As we approach the end of term, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for the work you do across Brighton and Hove to make a positive difference to the children and communities in your care every day. I look forward to continuing to work with you in partnership in the new year and I hope you find time to relax and recuperate over the festive period.
One Voice Festival of Singing
It has been wonderful to hear more about the One Voice Festival of Singing which has been taking part across Brighton & Hove this month involving some of our schools from across the city. Organised by Create Music, the music hub for Brighton & Hove and East Sussex, the event featured over 1000 children performing alongside young musicians from Create Music, including Brighton & Hove Youth Percussion Ensemble, Brighton & Hove Youth Wind Orchestra and Lewes Youth Concert Band and has been a lovely celebration to start the festive period. Well done to everyone who took part in this fantastic performance.
Secondary Schools for a Sustainable Future Summit
On Friday 8 December, while world leaders were meeting at COP28, around 60 students from six Brighton & Hove schools hosted the first Secondary Schools for a Sustainable Future Summit. The event was attended by school staff, governors and council officers and aimed to prioritise climate action in secondary schools across the city. The schools involved were Blatchington Mill, Cardinal Newman, Dorothy Stringer, Hove Park, Portslade Aldridge Community Academy and Varndean.
Students presented their own stories explaining why addressing the climate crisis and protecting the environment was important to them and shared research they had conducted on different sustainability themes. They then agreed on a single theme of Consumption and Waste which they will progress as a city-wide campaign. Student Climate Leaders will now research and campaign around Consumption & Waste in schools, before coming together again at a Student Assembly in March to share commitments from schools, the council and local experts. Headteachers and senior representatives also made joint pledges to make schools more sustainable by the end of the 2025 academic year. These included stopping the use of single use plastic, reducing carbon emissions from the use of energy by 20%, giving over 10% more of school land to biodiversity and establishing a dynamic group of 70-100 student climate ambassadors in each of their schools.
Active Sussex Awards 2023
Congratulations to Emma Greenhough, Brighton & Hove School Games Organiser & Active for Life Manager at Brighton & Hove City Council, who won the Outstanding Contribution to Sport & Physical Activity at the Active Sussex Awards 2023 earlier this month.
Emma has worked in Brighton & Hove for over 15 years, for the School Sport Partnership and as Schools Games Organiser since inception, activating schools and passionately addressing inequalities. An amazing 184,175 children and young people have participated in School Games since 2012 and in 2022/23, 47 primary/junior schools entered 1 or more School Games events and 10 secondaries entered 3 or more events with 37 schools achieving School Games Mark. Well done to Emma on this fantastic and well deserved achievement.
Goodbyes
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Hildi Mitchell
We say goodbye this month to Hildi Mitchell, Headteacher of Downs Infant School. We would like to thank Hildi for her incredible contribution to the city within her own very successful and popular school and also as an NAHT representative which has meant she has stepped forward to support all headteachers in the city and in her role as governor at St Peter’s Primary School too. Hildi will be very missed by colleagues across the city and we wish her all the best for the future.
Paul Barber
Paul Barber is also leaving his role as Headteacher of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary at the end of this term. Having joined at a difficult time during Covid, he has lead the school from strength to strength and we would like to wish him the best of luck in his next Headship role.
Best wishes,
Jo
Keep in touch and follow me on Twitter @JoMLyons
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