This week has seen the second round of pupil progress meetings in school between the Senior Leadership Team and class teachers. It is our termly opportunity to focus on the progress of each child and decide upon targets and techniques that will make for further academic gains in the coming months. As is often the case in such meetings, the role of the Headteacher is to always ask for ‘a little bit more’, and with everyone at school already working hard I know that I am like a Formula 1 team manager who wants to shave fractions of a second off each lap time for the sake of marginal gains. However marginal these gains may be, though, their impact can be great; on the race track it is the difference between winning and losing, in the classroom it is the difference between meeting ambitious learning targets or falling frustratingly short of them. So, now that we have a renewed sense of what each pupil can achieve as their next step, they will find the expecatations of staff going up a notch or three in the coming weeks. You can support this by adding to the process with consistent home learning. This does not need to be huge amounts, and should not make learning a horror for children or families alike, but devoting a set time several days a week to support school learning will really make a difference. 10 minutes of reading, spelling memory games after tea, or setting mini maths challenges into daily tasks around the house all add up to those small steps making a big difference.
Praise this week needs to go to pupils who have flown the flag for St Peter’s in other local schools. Year 4 sent a team of keen sportspeople to Horndean Technology College for a Tri-Golf tournament, where the boys team brought home a well-deservde silver medal. Year 5, three pupils (pictured below) gave an exceptional account of themselves in a CAFOD public speaking competition on the topic of ‘What’s for Dinner?’ at St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School in Fareham. Well done then to all the pupils involved, and thanks to Miss Rayson (Tri-Golf) and Mrs Edge and Miss Fleming (CAFOD public speaking) for devoting their efforts towards these enriching activties.
Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher