Leadership at the double Over the last few months, governors at West Moors Middle School (WMMS) have secured permanent post-holders for their senior leadership team.
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hey have brought together two former colleagues from Allenbourn Middle School to the top jobs to help the school reach its aim to become outstanding. Mr James Rielly, 41, was appointed as headteacher back in March and the following month, 35-yearold Mr John Dover became deputy headteacher. James was formerly deputy head at Allenbourn as well as working as a local authority consultant, he also acts as a local leader of education for Wimborne Teaching School, which keeps WMMS at the cutting edge of school improvement. John spent a year as a seconded assistant
James (left) and John
head and was previously Sports College director at Allenbourn Middle and acted as a specialist leader in education for Wimborne Teaching School. Both have a vision for WMMS, which currently has 187 children. “We genuinely know each individual child,” said John who explained that average class size is 25 and the school has a good balance between the nurturing of children and the breadth of learning. As well as cementing the leadership team, both James and John teach core subjects and John is Head of Maths. James said, “Here at WMMS, we are aiming to develop a Growth Mindset so that our pupils view mistakes as learning opportunities and get the recognition they deserve for personal milestones.” He added, “Our focus is on the future. The team is unified. The children and the community deserve the very best.”
VOTING MATTERS By Councillor Simon Gibson
UK local elections last month coincided with the Police & Crime Commissioner election There was an improvement in turnout for the Police & Crime Commissioner following a dismal turnout in 2012. That said, it was less than 25%, far lower than I would hope, given the strategic importance of the role. It is a very similar position in local government where it is usual for turnout to be below 50%. With last year’s local elections coinciding with the General Election, turnout was much higher, but this year saw a return to typically low levels of voters. This is a huge challenge for local councillors as it is vital that local communities feel involved and able to participate in elections. The services delivered by local councils have a huge impact on the community and as councils tackle the challenges arising from funding reductions, it is more important than ever that the
public feel fully involved in the democratic process. I believe that turnout will improve if residents feel that voting is worth it. This is especially true for younger voters who seldom vote in local elections. The Police & Crime Commissioner elections have seen turnout improve as the public become more aware of the importance of the role. Sure, there is still a long way to go. It is fair to expect that local council turnout could improve if councillors can show their residents the value of casting a vote for a strong local champion. In between elections, councils must ensure that local residents are able to play a full part in the life of the council. Engaging on issues through genuine public consultation. Demonstrating to residents that their concerns
are being listened to is so important and is perhaps the best way to encourage people to vote in the future. On the topic of voting – the EU referendum is only a few weeks away. Regardless of how you plan to vote, it is crucial that you head to the polls and have your say in one of the biggest ballots for generations. I suspect the turnout on 23 June will be somewhat higher than 5 May!
Drums Beat FOR FORCES CHARITY
The Military Band entertaining at the annual SSAFA Band Concert at the Layard Theatre, Canford School, Wimborne on Friday 8 July will be the Band of the Royal Logistics Corps. Formed in 1993, the band is based at the Princess Royal Barracks near Camberley. Concert tickets £16 and £11 are available from s.cadec@btconnect.com or call 01929 471038. Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news
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