avell Primary and Nursery School
‘With a heart in the community, ahead in education…’ Executive Head Simon Wakeman head@cavell.norfolk.sch.uk
Deputy Head Teachers David Hopkins | Sarah Adams david.hopkins@cavellprimary.net sarah.adams@cavellprimary.net
School Business Manager Mel Egleton office@cavell.norfolk.sch.uk
Inclusion and Safeguarding Manager Tracey Bocz tracey.bocz@cavellprimary.net
Chair of Governors Mike Allerton mike.allerton@virginmedia.com
Duckett Close | Norwich | NR1 2LR | t 01603 621927 | f 01603 627029 www.cavellprimary.net Cavell also manages East City and Framingham Earl Area Children’s Centre and Ducketts Pre-‐School
Monday 5th March 2012
Dear Parents As you are aware Cavell is a school that is always looking at how to do things better and consequently improve children’s life chances. From time to time there are difficult decisions to be made, but if made for the right reasons – the children, then they have to be made. Parents who have a long association with Cavell will know that it is a primary school that evolved from a first school, meaning that year groups were added, year by year. The school has had a bulge of children running throughout it for the last 4-‐5 years with 44 children currently in year 6 and 36 in the current year 5 cohort. When those year 6 children leave in July the funding that the school gets will be a lot less. Schools locally, are being funded by 2% less over the next two years. In Cavell’s case that equates to around £40,000 over the next two years. That amount combined with the bulge leaving the school and other factors such as funded Special Educational Needs children leaving, means that we have to make some staffing adjustments. Making staffing adjustment is never an easy thing for a school to do, because it invariably means that valued members lose their jobs. However, it is important that we always keep the children’s best interests, at the heart of everything that we do. With this in mind we are consulting staff on a new staffing structure, which will change how your children are taught. In essence, I am consulting on reducing the number of Teaching Assistants while at the same time increasing the number of teachers. So, the proposal next year is that classes in Years 4, 5 and 6 will each have two full-‐time teachers, in order to significantly raise the standard of where the children get to in reading, writing and mathematics – the core curriculum. This may sound extravagant but I believe, and I have used national and international research, which shows that having teacher pupil ratios of around 15 children to 1 teacher, boosts significantly, their levels of attainment. I am aware that that sounds great, particularly for the children, who I believe will really benefit from this intensive support and teaching. However, as with any staffing adjustment there are human stories and those stories are real and present. Please be patient with the school as it goes through this difficult consultation, which will be painful, yet in the long-‐run, I believe the right thing for the children and school. As you can appreciate the staff ARE NOT able to talk to you about this process and I am not able to tell you any more until the process of consultation is complete. It is a school based, CONFIDENTIAL consultation. I will however let you know the outcome as soon as I know. Much thanks for your support and patience Simon Wakeman
Supporting families in their journey through life …