Welcome to the governors page of Wybers Wood Junior School website. The governing body works in partnership with the school to ensure that we give the best start in life to your children. We have listed our names for your information; all governors can be contacted through the school whether you have a problem or merely wish to discuss an aspect of your child's education or school life. Who knows, you may yet also see our faces, watch this space!
Mrs Hazel Bullen (Chair)
Mrs Christine Allenby (Parent Governor)
Mr Colin Bates (Parent Governor)
Mrs Lyn Bates (Parent Governor)
Mr Alan Cooper (Associate Member)
Mrs Janet Craigie (Parent Governor)
Mrs Rebecca Cressey (Community Governor)
Mrs Jill Holiday (Community Governor)
Mrs Diane Hopkin (LEA Governor)
Mrs Zoe Hyams (Teacher governor)
Mrs Christine Job (LEA Governor)
Exciting times are ahead! As I am sure most of you will have heard, the Local Education Authority have plans to amalgamate the Infant and Junior schools. Should these proposals go ahead, we as governors, will ensure that this will be to the advantage of the pupils who attend these schools. We will of course keep you informed of developments.
In the meantime we would like to share with you our vision for the school, be it a Junior School or Primary School. The head Teacher and governing Body created a vision of what we want our school to be, which is here for you. A copy of the full document is available from school and will be included in the next parents report. We hope this is what you want for your children, we certainly do!
Wybers Wood Junior School - Our Vision
Wybers Wood Junior School is a school with a welcoming and attractive environment. The front entrance is well tended and kept and the premises are carefully managed and maintained. The ethos of the school is evident the moment you step in the school. School values are displayed, thoughtful information for parents and visitors is available, and there is a smile to greet you at the front desk.
The corridors create a calm and relaxed environment. The walls are painted in neutral, subtle colours. Imaginatively presented and interactive displays reflect variety and interest: some show the progression of skills through the school; some are informative or encourage positive behaviours; still others showcase the high standards achieved across the school in all aspects of the curriculum and others celebrate the diverse nature of our society. Classrooms and resource areas are tidy, labelled and organised, and there is a purposeful atmosphere that pervades the school.
Wybers Wood Juniors is a school in which everyone is treated with respect. There is a clear sense of working towards a collective vision. Both adults and pupils offer encouragement to one another; relationships are positive and supportive, and everyone’s contribution is valued in the progress of the school. There is a strong work ethic yet everyone remembers that a smile costs nothing but means a great deal.
No matter what their background, the pupils at Wybers Wood are happy, confident and well behaved. They are able to talk about their own learning and take significant responsibility for it as they mature. Their development into responsible, independent learners and people is carefully supported by those who work at the school. They feel protected from harm within the school environment and understand that home, school and community work together in their best interests. In addition, they feel a significant responsibility for the school environment and community, working actively to develop the school’s ethos and appearance. They are proud to be members of their school.
Teachers at Wybers Wood Juniors bring enthusiasm and creativity to their work. They are excited by the learning process and reflect regularly on their effectiveness. Recognising their role as professionals, they work together in teams to provide quality learning experiences for the pupils in their care, using effective assessment and proven teaching strategies to underpin their work. The teachers at Wybers Wood Juniors are free from the shackles of over-prescription or over-work, and their professional skill and craft is recognised and valued. Theirs is an infectious ‘can do’ culture, where problems are seen as expected challenges usually solved in teams or groups. Administration and other bureaucratic systems are dealt with by support staff, pigeonhole, notice board and reliable technology, freeing up teachers to carry out their essential work. The teachers themselves understand that their own learning is crucial to their roles and take responsibility for the management of their own professional development. Many of the staff are involved in ‘teacher research’ programmes. Wybers Wood is a school community pledged to the principle of lifelong learning for all its members. As well as our commitment to excellence for
our children, both teaching staff and other adults are encouraged to
continuously develop their personal and professional skills and knowledge.
The school actively supports this through access to training and by
promoting an ethos where personal research and reflection are recognised and
valued.
Wybers Wood Junior School has numerous support staff, each with a valued and important role in the school. They are committed people who embody the values of the school; they are positive in their approach, make efficient use of time and are ideal role models for the pupils of the school. Their relationships with each other and the teaching staff are harmonious because they recognise the need to pull together in the same direction. Well trained and highly skilled, these staff members create the conditions for teaching and learning to take place within the school. They are also a litmus test of the morale within the school; often the good humour and laughter common in the school is generated by these dedicated personnel.
Teaching and learning is at the heart of what the school does. Discussions in the school are passionate about issues relating to both. Staff meetings centre on these crucial activities. The school is constantly looking for ways for all its pupils to access learning because it recognises this as key to improved life chances for Wybers Wood children in their futures. This fact is recognised by everyone in the school community.
The school curriculum is exciting and appropriate for the needs and development of the children at Wybers Wood. It meets statutory requirements but is not identical to neighbouring schools like it was in the past. The curriculum is innovative and is regularly monitored and improved; the emphasis is on developing skills and building concepts that support understanding and further learning, not on excessive coverage of knowledge or regurgitated information. The school curriculum, together with opportunities for extra-curricular activities, supports pupils’ interests as they become more confident as independent learners on their journey through the school. Above all, it is a school curriculum that is meaningful to the school’s pupils, and relevant to their likely future needs. There is careful management of resourcing so that all areas of the curriculum can be suitably enacted. In addition, the premises of the school are managed and used as a valuable curriculum resource too.
In classrooms, Wybers children learn through discussion, challenge, investigation and interactive activities and games. Learning is always linked to what pupils already know and is set in a motivating context. Pupils benefit from personalised learning; that is a broad and balanced curriculum and extra-curricular learning which suits them, builds on what they know, takes account of their needs, allows them to have a say about their learning and so helps them reach their full potential. All lessons are characterised by high expectations, good pace, and clear objectives linked to longer-term goals and targets. Despite a clear underlying structure, lessons are presented in a creative and flexible way, often beginning with a challenging question, an exciting stimulus, an inspiring piece of writing or a thought-provoking statement. In every lesson, pupils are encouraged to think logically and laterally, extending their growing conceptual networks. There is a key emphasis on language development and thinking skills and strategies. In every lesson in school on every day, there is a sense of the intrinsic value of thinking and learning.
The personal, social, moral and spiritual development of Wybers pupils in their four years at the school is seen as essential to creating the right conditions for learning to take place. The school takes great care in boosting self-esteem, building social confidence and encouraging cultural tolerance among all its pupils. Creating a sense of humanity and of empathy is seen as a basic right of all Wybers children. Appropriate amounts of time are spent on these aspects, both within the main curriculum and through other systems and programmes. There is a clear programme for a variety of school assemblies, the delivery of which all staff share. Through these, pupils are given opportunities to develop a sense of morality and a reflective spirituality.
The management of the school is robust and its leadership is inspirational. There is a strong and highly effective school leadership team who, in partnership with the governing body, are committed to self-evaluation and school improvement as an essential part of the everyday life of the school. The presence of the leadership team is found everywhere in the school; they set the tone, model the behaviours, stimulate creative thinking and encourage leadership at all levels. Risk-taking and trialling new and innovative ideas are driven by these people throughout the school. Most importantly they listen to the views of everyone within the school community; they are experts in empathising with alternative views. These people have a fundamental understanding that the service the school provides for Wybers Wood pupils and their parents can always be improved no matter how outstanding the quality of current provision.
At Wybers Wood Junior School there is a clearly defined link between performance and development. The whole school community contributes to both, and there is a strong sense among everyone that the school is forward-thinking and futures-building. Strategic management and ‘blue-sky thinking’ are commonplace, and the Governing Body and Headteacher have an understanding of where they would like the school to be. There is a commitment to build capacity within the school and within its people. It is recognised that the people at Wybers Wood Juniors are its greatest and most effective resource.
Most importantly, Wybers Wood Juniors is a great place to be. Those that grace its walls know what it is to be happy, to have purpose to their daily lives, to feel a part of something positive that will last for years to come. It is a place where newcomers aspire to be, and where those who leave do so with fond and lasting memories. Not just a school, but a purposeful place to nurture, support and build the hearts and minds of children and adults alike.
