Thursday 13 March 2008

I went on to a great little primary school...

Bracken Edge Primary School has just been visited by our friends from OFSTED and given a clean bill of health after 15 months with a 'notice to improve'... it is a brilliant achievement by Julie Harkness, the headteacher, and her colleagues, who are also manging in a constrained site while their new extension is being built. Julie told me that it will be open in five weeks.

It's funny I remember visiting the school when I started here in Leeds and being shocked by the dreadful condition of their village of temporary classrooms. The school has developed and grown with its Space@ facilities and now the wonderful new extension.

Julie and Alan Moore, her chair, showed me around the school and we all talked about the challenges and opportunities facing the school. It was great to see what Julie and the team have achieved, the real enthusiasm amongst Julie's colleagues and to meet some of her fantastic children... one of whom gave me my first Easter card this year. Julie is planning for the next OFSTED to be good and then outstanding!
Chris

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Chris,
The quote you left on your blog is brilliant - 'So love the people who treat you right'.
Unfortunately as Inclusion Support Workers for The Early Years SEN services (based at Blenheim)we don't feel as if we have been 'Treated right'.
As dedicated, committed, experienced, qualified professionals we now feel totally demorilised, under valued and worthless.
As through job evaluation we have been equated to a Nursery Nurse who works in a school(who incidentally do a fantastic job).
We can't really comprehend this as our roles are totally different:

We work on our own, advising and supporting early years staff and children with SEN across the city.
We develop and deliver training which promotes inclusion to whole staff teams.
We support parents and carers in the home offering ideas and strategies.
We are valued and respected by our colleagues, other professionals and our client group.

Then if we go pro rata our wages will be below the national poverty line so we don't feel as if we are being 'treated rignt'.
So to get back to your quote. It's very hard to feel this way when you feel'Beaten!'

We would really like to meet with you, as you have always said that you are approachable.

Caroline Walsh, Jayne Watson, Angela Harrison, Alice Franklin, Angie Frost, Erma Norford.

Chris Edwards said...

Hi Caroline, Jayne, Angela, Alice, Angie and Erma,
I would be happy to meet with you all whenever we can arrange something. It would also give me an opportunity to get to Blenheim.
Hope to see you all soon.
Chris