Jump Start Nursery is Outstanding!

Messy play with nursery worker Ruby Jones

I am delighted that Jump Start Nursery in Moulsecoomb Children’s Centre has been awarded Outstanding in all areas by Ofsted. The nursery works with some of most vulnerable families in the city, and a high percentage of the children have complex additional educational and social needs. Congratulations to Laura Howe, the nursery manager, and her team. On my recent visit I saw first-hand the positive practice and interactions between staff and children, so I’m not at all surprised to read the outstanding comments in the report.

‘The extremely ambitious managers and staff have worked tirelessly to raise the quality of the provision to an outstanding level.’

‘All children are extremely happy, settled and secure. They behave exceptionally well. Children are consistently kind, polite and considerate towards each other and make friends easily.’

‘Children are extremely confident, enthusiastic and motivated learners. ……They rapidly gain the skills needed for their next stages in learning and school.’

Music in Mind

We all remain concerned about our children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. In 5 to 16 year olds nationally, one in ten have a diagnosed mental health problem. We are therefore proud to launch Dr. Ally Daubney and Greg Daubney’s independent evaluation of the Music in Mind report. The report details the process and effectiveness of our pioneering music for child and adolescent mental health programme. Tom, aged 15, said: ‘music is literally the thing that keeps me going’.

Ben, aged 15, said: ‘Music for me can really help with my anxiety, because when I’m playing and singing I don’t feel anxious or paranoid…I’m in a band when I’m not here so it’s really good to be able to play with a music professional and record my stuff when I’m here.’ Please take a read of the report.

Brighton & Hove Celebrates World Book Day

Always a highlight of the year for me and the schools in our ‘B&H Education Partnership’ didn’t let us down with thousands of young people dressing up and celebrating their favourite stories and authors.

Carlton Hill school children dressed up as Fantastic Mr Fox for World Book Day

Lots of fun was had by pupils, staff, families and carers. Pupils dressed as their favourite book characters and shared stories with friends, families and visiting authors and story tellers. Some schools this year took a favourite author theme including celebrating Roald Dahl’s 100 year anniversary, Rudyard Kipling as author and a whole-school recreation of Where’s Wally? Staff and volunteers supported bedtime reads, book swap shops and whole-school reading events such as regular ‘Drop Everything and Read’ sessions. Thanks for sending in your photos. I’m looking forward to next year. http://www.worldbookday.com/

World Book Day teachers dressed up as literary characters at Saltdean Primary School

Let’s Dance

Every year just gets better and better. 74 schools and colleges performed in Let’s Dance over four days, in a great example of the ‘B&H Education Partnership’ in action. I saw some wonderful performances of dancers of all ages. Well done and thanks to Dorothy Stringer school for yet again organising an amazing citywide event.

Brilliant ‘Let’s Dance’ performers. Photos by Charles Mansfield-Osborne.

The reports for Blatchington Mill and Hove Park’s recent Ofsted inspections are out. Both confirmed that they are ‘Good’ schools. This is a very positive outcome with a recognition that both schools are taking effective action, well done to all teachers, young people and parents at Blatchington Mill and Hove Park.
Ofsted have also inspected Moulsecoomb Primary this month. I look forward to reporting back on this in my next blog once the report is out.

Balfour Primary School Music Concert

Thank you to Marcelo Staricoff for inviting me to join him and parents for one of their amazing music concerts where children of all ages were able to perform in Dorothy Stringer’s theatre. With four performances and 400 pupils involved, it was a great opportunity for the children to show their talents and perform on the big stage. Well done to the children and their music teachers.

School visits and best practice

This month I've spent a lot of my time out there across the 'B&H Education Partnership' seeing some of the very best education practice. I've been blown away by the creativity across the curriculum in the schools and education provision I have visited, with so many positive and vibrant learning environments. I have been particularly impressed with the positive interactions and relationships I've seen between children and their teachers and support assistants with happy, engaged and focused children. It is also clear from discussions with our headteachers how schools are working together much more effectively, challenging and supporting each other leading to even better practice. Likewise, it has been positive to hear how clusters and phase partnerships are looking beyond Brighton & Hove to learn from others to develop the very best practice.

Wonderful planets display at Coombe Road

Thank you to Coombe Road for welcoming me to the school and to Vicky Philips, the Interim Headteacher, for talking through the positive journey she has led the school on. It was good to meet so many of the children and see how engaged they are in learning across the school. It was a pleasure to look with the children in Year 2 at the science posters and hear about their excitement for science.

Brilliant Coombe Road science display

Shaun Collins, the Headteacher of Brunswick, shared with me how he has positively led the amalgamation of Davigdor Infants and Somerhill Juniors to create Brunswick Primary over the past 18 months. It was excellent to hear the benefits with Continuing Professional Development opportunities for staff, sharing of best practice across key stages, as well as the continuity of learning for the children as they move up the school, all helping to raise standards.

Fabulous displays of Key Stage 1 children’s work at Brunswick

Mark Helstrip welcomed me to Homewood College and passionately shared with me the journey of improvement the school is on. The school educates some of our most vulnerable young people. I was especially impressed with the art work the young people have produced and the positive feedback the teacher has given students on their work. One student shared with me what he would like to see at Homewood in the future, including picnic benches in the outdoor area and an all-weather pitch to play football and basketball on at break.

Homewood pupils’ fantastic artwork

On my visit to Hangleton, Emma Lake (Executive Headteacher) was able to share with me the school improvement benefits of the federation with the infant school to form a new all-through primary and the recent governors’ decision to federate with Benfield Primary and their exciting plans to work together, learning from each other to improve teaching and learning into the future.

Hangleton Year 4 pupil’s marvellous Viking display

Congratulations to our Apprentices

We are extremely proud of FiFi Bula, Apprentice Business Support Administration for Customer Service, who was invited to meet the Minister of State for Apprenticeships and Skills at the House of Commons on 9 March to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week.
Fifi’s case study is on the Ambassador blog 

Fifi at the Launch of the Diversity Network, pictured with Sue Husband Director of the National Apprenticeship Service and the other apprentices

Fifi with Saj Rahman (Environmental Health Apprentice), at the House of Commons reception to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week

Our Chief Executive Geoff Raw also hosted a Graduation Ceremony in our Atrium at Hove Town Hall to celebrate the amazing achievements of our apprentices. It was a pleasure to join them to celebrate and listen to their learning and skills journeys. Well done to all of the apprentices for their successes and achievements. See Twitter link:

Apprentices with Geoff Raw, B&H Council Chief Executive, at the Apprentice Graduation Ceremony

Those strings are gonna swing! - Music and Arts Service - String Festival 2017

Aspiring young orchestra maestros enjoyed a free-to-attend String Festival this month. It was the first festival of its kind ever held in the city aimed specifically at young string instrument specialists. It was organised by the Brighton & Hove Music & Arts Service. Each day provided an exciting set of workshops and performance opportunities, from solos to quartets to full orchestra works as well as expert tuition from some of the city’s top string players.

Talented young string festival performers

Saltdean’s New School Building

New building at Saltdean Primary

Assistant Headteacher Katy Reeve took Pinaki and me on a tour of the school, to celebrate the opening of the Saltdean Primary Expansion. We were extremely impressed with the new build and the internal refurbishment, and also the creative way in which they have used the space and Headteacher Suzanne Morgan and her team have used displays to show the children's learning journey and their progress.
                           

Marvellous new classroom at Saltdean Primary

Events coming up

A heads up its Autism Awareness Week: 27 March – 2 April

Please follow the link for assembly ideas, powerpoints and lesson plan resources from National Autism Society to help your school raise awareness about Autism this week. 

Children’s Parade
Brighton Festival is delighted to announce that the theme for the 2017 Children’s Parade is ‘Poetry in Motion’. The festival will take place on Saturday 6 May.


School and College Leaders Business Meeting
The next School and College Leaders Business Meeting will be on 16 June and the theme is Black and Minority Ethnic achievement and Equality. I look forward to seeing our headteachers and senior leaders then.

Welcome and goodbye

This term we have several headteachers starting new roles and moving on. Congratulations to Alex Wingham who has been appointed Headteacher at St. Martin's CE Primary and Nursery School. Alex has been doing a fantastic job leading St. Martin's as Acting Headteacher and I am delighted that he has been appointed to the substantive post. I would also like to welcome Katie Blood, the new Headteacher at St. Bartholomew's CE Primary. My thanks to Mike Jee from Aldrington who has done such an amazing job leading St. Bartholomew's for the last two terms. Mike is leaving the city at the end of the summer term to take up a headship in West Sussex, I’m looking forward to saying a proper goodbye later in the year. Dawn Oliver has left Brackenbury Primary and we wish her all the best for the future and my thanks to Cassie Palmer from Coldean who looked after the school for a short while and to Lizzie Mullarky from Hangleton, who has now taken over as Acting Headteacher. Congratulations to Rob Reed who is leaving Hove Park to become the Executive Principal at Aldridge Education. Finally, huge congratulations to Jim Roberts, who will be the new Headteacher at Hove Park. We are lucky to have so much talent across the ‘B&H Education Partnership’ to lead our schools.

Twitter

I’d like to encourage more schools and partnerships to join us on twitter. Welcome to @PortsladeLeaders who have recently joined up. A great way for our ‘B&H Education Partnership’ to share best practice and keep in touch.
Best wishes,

Jo

Keep in touch and follow me on Twitter @JoMLyons
Find details here Twitter accounts across all council services.