Headteacher Message      

Hello all,

I hope you are all well.  As you will have seen, the government has issued further guidance regarding precautions that should be taken.  I am not going to detail what the school is doing as a result because you will be receiving a separate email today that outlines any changes in the way we operate.  Instead, today, I would like to focus on the positive. Last Saturday a number of staff and children came into school to support our Reception open morning.  It was a real success with 14 families in attendance.  Our Year 6 children were as usual faultless ambassadors for the school.  It was the first time we have held an open day on a Saturday and we would do it again.  I have one special thank you to make and that is to my chair of governors Janet Deboo.  She has basically been in position as long as me and we have forged a great team.  She spent a whole day delivering flyers for this event into the local community.  All governors are volunteers and we are lucky to have a chair who consistently goes the extra mile and ‘makes a difference’ for our school.  I wanted to share an email that warmed my heart this week.  It was from a family that I gave a tour to last week.

I wanted to follow up on a tour we had with Joe Porter a few weeks ago and say how impressed we were with the school. My wife and I were blown away by the passion Joe had for the children's learning and being in a safe environment- this was evident from how happy the children were in the school. We’ve viewed multiple schools in the area and Darell was by far the stand out for putting kids first and the overall happiness of the children. It’s clear the children love being there.

I am acutely aware that as a school we need to keep developing but it is so lovely to receive this sort of feedback to help us on our journey.  If children feel safe and loved, they will learn and I really feel that we have this in place at Darell.  

I have been doing some work across the school in regard to Darell being a Rights Respecting School.  The majority of countries in the world have signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.  It is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in History.  This week we have been focusing on the following right.

After a conversation with some of the Year 6 cohort, we have decided to co-write a communication policy for the school that outlines how we respect this right.  I have really enjoyed doing this and believe it will benefit the whole school community when finished.  I have found out that Year 6 pupils are really good at writing school policies!  On that upbeat note, I will leave you for this week.  Stay safe and have a lovely weekend.

Joe Porter

Communications Sent Home 

• Covid 19 update
• Packed lunch email
• Y5 Swimming letter
• Walker - Head lice letter
• Y4 - Trussel food bank trip
• Spring Clubs List 
• Individual and sibling Photos (ordered)

Wellbeing Corner

Community News

Kew Sparkle Prizes: Updated

Tickets will be available at the Kew Sparkle event on Friday the 3rd of December from 5 -8PM and 
also, from myself at North Sheen Rec. On the weekends.

kpr-secretary@outlook.com

Tickets are £5.00 each.  Those buying a ticket at the Kew Sparkle Event will also have a free entry 
to the “Spot the Ball” Competition.

• Chelsea programme signed by Reece James
• Chelsea programme signed by Lauren James
• Signed Manchester United Football Shirt
• Gift vouchers for Ninja Warrior UK leisure venues, e.g. trip for family of four to NWUK Watford and/or NWUK Aqua park at Liquid Leisure (near Windsor): ninjawarrior.uk
• A personalised Love Island goodie bag consisting of a limited edition Christmas Water Bottle, 
• Wash bag and Tote bag. (Winners name to be added once announced).
• 2x tickets to Duran Duran at British Summer Time (Hyde Park),
• 2 x tickets to Pearl Jam at Hyde Park
• Voucher for £150 for Vicki Sharp Photography (vickisharpphotography.com)
• Signed Merch from F1 driver Valtteri Bottas
• 5 Personal Fitness Sessions with Andrew Personal Training (www.andrewpersonaltraining.com)
• Signed golf merch from the 2020 Ryder Cup (Padraig Harrington)
• Bottle of Market Row Botanical Rum (https://www.brixtondistillery.com/corporate- gifting)
• Bottle of Albion Racing Club Spiced Malt. (To the Winner of The Spot the Ball)
• White Company Highland Escape Scent Diffuser
• Ecoya Natural Soy Fragranced Candle
• Cowshed “Lazy Cow” candle (good for contemplation!)
• Writing Journal (“Be yourself, everyone else is already taken” Oscar Wilde) Writing Journal ("I’ve lived too close to the woods to be frightened by the owls”) H Davies
• Whittard Gift Box of selected coffees
• Signed Copy of "That Cat is the Laziest cat in the world” by J-F Burford
• Case of Prosecco
• Case of “Work Shy” craft beer
• Bottle of Champagne
• Calvin Klein rucksack