (showed off in celebration assembly on Monday 8th July); Sports Day, and making art work that is being used by Stevenage Council and praised by the Mayor!
Our place of work is challenging in many ways but it is also a place where we get to see your sons and daughters make significant change, when compared to where they were before we met them. This is a privilege!
Thank you all for your continued support and the blog will return next academic year.
BLOG #7
Imagine the scene when all of the staff at Larwood School had to suddenly take a quick English and Maths test as part of an application process during a training session. This did actually happen and it was to enable staff to access and complete the Level 2 Certificate of Awareness of Mental Health Problems. So that pupils could see that we feel very similar to them when doing tests, all staff were asked to tick either a happy, O.K or sad face about how they felt when they had to do the tests. Unsurprisingly most ticks went into the sad face area, some in the OK and just one in the happy face area! The point that has been emphasised to pupils in assembly this week is that there are tests that we all have to complete in life. Most of us do not enjoy them however, we are all bound together by trying our best when we do have to complete a test. Pupils have been reminded this week to do their best and if they do, we will be very proud of them for doing just that.
Please note that a range of supportive measures have also been in place for this week and next week to help our pupils prepare for SAT’s.