With the first full week completed, it already feels like we have been back forever! The children have found their feet so quickly this term; it has amazed me. With so much change, I thought it might take time for them to get used to new timetables, new teachers and new routines, but this week has been a reminder of just how adaptable, resilient and positive a Pennthorpe child is. I am very proud of them!
This week started with a Huddle on this half term’s Core Value, Positivity; one of my absolute favourite qualities in any person! I mentioned it in my first paragraph because this week has shown just how positive we are as a school. I speak often about what a privilege it is to work here, and this week has highlighted that again. The ‘vibe’ (as referred to by one parent this week) is ‘incredible’. One Pennthorpe is already in full swing, and it was lovely to hear children, staff and parents reference it this week, whether on the sports pitches, at break time or in lessons. Already, it does not feel like a ‘plan’, more like something which was already being lived and has now simply been named. Positivity is a massive part of that. If, as a team, we believe, then as a team, we will succeed. So this week, I asked the children to be ‘Positivity Mirrors’. Mirror the positivity you see and feel; return it to those around you and we will find ourselves in our own little community of happiness, belief and optimism. Sounds pretty great to me!
Thanks to all those families who attended the Whole School Information Evening on Monday. It was excellent to see such strong parent representation, and I hope you all found it useful. It was exciting to look ahead and, as I mentioned at the end of the evening, I felt genuinely proud listening to so many expert staff speak passionately about their plans for their departments and areas of responsibility. Growth, Ambition and Excellence were the key pillars underpinning all of the changes, and I hope you have already begun to feel that as your children come home each evening and tell you about their day. If you were unable to make the event, the slides from the evening can be found here.
I am aware that an AI-generated summary of the evening was also shared on parent WhatsApp groups afterwards. Having read the summary, there was lots of accurate and well-condensed information, and I imagine some who could not attend found it useful. However, there were also parts that were not fully representative of the messages delivered or which missed key points. Therefore, moving forward, could I please ask that school information sessions and meetings with staff are not recorded. I do like the idea of using technology in this way, though, so we will be exploring something similar ourselves, ensuring information is checked for accuracy before being shared with parents.
This week also saw the return of competitive fixtures, and we made a fantastic start. Years 7 and 8 kicked things off on Wednesday against Aldro, Rikkyo and Copthorne, followed by Years 3 and 4, who played Seaford and Copthorne. An undefeated Thursday afternoon across all hockey and football fixtures was quite incredible and shows the strength of depth and talent we have in these year groups. A particular well done to the Year 3 pupils for their first Prep School matches!
Years 5 and 6 spent last night and today on a Resilience Sleepout and Experience Day. Having spent yesterday evening completing team challenges, playing games in the woods and then finishing the night with s’mores and hot chocolate around the fire, today they have been completing a Cluedo-themed challenge, finding clues around the school to solve a puzzle, practising team, problem solving and yet again, resilience.
I am so immensely proud of them. I mentioned resilience and adaptability in my opening today, and they showed both in abundance. Some of them are in their first week at Pennthorpe; some have never camped before. But they all did it. When I woke up at 5.00am this morning and heard the rain outside, I immediately thought of them. To then hear that every single child stayed the whole night showed that the skills learnt at Pennthorpe go so far beyond the classroom. These children are learning in a way that simply isn’t possible without an environment where you feel safe, feel happy and can thrive. Thank you also to Miss CH, Mr Harrison, Mrs Gould and Mrs Bell, who braved the elements themselves to look after the children last night.
In staffing news, I am sad to share that Maddie Whiteside will be leaving Pennthorpe. Since joining us in September 2023, Maddie has been an exceptional member of our Nursery team and has made a truly significant contribution to the lives of our youngest children.
Maddie is adored by the children and has consistently demonstrated the warmth, care and kindness that sit at the heart of an outstanding early years’ experience. Her commitment, professionalism and nurturing approach have had a lasting impact on both the children and her colleagues, and she will be greatly missed by the entire Pennthorpe community.
Maddie is leaving to begin a marketing apprenticeship with AJW, which is a fantastic opportunity and an exciting next step in her career. While we are naturally disappointed to see her go, we are incredibly proud of her and know she will thrive in this new role. We are even hopeful that, as part of her apprenticeship journey, there may be opportunities for Maddie to support Pennthorpe’s marketing efforts in the future, allowing us to maintain a valued connection with her.
Looking ahead, we will begin the recruitment process on Monday, which will be for a new Beehive Lead. This appointment forms part of our strategic development plan to further strengthen and grow our Nursery provision, which remains a key priority and an important part of the school’s long-term future. As part of this development, Sophie Rego will move into the role of Honey Pot Lead, while the successful candidate for the new position will take responsibility for leading the Beehive, our Pre-School. We are excited about the opportunities these developments will bring as we continue to invest in and enhance our Early Years offering.
Thank you all for your patience throughout the week whilst we adapt to the new requirements for all adults to sign in when coming onto site. Based on the processes we have trialled this week, we will be making some changes. To help speed up this process, whilst also keeping children safe, all parents will be given an ID card and lanyard, similar to those worn by staff. This will not allow access to any external doors or gates, but it will mean that you simply need to scan a QR code when signing in, with your details already saved on the system, greatly reducing the time this takes. We will also be adding a second iPad to the Front Desk, allowing twice as many parents to sign in at one time. I will write to you separately in the next weeks to give you further information about this and a timeline.
Finally, next year’s term dates can now be found on the school website, so please do make a note of these and do your best to plan family holidays around them wherever possible. By doing so, you will be supporting our commitment to protecting the learning and ensuring that every child benefits from the continuity, experiences and opportunities that make life at Pennthorpe so special.
Have a wonderful weekend. I am sure the children will be tired after their first full week back, especially Years 5 and 6, and I look forward to seeing you all on Monday.
Mr Marler
