My time this week has been dominated by pupil progress meetings.  Myself and my senior leadership team have spent time with each class teacher analysing the progress made by children to date and, more significantly, ways in which that progress in learning can continue and accelerate over the remainder of the academic year.  This is a valuable exercise which works in complement with the recent parents’ evenings to ensure that each pupil has their school performance carefully monitored.  What the meetings have revealed to me is just how well the class teachers know your children, and the depth with which my teaching colleagues understand the strengths and needs of individual children in their class.  I felt privileged and humbled to be working alongside such strong professionals who commit each day to the education and well being of our pupils, and am looking forward to the next round of meetings in February 2017.

I will admit, though, that I had to slip out of one such meeting to take part in some ‘hot seating’ with the children in Year 2, an experience which proved to me that in a school there is no such thing as an ordinary day.  Having spent 15 minutes being interviewed as George ‘The Smartest Giant in Town’ (a modern classic story book by the simply brilliant Julia Donaldson), I was returning to my office with just one shoe on and my tie undone (now you have to read the book!) when I saw Year 5 pupils in the hall taking part in a PE lesson of fencing! Yes, fencing!  This reinforced to me the richness of the education the children at St Peter’s receive, and I must offer thanks to all of my colleagues who go the extra mile for the learning of our pupils, your children.

And so to the weekend; if the England batsmen are still in the game in India when the England rugby players take to the Twickenham turf against Fiji at 2:30 on Saturday, I will be amazed!

Mr R Cunningham

Headteacher