Christmas Thank You from Mrs Duggan
Dear Parents / Carers
What a year it has been- and a wonderful one at that!
I am so grateful to you all for the support and well wishes I received on becoming the Headteacher of this amazing school. It is a privilege to lead, shape and form your children into the adults of the future. As a community we continue to grow and develop and we have seen many great things happen during the year that demonstrates this perfectly.
The appointment of Miss Williams as the Deputy Headteacher has been fantastic. We share a common vision and work very closely as a team to ensure that we as a school are the best that we can be. ‘I have come that you may have life, and live it to the full’- John 10:10. Our wish is that every child receives the opportunities available to them that will enable them to ‘live their lives to the full’ and where they are bursting with enthusiasm and a thirst for learning. At the core of everything is that the children venture out in to the world as good citizens who can make a difference, and contribute to the wider society for the common good.
It has been a very challenging year in terms of the educational climate as a whole, the academisation agenda and falling budgets set a complex backdrop for children’s learning. Despite this, myself, the leadership team and the governors are continuing to work hard to ensure that we remain ahead of the curve. Working collaboratively with you as parents is imperative if we want to achieve the very best we can, and your contribution to the Governors Fund is crucial in maintaining standards and providing the best education for our children.
The successful introduction of our Breakfast Club has been wonderful, numbers are steadily rising – if you would like more information on this valuable service please visit our newly established website or speak to Mrs Childs in the School Office. I would like to continue providing this service but we do need to get the numbers up for it to remain a viable option.
The PTA led by Rena Wallace and her fantastic team have worked immensely hard to raise over £10,000 this year. There have been numerous events including Christmas parties, Easter Parade, tuck shop sales, ice cream sales, the School Fete and various mufti days, many thanks to all who have attended and supported these activities. Hours and hours go into the organisation and execution of these events and our children will benefit greatly from the new resources that we will be able to purchase using these funds. If you feel that you would like to become part of the PTA or can offer any help at all please contact Rena via the School Office.
In the summer our wonderful Year 6 production of Peter Pan showcased the amazing talents we have in the school, it is so pleasing to see the children completing their journey here in such a wonderful way – they truly reflected all that we hoped they would be. Furthermore, during the SATs tests the children were amazing. Whilst horror stories of individuals crying and feeling like failures flooded the national press; our children showed great resolve and resilience and used some of the many tools learnt at St Michael & St Martin to cope with some very hard questions – we were so proud of them.
The results achieved were testament to their hard work and resolution, despite it being a very challenging year group with some 88% EAL (English as Additional Language) and more than average Special Educational Needs the children exceeded all expectations, and as a result, the Local Authority have recently categorised the school as OUTSTANDING! We are so proud. A huge amount of thanks goes to all the staff who have worked with dedication over the years to ensure that these children achieved so well.
The Autumn Term has been very busy, the children have had some valuable learning experiences and opportunities through Black History Week, Anti-Bullying Week, e-Safety Week and Celebration of Languages, please don’t forget to pay your termly £10 contribution (or £30 for the year) this is not a voluntary payment. We have many more exciting weeks and activities planned for the coming school terms.
Once again we continue to excel at sport. We have won the Hounslow Borough preliminary events in tag rugby and indoor sports hall athletics – we wish the children lots of luck for the finals.
Thank you to the families who contributed shoeboxes for the Samaritan’s Purse - Operation Christmas Child, what a wonderful way to see Christianity in action and a valuable lesson for us all ’Love one another. As I have loved you’- John 13:34.
The Christmas nativities continue to be one of the highlights of the year, despite personally having seen what seems like thousands over the years, I look forward to each and every one – the children’s singing is a wonder to behold and could bring tears to a glass eye. The Junior Carol Concert was also a beautiful occasion, the children’s reverence is humbling and the singing was equally as spine-tingling.
As the term draws to a close, we say a very fond farewell to Mrs Perry, Mrs Dunn, Mrs Javar and Mrs Bowman, we wish them love and luck with their onward journeys; their impact and contributions will remain with the school for many years to come.
Finally, I thank you as parents most sincerely for continuing to support this delightful school in such a proactive and passionate way, the spirit of collaboration leads to great things, we have a wonderful vibrant and thriving school community, which we are all responsible for achieving and maintaining. I look forward to continuing to go from strength to strength in 2017 and beyond.
Wishing you all a very Happy and Holy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year.