Communicating Excellence in Local Education

Dave Baker in office Print(as published in our January edition out 27th December)

We were pleased to have the opportunity to catch up with Dave Baker, Executive Headteacher at the Olympus Academy Trust (left), which currently looks after both the Bradley Stoke and Abbeywood Community Schools.

We were keen to learn about the progress of the new primary phase at the Bradley Stoke Community School (BSCS).  The project is on target to finish next July, ready for the first Reception class to start in September 2015.   Eager parents have already attended open events at BSCS to find out more about the new primary phase and make the decision whether it is the right choice for their preschooler to start school life.

Just as when the secondary school opened, the new primary phase will commence with just the one Reception class and grow an additional class per year until all 7 class years are completed.   It is at the entry reception level where it is forecast that additional places are needed and so the primary will grow from the ground up and there will be no impact on existing classes in other local primary schools.   As this new venture is very much the primary phase of the existing community school (as opposed to a separate primary school), children who attend the primary phase will automatically have the right to a place in the secondary phase when they reach year 7.

It is quite a different concept having your child attend one school from age 4 until potentially the age of 18. Dave told us that he was showing one prospective family around recently with their still 3 year old and, whilst in a year 13 classroom, he asked them – “can you see your child studying here in 2028 ”!   It has been difficult to talk to parents about a potential school for their child when there has been no building, no teachers and no curriculum as such to show them.   Dave told us that this is why the follow on tour has been so good – “if parents chose to send their child to this new primary phase, they are buying into an ethos and culture which is judged to be outstanding.   Parents need to see the existing school for this to make sense.   It is a very exciting time for us.   The primary phase will certainly add a new dynamic to the school and we feel very excited about the prospect of us knowing each child for that longer period of time.   Think how much more we will be able to help them at secondary level, when we will have known them and have been teaching them since they were just 4 years old. ”   Dave recognises that the biggest challenge will be how to connect the youngest members with the older secondary stage, especially in the next few years when there will be such a gap in age between the year groups.

How to bridge this age gap, and give the new reception children the opportunity to interact with children closer to their own ages will be an area to be explored further with Meadowbrook Primary School, which is in very close proximity to the Bradley Stoke School.   Both Meadowbrook Primary School and Charborough Road Primary School (in Filton) will be joining the Olympus Academy Trust in the New Year.   Many children from Meadowbrook move up to BSCS and similarly many from Charborough Road move up to Abbeywood, there is therefore value in coming under the one umbrella of the Trust and benefitting   from the excellent resources and experience already on offer.   Dave told me “This can only be a win-win solution for all involved.   The Headteachers can benefit from the business function and back office experience of the Trust, freeing up their time to focus on the pupils and teaching staff, and the Trust gains valuable additional experience of the primary phase.     If we can t improve the transition arrangements between KS2 and KS3 and make this a better experience for all pupils, then something would be fundamentally wrong! ”

Whilst mentioning Abbeywood, Dave also informed me that the latest Ofsted report just received (at the time of writing) was “Good ” in all aspects.   This is fantastic news for everyone who has been involved in the school since it came under the Trust s umbrella 3 years ago.   Current Associate Headteacher Judith Mee will now be retiring, happy that she leaves the school with a secure platform to move towards outstanding.   A new Associate Headteacher, David Howe, has been appointed to start in 2015.   Ofsted was very positive about the school, commenting that it now   has the capacity to push towards outstanding.   and this will now be in Mr Howe s remit moving forward!   Dave commented “We all feel so very pleased at the latest Ofsted report.   This has been 3 years of my life and it is a good feeling to know that the school is now being viewed so positively and is also enjoying a positive vibe in the community.   In September the school was oversubscribed for the first time and there is every indication that it will be again for September 2015. ”

As we went to print we learned that a new Head for the Bradley Stoke primary phase has been appointed.   Sharon Clark is a Bradley Stoke resident, currently employed as the Deputy Head at the Tynings Community Primary School in Staple Hill, where she has also been Acting Head for a period.   With her leadership qualifications and experience in Early Years Foundation Stage, Dave is confident that she will be a great asset to the school.   She will start her role at Easter, although will be present at the remaining open events and part of the planning meetings going forward.

Huge thanks to Dave Baker for taking the time to talk with us.   He is such an inspiration, filled with enthusiasm and passion and it is always such a pleasure to hear him speak about the schools in his care.

For more information on the primary phase at BSCS, check out the school s website http://www.bradleystokecs.org.uk/Proposed-New-Primary-Phase/ which also details the remaining open events for prospective parents on 6th and 7th January.

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