This week's edition includes:

Stepping up, stepping out and stepping in

By Neil Reilly, Headteacher, Nene Valley Primary School, OWN Trust

A short sentence can describe my journey to Headship at Nene Valley Primary School: it has certainly not been linear. My career didn’t start in teaching. In my previous life, I worked in industry; as a salesman, and a mortgage advisor (amongst other jobs). However, I always wanted to be a teacher. As soon as I decided to break free from the shackles of industry and take the leap of faith to re-train as a teacher, I knew it was the perfect career path for me. It was and still is, the greatest professional decision I ever made.

Since embarking on a career in teaching, Headship has been a goal of mine. Why do something if you’re not striving to reach the top? However, it is one thing to have a goal and a different thing actioning it. It becomes real once you have said it out loud, that is when your inner monologue starts; which school is right for me? How will I find a school that aligns with my vision and values? When is the right time to step up?

As I have already alluded to, the path of any journey is not always a straight line. I had decided to step up, but no sooner had I said it out loud than more opportunities (and hurdles) came my way. I would ask myself: when is the right time? How could I step up now? I was getting more responsibility in my role, working alongside the DFE, when COVID-19 came along, and there were not one but two OFSTEDs on the horizon. These opportunities and barriers could have derailed my ambition to step up. It is easy to fall into the mindset of, ‘I’ll give it six months when a particular project is finished etc.’ I realised that there would always be another project, another barrier, and no time would be the perfect time to step up.

I was also in my comfort zone. I had been teaching and leading in London for over a decade. The logical next step was a Headship in the capital. Strangely, when the offers came, they were easy to turn down. I had set my sights on leading a school in Peterborough, my new hometown. It was time to step out.

Stepping out and finding potential opportunities wasn’t hard, but finding the right opportunity was. Deciding to move out of London created a lot of unknowns. I had insight into the schools in London - the ways of working, the communities being served, their strengths, and areas for development. I had the perceived safety net that the majority of schools were still under the local authority (I had heard many horror stories about academy trusts). The landscape in Peterborough was alien to me. How would I know which was the right trust? How would I ensure that I would get the autonomy I would need to lead effectively (and was that that even possible in a MAT?). To give myself clarity, I brought it back to my vision and values. I needed a school and a trust with whom I could have symbiosis.

When Nene Valley Primary and Own Trust appeared on my radar, it had a different feel from other settings I had looked at. OWN is a small trust that came together in 2019; three schools, looking to grow. I still had doubts. Nene Valley was still an Academy Trust not a Local Authority School and the question of earned autonomy was at the forefront of my mind. How would the school and the trust align with my vision and values? 

From my first meeting with the CEO, however, I already had a sense of belonging. There was something tangible that made me feel at home. My first encounter was a scheduled 30-minute conversation, which went on for 2 hours, talking about all things education. I knew from that moment OWN Trust and Nene Valley was the new place I wanted to call home. I wanted to lead this school and be part of the next chapter at Nene Valley and OWN Trust.

Since becoming the Headteacher at Nene Valley, my trepidation about joining a trust was not realised, quite the opposite. Leaders within OWN Trust have challenged and supported me in equal measure. This has been a major factor in allowing me to step into the role with relative ease. The autonomy I craved from working in a Local Authority school is evident. What I was not expecting was the level of support from the CEO, finance team, Headteachers, and senior leaders across the trust. OWN Trust feels like a family, with everyone pulling in the same direction, striving for excellence in all our schools.

Stepping up, stepping out and stepping into Nene Valley and OWN Trust is proving to be one of the best professional decisions I have made. Long may the journey continue.

^{Photo by Matt Howard on Unsplash}

Exciting Times at the OWN Trust

By Trevor Goakes, Deputy Head Teacher, Woodston Primary School, OWN Trust

Impact Network Champions

As the OWN Trust continues to grow and develop, we are excited about the new opportunities this brings. We have started to appoint OWN Trust Champions for different areas across the curriculum.

These Champions will drive areas within the Trust and impact on the children attending our schools. They will create Networks with the schools in the Trust and those schools that may join in the future.

We are proud to announce Mrs Jill Ironside (from Orton Wistow Primary School) as our OWN Trust Impact Network Phonics Champion. We know Jill will be passionate in her Champion role, and we wish her all the best.

We are also proud to announce Mrs Jessica McIntosh and Miss Holly Ellis (from Orton Wistow Primary School) as our OWN Trust Impact Network Art and Culture Champions. We know Jessica and Holly will be passionate in their Champion roles, and we wish them all the best.

We will be looking for further Champions in the new year.

Other Developments

As we enter the new academic year, the OWN Trust continues to evolve. After the successful appointment of Mr Colin Marks as Headteacher of Orton Wistow Primary School, the Trust has looked at structuring leadership in a ‘fresh’ way.

Each week Mr Trevor Goakes (Deputy Head at Woodston Primary School) and Mr Nick File (Deputy Head at Nene Valley Primary School) will be working across the Trust, including at Orton Wistow Primary School. The aim is to create a more strategic role for both experienced deputy headteachers who will work on Trust wide projects.

This has allowed for another layer of leadership to be grown. Each school has appointed new exciting leadership posts with extra responsibilities. We are pleased to announce that Mrs Laura Brough and Mrs Alex Garner (Woodston Primary School), Mr Aaron Shang and Ms Claire Bentley (Nene Valley Primary School), Ms Laura Porter, Miss Katy Wyatt, Mrs Sarah Granville and Mrs Hayley Fidgett (Orton Wistow Primary School) have been appointed to these posts. We wish them all the best.

As the Trust starts to build capacity with these new roles and Champions we look forward to the future and to continue moving in an innovative direction.

^{Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash}

About the Chair's and Vice-Chair's Round Table

By Mary Foreman, Chair of Trustees, OWN Trust

In OWN Trust, as chair of Trustees, I aim to meet with chairs and vice chairs of the trustees and governing bodies every term. Unfortunately, the meeting planned for November had to be cancelled because of COVID and my unavailability.

However, it provides a moment to reflect on the roles of the volunteers that take up these important roles in public service.

Just because a school has chosen to become a part of an academy trust does not mean that the voices of parents, pupils, and the local community are diminished. Indeed, in a very large trust, their voice and representation are essential as their views must be listened to and taken on board. Even in our small trust, we take the views of all our stakeholders very seriously.

Academy Trusts are set up according to company law and must have a charitable object – which is usually, ‘to advance for the public benefit education in the U.K.’ We have to have in place ‘Articles of Association’ which set in place our objectives, the eligibility criteria for members and governors and the procedures for appointments and removal of members and governors. It also sets out voting rights, powers, and procedures for meetings.

Every multi-academy trust (MAT) has to have a Scheme of Delegation that makes clear lines of accountability and responsibility, so everyone knows their role and how decisions are made.

Members

For example, above the Trustees, we have a small group of people called ‘Members’ who have powers to appoint trustees but only meet with the Trust once a year for the annual general meeting. Members make sure trustees are acting in the best interests of the academy trust and exercising effective governance. The members approve the trust’s audited annual report and accounts. They also appoint all trustees once the trust is established.

Trust Board

The trust board is the group of people that makes decisions and is accountable and responsible for all the schools. They are also employers of central staff and those within the schools. Trustees are both the charity trustees and company directors of the trust. The Trust board is the key decision maker, although it may choose to delegate certain responsibilities to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO – in our case, it is Stuart Mansell), a committee (and we have several), or another individual, but the Trust board remains accountable and responsible for all decisions made.

Decisions have to be made in the best interests of the children so when trustees meet together, we need a wide range of views from people of different backgrounds when debating our decisions. We look at lots of different evidence about what works or is likely to work or be effective, and consider the views and needs of our stakeholders, especially the parents. This is another reason why an effective local governing committee feeding their views to the trustees is essential.

Local Governing Committee

The local governing committee has been delegated certain functions by the trust board. Parent local governors provide support and challenge to the school and are expected to be much more familiar with their school, including being a regular and committed presence within the school itself. At every meeting, the governors are always asked if there are issues or concerns that they wish to bring to the attention of trustees.

Chair's and Vice-Chair's Round Table

By having regular meetings between the Chair and Vice Chair of the Trust and Chairs and Vice Chairs of the Local Governing Committees, we share responsibility for promoting and communicating the values and ethos of the trust as one organisation. We also get a sense of openness and transparency with good communication with each school since the local committee can provide far greater scrutiny to delegated areas than the trustees. Their ‘eyes and ears’ role, communicating what they see and hear directly to the Chair and Vice-Chair of the trust, means they are taken seriously and there is no disconnect between us and the CEO.

In our next planned meeting, we will be looking at standards of education in each school and considering how we can prepare our governors for Ofsted Inspections.

Find out what's been happening across the OWN Trust at Orton Wistow, Woodston and Nene Valley Primary Schools.

OWN Trust Christmas Celebrations 2022

Discover how Woodston, Nene Valley and Orton Wistow Primary school have been celebrating Christmas this year.

Woodston Primary School

This year Woodston hosted its tasty Christmas dinner days for all children and staff at school. Children ate delicious roast turkey or Quorn fillets, yummy pigs in blankets, roast potatoes and vegetables, followed by a Christmas ginger biscuit or mince pie. Children enjoyed their meal listening to Christmas music and wearing their Christmas jumpers!!

The school also supported the National Christmas Jumper Day and instead of asking for a monetary donation, we asked for packets of food and tinned goods to take to the Foodbank. Mrs Mitchell took all the food the same day, and they were very grateful at the Trussell Food Bank for the 124kg we collected.

Reception and Year 1 have been busy practising their nativities. The children loved being on stage performing for their parents. There were songs, dances and lots of Christmas outfits! Year 2 hosted a Christingle after school in the last week of term and have thoroughly enjoyed learning about the meanings of Christingle.

Woodston Primary School has been decorated with sparkly tinsel and colourful flashing lights. The main attraction is the huge 12’ Christmas tree in the Main Hall – a truly spectacular sight! Our school has 30 Christmas trees up and decorated around school!

We were also lucky enough to win a Christmas Tree from Dobbies in a competition, and we were one of the four schools that won locally. Ali Carroll, the Woodston EYFS and Year 1 Lead, went to collect it. It was a real Norway Spruce.

In addition to the celebrations in school, Woodston also organised a Young Carers’ Trip to see the Dick Whittington pantomime at The Key Theatre on Tuesday 29th November.

This trip was arranged by Steph Gilder & Michelle Duffy, who are the Young Carers’ Champions at Woodston Primary. Young Carers can experience limitations due to the impact of their caring roles at home. The staff contacted various organisations to provide easier access to opportunities and treats. We were very fortunate that Louise Waldron at the Key Theatre donated 20 free tickets for the ‘Gala Evening’ performance.

The children were absolutely blown away by this treat. They were also given a free drink and had their photo taken at the end of the performance with all the cast.

Amelia commented that: “It was really fun seeing my friends there, and my favourite part was when they named the cat Ploppy!”

Esmay, who also attended the pantomime, said that: “My favourite part was when the fairy came out, and I was so happy that night”.

Ms. Duffy who accompanied the children, said that: “The children were amazing and had so much fun, they all joined in with the singing and dancing, and loved having their photograph taken with the cast afterwards!”. Miss Gilder also added: “I am very proud of how well our Young Carers represented Woodston Primary School. Many of the children had never been to a pantomime before, it was a really special experience, and it was wonderful to see them so involved – we definitely booed the loudest!!”

Nene Valley Primary School

Snow nearly gave the children at Nene Valley Primary School a white Christmas, but there wasn’t really enough to make a snowman!  All the children in Reception to Year 2 have been busy performing on stage. There have been two nativities, which have been enjoyed by parents and carers from Monday 12th December through to Wednesday 15th.

The lovely kitchen ladies produced a tasty hot Christmas meal with some crunchy vegetables for the children last week.  Staff joined their classes with crackers, hats and jokes adding to the fantastic atmosphere.  274 meals were prepared, cooked and eaten and even those who still chose sandwiches got a cracker and a drink. 

The Christmas tree in the library has books around it, so again this year children have enjoyed a story in our winter wonderland forest.  Some children (with parental help) have entered our design and make a Christmas hat/ crown.  Finally, on the last day of term the staff performed a pantomime for the children – Oh no they won’t (oh yes they will!). 

Orton Wistow Primary School

Christmas at Orton Wistow Primary School began on the 1st of December with Christmas decorations transforming the school for the festive season.  Each class has made ornaments to decorate their classrooms, including: sourdough Christmas trees in Foundation Stage, lollipop trees in Year 2, log reindeers in Year 3 and snowmen with light-up noses in Year 6.

On 30th November, Reverend Alexandra visited to announce the winner of the Christmas Card Competition. Congratulations to the winning entry, which came from a Giraffe class member. If you live in Wistow, Alwalton, Southgate or Northgate, look out for the cards dropping through your doors very soon!

Children in Foundation Stage and Year 2 worked hard to prepare Christmas performances that were enjoyed by the whole school, and parents and carers.  On 1st December, the Magpies and Penguins performed a nativity to a hall full of Foundation Stage family members. They read their words confidently, sang loudly and put a smile on everyone's face. 

On 7th December, Year 2 put on a play called “Don’t Be afraid!” in both an afternoon and evening performance. They did an amazing job learning their lines and all the songs. They all spoke clearly and sang with enthusiasm and enjoyment. 

Other Christmas events have included the annual Friends of Orton Wistow Christmas Fayre, the FOWS Children's Christmas Sale (an opportunity for the children to buy gifts for their friends and family) and the special Christmas Dinner for staff and children, which took place on Wednesday 14th December.

The school has also been made festive by our housekeeper Mrs Wilson's christmassy trolley.  As well as lights, tinsel and decorations, Mrs Wilson's trolley has a sign on it counting down the sleeps to Christmas!

Discover more about how those within the OWN Trust got involved in education and what inspires them to do the job they do!

This week, we learn more about Jill Ironside, OWN Trust Phonics Impact Champion, OWPS Phonics Lead & History Lead and Year One Class Teacher.

Beginnings... 
Jill grew up in Lichfield, Staffordshire with her parents and two younger brothers. Her mum was a teacher, her grandmother was a teacher and, as a young child, Jill knew she wanted to be a teacher too. Her ambition as a teenager though was to be the youngest person to sail solo across the Atlantic – needless to say, it didn’t happen!

Jill’s infant school and junior school were on adjacent sites, and as a ‘top infant’ (i.e., Year 2) she had read all the books in Chadsmead Infants, and was allowed to go next door to Chadsmead Juniors to borrow books. Only three children in the school were allowed to do this! At secondary school, she went to the Royal Albert Hall to participate in the school proms, which was another huge highlight in her life. 

Finding a vocation... 
Jill can’t remember a time when she wasn't involved in education. Her mum was the head of a school for children with additional needs. In the summer holidays, Jill participated in a play scheme for children with profound and multiple disabilities. During sixth form, Jill helped at her old Primary School. When she was eighteen years old, she went to Bishop Grosseteste College in Lincoln to do a BEd.

Jill didn’t receive her degree, but she did come out of three years in Lincoln with a fiancée, so it wasn’t all doom and gloom, and she has been married for 33 years. Jill assumed she wasn’t cut out to be a teacher, so she became a Civil Servant instead, working for the Tax Office and then the Job Centre, before having children.

During this time, Jill set up and ran different playgroups and mother and baby groups both in Lincoln and in the USA where the family lived for 5 years. After 11 years of being a stay-at-home mum, she volunteered as a parent helper at her children’s primary school. One thing led to another, and before she knew it, Jill had a job as a TA working as a 1:1 for a child with additional needs. Two years later, Jill was a full-time TA in the Foundation Stage, and seven years later she made the jump to become a qualified teacher. Jill completed her degree with the Open University, before getting a place on a SCITT course. The rest, as they say, is history… 
 
Current role and inspirations... 
With a lifelong love of reading, Jill enjoys being involved in phonics sessions and helping children master the art of reading. She says: “It’s just magical helping children to unlock the written code and decipher it for themselves." Jill is currently the Phonics Lead and History Lead at Orton Wistow Primary School where she is also a Year One class teacher, and has recently taken on the role of Phonics Impact Champion for the OWN Trust.

One of Jill's aims in her new role is to develop the strengths that already exist within the Trust. She remarks: “We’ve already got a huge amount of phonics expertise between the three schools, and I am looking forward to growing our expertise as we all embrace Little Wandle. Our results are good, but I think we can become even better by sharing good practice and learning from each other.” 

Jill is clear about what inspires her: “The children inspire me – if I can help a child master a skill, feel positive about themselves or just be there for them, then I have done my job. I want every child to leave my class, knowing that they were valued, and that I believed in them.” 

Jill loves the support that the Trust offers and says that she couldn’t run the Reading Practice sessions without the weekly help of OWN Trust Deputy Headteachers, Trevor Goakes (WPS) and Nick File (NVPS). Jill remarks that: “They have both given up their own time to help us make it work, and it’s this level of practical collaboration that I think works really well.” 
 
Life lessons... 
Jill’s life experiences and route into education have shown her that the main lesson in life is that: “it will all be ok – don’t worry if life takes a different turn to the one you were expecting – if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be, and you’ll get there in the end. All of your experiences along the way help you to become the person you are today.”   

Catch up on what's been happening within the OWN Trust community.

Community Working Party Update

By Fiona Schneider, Marketing and Communications Lead, OWN Trust

On Wednesday 16th November 2022, the OWN Trust Community Working Party met at Woodston Primary School to discuss the results of a questionnaire regarding social events within the OWN Trust.

The meeting was attended by Stuart Mansell (OWN Trust), Kelly Fenton-Bradshaw (Woodston Primary School), Hayley Fidgett (Orton Wistow Primary School), Fiona Schneider (OWN Trust), and Carly Pearson (Nene Valley Primary School). 

We started the meeting by looking at the findings of a recent questionnaire about participation in social events organised within the OWN Trust. This is an area that the working party hopes to develop now that covid restrictions have been lifted.

Seventy-two people responded to the questionnaire, and we are looking at other ways to reach people in the future to ensure that everyone is kept up-to-date and informed.

We were pleased to see that 65% of responders said that they would attend an OWN Trust social event. 29% said maybe they would and only 6% said no because of time and financial constraints. From the data, we identified the best time to hold an event, the most popular budget range, and which activities people would enjoy.

The most popular activities were (in descending order): 

1. Going out for lunch or dinner
2. Watching a show/theatre/cinema performance
3. Outdoor activities e.g. walking/cycling
4. Escape Room 
5. Going out for a drink 
6. Sporting Activity e.g. team games
7. Disco 
8. Choir 
9. Yoga
10. Bingo, Book Club, Go karting, and Axe Throwing
11. Paintball, Spa Aquapark, and family fete

The next steps are for the Community Working Party to work with the people who had volunteered to organise an event to offer a variety of activities in the Spring and Summer Term, including:

• Country walk
• Theatre Trip
• Sporting activity
• Quiz Night

The next meeting will take place on Wednesday 1st March 2023.

Staff News

OWN Trust would like to bid FAREWELL to the following staff members who have left since the last newsletter:

Nene Valley Primary School

• Malgorzata Szczerba - Catering Assistant
• Janet Tate - Literary Project Leader
• Ian Walker - Cleaner

Woodston Primary School

• Nathaly Correa Coroker - Catering Assistant and cleaner
• Asta Marciuke - Midday Supervisor and TA
• Sian English - Midday Supervisor and TA

Orton Wistow Primary School

• Maria Barnwell - Midday Supervisor 

We would also like to say a warm WELCOME to the following staff members who have joined us:

Nene Valley Primary School

• Camila Carrera - Midday Supervisor
• Marianna Snevele - Cleaner
• Daljit Kaur - Cleaner

Woodston Primary School

• Anna Piorkowska-Sowa - Cleaner
• Galya Tsolova - Midday Supervisor

Orton Wistow Primary School

• Deborah Hunt - Midday Supervisor
• Merlind Janse Van Rensburg - Midday Supervisor

Also joining us to work across the three schools is Kwai Lin Yau, a catering assistant.

In other news...

Loreta Proietti at Nene Valley Primary School is leaving her cleaning role at the end of December and starting as the NVPS Catering Assistant in January 2023. 

Naomi Miller has changed part of her role to become a TA in EYFS at Nene Valley Primary School.

At Woodston Primary School, Louise Luter has returned to work as a Classroom Teacher one day a week after leaving her full time role at the end of August.

^{Photo by Nick Karvounis on Unsplash}

Each half-term, we learn more about the daily life of those who work in the OWN Trust.

This week it's the turn of Sally Kinshott, School Administrator, Nene Valley Primary School