The Synergy Schools Federation Annual Report 2021/2022
Annual Report 2021/22
Mike White
Welcome to this, the first edition of an annual report in this format, aimed at all interested stakeholders from parents and carers and members of the local communities who are served by the schools in our Federation to staff and governors who work within the Federation on a day to day basis.
Although we have reached the end of a third disrupted academic year due to the Covid 19 pandemic, this year has felt so much more positive than the previous two, with schools able to remain open throughout the year. Gradually, things seem to be getting back to normal whatever normal might be and everyone is definitely happier for it!
The pandemic created many challenges for us in schools one of which was to try to continue to teach a broad and balanced curriculum when we lost so much lesson time. Having almost the full complement of time this year has ensured that a full and comprehensive National Curriculum entitlement has been delivered across all subjects as well as a bit extra in several areas! I know that the Federation has supported schools’ work in this area by providing enhancements to the curriculum in many subject areas and also developing curriculum leadership which in turn has helped staff to teach the 13 subjects that are required of them.
I believe that this fantastic organisation continues to be at the forefront of the educational system and I am so very proud to lead it. We have a wonderful team in each and every school who are relentless in their drive to achieve the very best outcomes for each and every one of our pupils who come to school each day.
Collaboration and partnership working is the way that we can achieve further success. I look forward to continuing to work alongside you in the future.
With best wishes for a positive 2022/2023 academic year.
Mike White Mike White Executive Headteacher
Headteacher
Welcome from the Executive
Welcome from the Chair of Governors
Mairi Reed
I must admit, that at the beginning of September 2021, I was attempting to feel optimistic that we would be returning to some degree of normality with a programme of school visits and face to face meetings. However, this was not to be and 2021/22 turned into not only another challenging year for everyone but also a year that has seen everyone involved with the Federation use all of their skills, commitment and experience to overcome any barriers and to ensure that we made the very best out of a difficult situation.
Please take the time to read this report which includes information on the Federation’s achievements during the 2021/22 academic year. I have particularly enjoyed reminding myself of everything that has been accomplished. This academic year has been the first full year for Synergy Schools being a 4 school federation. Looking back, it’s been fantastic to see what has been accomplished.
One important area of school leadership that is not obvious to most people is governance. Our hard working governors work hard to provide strategic direction, hold senior leaders to account and oversee the financial performance of each school to ensure that money is well spent. This is organised through our full governing body meetings and also at school level by the governors involved in our new Local School Committees. As a governing body we’ve worked hard on embedding this new model. We feel that much has been achieved. Governors tell me that they are better informed than they have ever been and the progress that each school has made is really impressive.
All governors are volunteers and bring a wealth of skills and experience that we use to develop the strategic direction of the Federation and its schools, providing support and encouragement to staff and ensuring that our intentions are being realised, and if not, we want to know why!
I would like to express my thanks to my fellow governors for all their hard work over the past year. I remain as positive and optimistic about the Federation and the work of our schools as when I became a governor 7 years ago and look forward to another remarkable and progressive year.
best wishes, Mairi Reed
Mairi Reed Chair of Governors WithThe Synergy Schools Federation
Vision and Aims
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the definition of the word synergy is: "the interaction or cooperation of two or more organisations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects."
As our name suggests, the Synergy Schools Federation is very much about schools working in partnership and achieving more together than they could ever do individually. This ethos continues to be developed as our schools more forward but it’s also of vital importance that each one is able to keep its unique characteristics in order to meet the needs or their local and wider communities.
We have compiled a list of aims which, whilst are not exhaustive, we hope are able to keep our Federation focused on what we believe are the most important aspects of our work.
Aims
• To ensure that each and every school provides a safe and secure environment, therefore enabling each child to flourish.
• To ensure that all schools promote equality and diversity for all.
• To provide a platform for schools with similar visions and ethos to collaborate and improve outcomes for all pupils.
• To enhance our schools’ broad and balanced curriculum offers by providing a wide range of pupil experiences.
• To ensure effective governance at all levels offering excellent challenge and strategic support.
• To provide a comprehensive range of professional development opportunities for all staff.
• To support other schools outside the Federation by working collaboratively, sharing best practice and being professionally generous.
Headlines from the 2021/2022 Academic Year
✓ Little Wandle Phonics is introduced across the whole federation to improve the way that children are taught to read.
✓ A laptop leasing scheme becomes available for pupils at Brompton on Swale and Crakehall CE Primary Schools.
✓ All pupils provided with ipads or laptops at Leeming and Londonderry Community and Pickhill CE Primary Schools.
✓ Brompton on Swale CE Primary is awarded the NAACE Mark for excellence in education technology.
✓ Leeming and Londonderry Community and Brompton on Swale CE Primary Schools awarded School Games Marks for excellent PE and school sport provision.
✓ Pickhill CE Primary School becomes a ‘Picture News Advocate’ which enhances the collective worship experience for children across the federation.
✓ Since July 2022, every classroom throughout the federation now has a large modern interactive television screen installed.
Federation Developments for 2022/23
What’s coming next?
The 2022/23 will be an exciting year for everyone connected with the Synergy Schools Federation. Here are just a few of the projects that we’ll be working on.
Ensuring that before and after school provision is in place for all schools. Currently, children at Leeming and Londonderry Community Primary School don’t have wrap around care available to them but from September we are hoping to start up a new scheme which will allow children to arrive early and leave later. Hopefully these new arrangements will suit working parents much better!
New dining facilities at Pickhill
At the time of writing, the new dining and before/after school care building is being built at Pickhill. If there are no delays, we are hoping that this will be finished and in use by 21st November. The building will provide a new kitchen, storeroom, toilet and dining area which will also double as our before and after school room. The image shows the crane after lifting the last module into position on the 20th September.
Continuing improvements in our IT infrastructure
Another 25 leased laptops for pupils will be in use at the start of the autumn term, thanks to the generosity of parents and the availability of the leasing scheme at Brompton on Swale and Crakehall CE Primary Schools. Also, due to the kindness of Leeming and Londonderry Community and Pickhill CE Primary School’s PTAs, some pupils will receive new laptops or ipads this year. In all cases, these devices can be taken home every day and used to support pupils’ learning.
Refurbished Outdoor Area for Busy Bees Pre School
After the internal refurbishment of Busy Bees Pre School over the summer, work will be undertaken to improve the outdoor area over the autumn term. Artificial grass will be installed over the half term break and a number of other minor works will significantly improve the learning environment for our youngest learners.
The Synergy Schools Federation
Governance
The Governing Body
In the summer of 2021 the Governing Body of Leeming & Londonderry and Pickhill CE Primary Schools federated with the Synergy Schools Federation. The Governing Bodies from each federation were disbanded and a new Synergy Schools Governing Body was elected with Local School Committees appointed.
The Remit of the Governing Body
The main purpose of the Synergy Schools Governing Body is to:
• Ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction of our schools and federation.
• Hold executive leaders to account for educational performance of the schools within the federation and its pupils, and the performance management of staff.
• Oversee the financial performance of the federation and make sure its money is well spent.
Our Governors
The list below provides the name and designation of our current governors. For more information, please visit your school’s website or directly browse www.synergyschools.co.uk
Mrs. Mairi Reed Local Authority Governor and Chair of Governors
Dr. Victoria Eardley Parent Governor and Vice Chair
Chair of Brompton on Swale’s Local School Committee
Lt. Col Jonny Hooper Co opted Governor and Vice Chair
Chair of Leeming and Pickhill’s Local School Committee
Mrs. Andrea Offord Co opted Governor and Vice Chair
Chair of Crakehall’s Local School Committee
Mrs. Jane Parker Hack Co opted Governor and Vice Chair
Mr. Mike White Executive Headteacher
Rev. Chris Lawton Foundation Governor
Mrs. Liz Weatherby Foundation Governor
Rev. James Gwyn Thomas Foundation Governor
Mrs. Anna Wooding Parent Governor
Mr. Steve Woolmer Co opted Governor
Mrs. Lynda Player Co opted Governor
Mrs. Anna Smith Co opted Governor
Miss Emily Dennis Staff Governor
Local School Committees
Each school within the Federation has a Local School Committee. Local School Committees meet every term (3 times a year). These non statutory committees undertake the governor monitoring role, holding each school in the Federation to account and providing a direct link to the Full Governing Body.
Brompton-on-Swale CE Primary School’s Local School Committee
Dr. Victoria Eardley Parent Governor and Chair of the Committee
Mr. Adam Firmin Head of School
Mrs. Liz Weatherby Foundation Governor
Miss Melissa Guy Associate Staff Governor
Mrs. Kellie Wallace Associate Co opted Governor
Mrs. Melanie Chapman Associate Co opted Governor
Crakehall CE Primary School’s Local School Committee
Mrs. Andrea Offord Co opted Governor and Chair of the Committee
Mrs. Sam Marino Head of School
Rev. Chris Lawton Foundation Governor
Miss Ellie Burnside Associate Staff Governor
Mrs. Jessica Brudenell Associate Co opted Governor
Mrs. Jo MacLelland Associate Co opted Governor
Leeming and Londonderry Community and Pickhill CE Primary School’s Local School Committee
Lt. Col Jonny Hooper Co opted Governor and Chair of the Committee
Mrs. Nicole Rayner Head of School
Rev. James Gwyn Thomas Foundation Governor
Mrs. Emma Lerigo Associate Staff Governor
Mrs. Anna Smith Co opted Governor
Mrs. Nicky Holmes Associate Co opted Governor
Busy Bees Pre-School
Highlights from the 2021/22 academic year:
• Launching our new ‘HEARTS’ curriculum which fits in with the school’s vision.
• Working closely with Rev. Mary who visits our pre-school regularly to talk to us and share Bible stories.
• A refurbishment of the classroom, including new lighting, a full redecoration and new flooring throughout the setting.
• Promoting literacy and giving children the opportunity to develop key skills through every day experiences.
• Being a part of the school community—joining in with sports days, science day and learning from the older children.
Staff have excellent relationships with the children. Communication is brilliant, especially from the admin team. Thank you!97%
of parents said that their child is happy in our school.
Having the Courage to Shine
Highlights from the 2021/22 academic year:
• Launching our laptop lease scheme and being awarded the NAACE Mark for excellence in education technology.
• Being awarded the School Games Gold award for our PE and school sports provision. There have been many sporting successes, most notable are our girls’ football and cricket teams as well as our Y3/4 football, tennis and cricket teams. Every single child was able to take part in a sporting competition, including a virtual/online event.
• Providing a rich and varied choice of extra-curricular opportunities. From art club and choir through to sporting opportunities, we continue to maintain high attendance figures at these activities (87%).
• Improved communication with parents by re introducing termly class newsletters and increasing the use of our Facebook page to promote our wider curriculum activities within school.
• The summer term performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream was a huge success for our Year 6 children!
• There were some exciting changes in our music curriculum in the summer term with all Key Stage 2 learning to play the ocarina.
98%
of parents said that their child is taught well in our school.
Brompton Park, Brompton on Swale, Richmond, North Yorkshire DL10 7JWPeat Rigg Outdoor Centre
May 2022 Y5 Residential Visit
In May, all our Year 5 pupils took part in an wonderfully exciting adventure to Pete Rigg Outdoor Centre, near Pickering. For many of our Year 5 children, this was the first time they had been away from home so this was a real adventure for them in lots of ways. There were a great deal of challenging activities during the 3 day visit. Jacob’s ladder and the abseiling activity suspended the children 80 feet in the air very challenging for most adults! An onsite cave provided another different challenge which some children struggled with initially but were delighted to master by the end of the session. Beck scrambling meant that everyone had the opportunity of getting completely soaked even some of the staff which went down very well with the children as I’m sure you can imagine. Overall, it was great to see the children making new friends and discovering new skills that they didn’t realise they had.
The Green, Crakehall, Bedale, North Yorkshire DL10 1HP
Growing Together
Highlights from the 2021/22 academic year:
• The curriculum has been enhanced by Implementing a vast range of educational visits and invited visitors into school to share their experiences with our children, now Covid restrictions removed.
• We have improved communication by re introducing class newsletters and weekly emails from each class teacher. We have also provided a full overview of important dates and information and ½ termly newsletters from the Head of School.
• The Local Authority confirms that our school has ‘highly effective safeguarding measures’ in place.
92% of children reach the expected standard (or better!) for reading by the end of the academic year across all year groups.
• Children reconnect with St. Gregory’s Church after the pandemic. Children have enjoyed visits, decorating the Church and questioning the Vicar!
100%
100%
of parents said that their child feels safe in our school.
of parents said that their child does well at school.
Introducing our new Federation Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator
Tamara Hayman
September 2022 sees the start of a new role in the Federation. We now have a SENDCO who is completely free of teaching commitments allowing them to focus solely on helping our pupils with additional needs. Tamara Hayman introduces herself to you below.
Many years ago I made the decision to move back to North Yorkshire, having grown up in Harrogate. Previously I’d been living in Dorset, working as an EYFS leader at a local school but I missed my family and friends and wanted to return. I remember applying for many schools but Brompton on Swale was the one that stood out the most. The happy buzz as I was shown around the school was infectious and everyone went out of their way to make me feel welcome. I particularly remember spending ten minutes standing by a water fountain as my very enthusiastic Y6 guides explained to me the details of how it worked and when they were allowed to use it! Brompton was definitely the school for me! Twelve years later and I’m still here but with the added excitement of getting to know three more schools and many more children.
Having already worked closely with Mrs Stewart at Crakehall for the last few years, it’s been nice to meet the children and learn a little bit more about who they are. I’ve had big smiles, doors held open for me, even books recommended for weekend reading! The teachers know the children inside out and I know I’ll learn a lot from them in the coming weeks.
It’s also been lovely to visit Pickhill and Leeming and Londonderry over the last few weeks and the staff and children at both schools have welcomed me with open arms. There’s a buzz around the classrooms which feels very familiar. I’m already looking forward to spending more time getting to know everyone.
Being a SENDCO is a very rewarding job but can be very demanding at times. Whilst I will miss having my own class, I am looking forward to spending more time with our SEND pupils in their own classrooms, learning about their strengths and interests and helping them to be the best that they can be. A flexible timetable means greater opportunities to meet with parents and class teachers to better understand each child’s needs, get the right provision in place and ensure a consistent approach which best suits the needs of each individual pupil.
I am very much looking forward to meeting you in the not to distant future.
Kind regards,
Tamara Hayman
Federation SENDCO
DL7 9SG
Being the best we can be
Highlights from the 2021/22 academic year:
• All children now have their own device allowing learning to happen at school and at home.
• We have redesigned our knowledge rich curriculum, improved opportunities for memory retention and enhanced it with a wealth of extra curricular experiences.
• Children have collaborated with other local schools in a range of sporting competitions and in The Arts.
• The nativity and the summer Matilda productions were a huge success!
• The school has been awarded the School Games Silver award for its PE and school sports provision.
Building Improvements:
• The classrooms, corridors and hall have been redecorated.
• New large interactive screens have been installed in every classroom.
• The playground murals and woodwork have been re painted and a new PE store has been purchased.
100%
of parents said that
95%
of parents said that their child takes part in clubs and activities in school.
Roman Road Leeming Northallerton North YorkshireFederation Sports Day
July saw the inaugural Synergy Schools Sports Day with all Key Stage 2 pupils from all 4 schools competing for their houses at Catterick Athletics Stadium.
Approximately 300 parents and relatives watched the event. All the children took park in a range of field events from the long and triple jump to the javelin and shot put. A range of track events were also on offer. Hurdles, sprints, long distance races were all competed for. Children received medals and were awarded points for their performances which all went towards the overall federation house winner.
It was great to see all the children make new friends from different schools. We’ve got the event penciled into the calendar and we hope to be doing it again next year. It was lovely to see so many parents and spectators supporting the event.
Pickhill Thirsk North Yorkshire
Being the best we can be
Our Achievements in the 2021/2022 Academic Year:
• All children now have their own device allowing learning to happen at school and at home.
• The interior of the school has been redecorated and refurbished providing an inviting and purposeful learning environment.
• We have redesigned our knowledge rich curriculum, improved opportunities for memory retention and enhanced it with a wealth of extra curricular experiences.
• Children have collaborated with other local schools in a range of sporting competitions and in The Arts.
The nativity and the summer Matilda productions were a huge success!
The school has become a ‘Picture News Advocate’ which enhances our collective worship experience for the children.
100%
96%
of parents said that the school makes sure children are well behaved.
of parents said that their child does well at school.
Staff are dedicated and caring and my children are both happy and enthusiastic about their learning.Year 4 Camp Outs July 2022
In July, all our Year 4 pupils took part in an overnight camp out on the school grounds. These fantastic experiences were organised by Mrs. Emma Lerigo (Forest School Leader) and Mrs. Anna Smith (Parent Governor).
Due to the number of Year 4 pupils across the federation, 2 separate events were organised. 1 took place at Crakehall CE Primary for pupils attending Crakehall, Leeming and Pickhill schools. A second event was then run at Brompton Swale for their Year 4s.
What a fantastic experience this was for our children! Themed on the infamous me out of here!’, the children enjoyed the camping experience, cooking their own food, having to put their own tent up(!) and took part in a range of activities including a climbing wall, archery, an assault course provided by the army and orienteering, to name but a few!
For many of our Year 4 children, this was the first time they had stayed away from home so this was a really big deal for them. A huge thank you goes out to our wonderful staff for making this
The Swaledale Alliance - A Key Partner
The Swaledale Alliance provides Continuing Professional Development, school to school support and early teaching career training to a collaboration of over 50 primary schools across the north of North Yorkshire and Darlington.
Based at Brompton on Swale CE Primary School, the Alliance offers a variety of development programmes in state of the art training and meeting facilities plus there is office space accessible to all partnership schools. Our Executive Officer, Margaret Thompson, runs the Alliance on a day to day basis with the support of Mrs Rachael Owen, our Administrator.
As Strategic Lead for the Swaledale Alliance, Mr Mike White chairs the Steering Group active group of local headteachers who ensure the work of the Alliance meets the training and development needs of local
As a key partner, the Swaledale Alliance is a valuable resource for Federation staff offering ‘on the doorstep’ access to professional development programmes and networking opportunities. The Alliance also works very closely with the Red Kite Teaching School Alliance, a leading provider of Teacher Training and CPD in North Yorkshire.
During the academic year 2021/22:
• 9 Federation teaching colleagues have attended curriculum networks developing their leadership skills, knowledge and expertise.
• 5 trainee teachers have successfully completed their teaching qualification, taking up posts from September 2022.
• 4 members of our school community successfully completed the NCFE CACHE Level 3 Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning, a nationally recognised qualification supporting teaching assistants.
• Our Head of Schools accessed half termly Headteacher network groups enabling them to keep up to date with the latest educational agendas and network locally with colleagues.
Working collaboratively across North Yorkshire and beyond, the Swaledale Alliance offers Federation staff, Governors and leaders access to a wealth of expertise on the doorstep.
Spotlight on Mrs. Michaela White
Teaching Assistant at Crakehall CE Primary School
This time last year, Michaela had just enrolled onto the Cache Level 3 course at the Alliance, “Supporting Teaching and Learning”. This is a 1 year course that teaches trainees how to be a teaching assistant and support the class teacher in the classroom. It’s a part time course and requires 2 days of time in school working in classrooms as well as 1 evening in the classroom, learning how to do the job!
Michaela says, “Working with children has always been something that I’ve wanted to do. With my daughter now in Year 1 and this fantastic opportunity available to me, I grasped it with both hands!”
Having completed her training and seeing a job advertised at Crakehall CE Primary, Michaela jumped at the chance to stay working within the Federation. She applied for it and the rest is history!
Miss Ellie Burnside, EYFS Leader for the Federation and Michaela’s class teacher is delighted to be working with her. “Michaela has been an instant hit with the children. It’s great to have her working with us!”
Data Headlines 2021/22
It’s very easy to get bogged down in lots of data and pupil outcomes, so we’ve just tried to give you a taster of the outcomes that we’re pleased with at the end of the 2021/22 academic year.
Please note that the percentages shown are a combination of all 4 schools’ outcomes together, compared with the national results*.
Please be reassured that all members of staff are constantly trying to improve our practice and consequently trying to improve on the outcomes that we achieve for every pupil in our care.
Percentage of pupils achieving a good level of development at the end of the reception year.
75% Synergy
Percentage of pupils achieving a pass in the Year 1 phonics check.
83% Synergy 65% National
Percentage of pupils scoring full marks on the Year 4 times tables check.
51% Synergy
24% National
76% National
Percentage of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading at the end of Key Stage 1. 67% National
68% Synergy
Percentage of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading at the end of Key Stage 2. 74% National
81% Synergy
*Some national figures are only draft results at the time of printing.
The London Visit May 2022 Y6 Residential Visit
In May 2022, our Year 6 pupils from all 4 schools across the Federation, embarked on a fantastic experience, visiting our capital city on a 3 day residential visit.
They were able to immerse themselves in the culture, history and fun that London can provide and visited a wide range of wonderful places including the Warner Brothers’ Tour of the Harry Potter Studios, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, Buckingham Palace, The Tower of London and the National History Museum. They even took a cruise down the River Thames and watched a West End musical.
They stayed at the Wembley International Hotel and managed the short walk to Wembley Stadium to take some impressive photos! The experience is already booked for this year and we hope that all our Year 6 pupils will join us as we repeat this amazing experience.
Little Wandle Phonics
Getting it right with reading !
Reading is so very important! It’s the key to everything.
Reading is the cornerstone to our curriculum and we have been working very hard to make sure that the way we teach reading in the first few years of children’s primary school education is as good as we can get it!
Emily Turner is our Federation’s English Lead and she has been leading the staff in changing the way that we teach reading. She takes up the story.
At Synergy Schools, we believe that all our children can become fluent readers. This is why, following a rigorous evaluation process of many systematic and synthetic phonics programmes, we have chosen to teach reading through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised.
Phonics teaching starts at the beginning of Reception and follows the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised progression, which ensures children build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move through school. In Reception and Year 1, phonics is taught daily with three additional reading practice sessions per week to support decoding, prosody and comprehension practice.
It is my role to monitor and support our reading team, so everyone teaches phonics Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised with fidelity. As a staff we value reading as a crucial life skill and strive to ensure that by the time children leave us, they read confidently for meaning and regularly enjoy reading for pleasure.
Please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s class teacher if you have any questions about the way we teach reading.
Emily Turner Federation English Lead With best wishes, Emily TurnerHold the Back Page!
Sporting Achievements across the Federation
s Y5/6 girls’ cricket team had a fantastic summer! Without a single player having played the game previously (other than a couple of PE lessons) they all made the commitment to train hard and learn this new sport, which included having to bowl overarm and bat and field capably. Competing in the local competitions, the team won the vast majority of their matches and progressed onto the Yorkshire final at the end of the summer term. Here, the through to the semi final, just getting beaten by the eventual Yorkshire winners (which included some experienced club cricketers).
What a phenomenal achievement from the Y5/6 girls’ football team at Crakehall this year?
After winning their local competitions, they qualified for the Yorkshire finals… and won!
This meant that they qualified for the ‘North of England Final’ which was played at Liverpool FC’s Academy ground. What a brilliant achievement and a wonderful experience for this group of girls, most of whom play for club sides out
Unfortunately, this was the end of journey. Undertaking some brilliant performances against other incredibly strong teams, our girls didn’t quite manage to
Brompton’s Year 3/4 cricket and tennis teams were also successful this year. The cricket team won their level 1 event and the tennis team won both level 1 and level 2 competitions. Congratulations to all who took
Pickhill’s Y3/4 Tennis Team were victorious this year, getting through to the area finals of the competition. The team of 4 did brilliantly, competing against schools who were several
In June all four schools celebrated Sport Week together. This included a visit from a mentor athlete to each school to help inspire the children to be resilient and give some new activities a try. Sport week included all the children trying out new sports and activities beyond the national curriculum. One of the most popular activities was Quidditch where Mr Firmin visited each school and delivered sessions to all the children in the federation.
The annual cross country is one of the most popular events and is always attended by the federation. We normally arrive and sit together whilst the children from each school compete.
The Synergy Schools Federation
A: Brompton on Swale CE Primary School, Brompton Park, Brompton on Swale, Richmond, North Yorkshire. DL10 7JW
E: admin@synergyschools.co.uk W: www.synergyschools.co.uk
