Headteacher Message

Hello all,

I hope you are all well and enjoying the sunshine.  I have just returned to my desk after attending the Year 6 leavers assembly.  To say we had some technical difficulties would be an understatement.  The children rose above any difficulties, as they have done all year, and delivered a heartwarming goodbye.  As we have said to them, ‘Once part of the Darell family, always part of the Darell family’ and we would love them to visit us in the future to share their successes. I have to say a huge thank you to the Year 6 team who have delivered a residential, a school performance and leavers assembly. The last two being more magical because parents were in attendance.  I contrast this to my daughter's end of Year 6 where parents have been involved only remotely.  In this year of disruption, we really wanted to give them the transition they deserved.  They, like all of our children, have shown incredible resilience this year.  The performances outside have had a positive side effect on the local community.  A member of staff was approached in North Sheen Rec by a member of the public who said that she lived locally and the singing had really lifted her spirits.  

For some reason this term has been the most exhausting and my wonderful staff team are really looking forward to their break.  I would really like to thank the large number of parents who have shown their appreciation of the work we are doing.  I have certainly had some lovely conversations at the gate recently. We love all feedback from praise to constructive criticism because it allows us to reflect and get better at what we do.  I think this year has been a success but this is no time to rest on our laurels and we are already planning how we can further improve the school next year.  

One of the key phrases running through our planning for next year is ‘high expectations.’ This is in regards to ourselves, the children and you.  You can begin to help with this by ensuring that your child wears the correct uniform for next year.  We have deliberately not been as strict on our uniform policy as we returned from lockdown as we recognised that you may be purchasing clothes that your children would grow out of over summer. We are also upgrading our PE kit and from September our PE kit will be a blue t-shirt with a Darell logo.  You can purchase this from the Shoe station in Kew.  An order has been placed and they should be available shortly.  We have a clean slate now so please ensure that your child has an appropriate uniform at all times.  If this is going to cause you financial difficulties please contact the school. We really want our children to look as smart as possible and be proud of their appearance. Please see a link to our website detailing the school’s uniform:

https://www.darell.richmond.sch.uk/school-uniform

We also have high expectations in regard to our new lunchtime provider.  I want to see a marked improvement in the quality of food on offer and the early signs are good for September. The new menu is in this newsletter.  Please give it a go.     

The most recent guidance we have received from the government is that we can ease most of our coronavirus measures for September.  As the past has taught us, this may be subject to change.  Below, I will outline the provisional changes that we are planning;

• The bubble class system will end.  Children will mix with other year groups in the playground and for Key Stage assemblies.

• Children will no longer be taught in rows.  

• Lunchtimes will return to normal

• Staff/adults and pupils will no longer be required to wear masks on the school site. 

These are some of the measures we will be maintaining

• Windows and doors will be left open to provide adequate ventilation. 

• Enhanced cleaning.  We will still be asking the cleaning company to continue with the lunchtime cleaning.

These changes come with a big caveat.  We may have to adapt as a result to changing government guidance. I suppose I could have just waited until the beginning of term before sharing this but I wanted to let you and the children know that life will hopefully be a lot more normal.  I hope for everyone that this is the case.

As it is the end of year we need to say a few goodbyes.  Firstly to Sharon Lowe who is moving to Wales.  Sharon has been at the school for 9 years and in that time has made a positive difference to many. We are also saying goodbye to Caroline Fitzgerald who has worked at the school since 2005!  Her calm presence will be missed. Finally, we are saying goodbye to Alice Barnes from the office who is moving to Southampton. I employed Alice and I am very glad that I did. She has been integral to the successful running of the school office during these challenging times and will be missed. We will not be saying goodbye to anyone else! Which means we have a very stable staff team for next year. 

All that remains is to say thank you for entrusting your precious children to us during this crisis.  We are already looking forward to the opportunities that the new academic year will offer us and we cannot wait to see you all in September.  Enjoy time with your lovely families and have a lovely summer break.  

Joe Porter

Summer Reading Challenge

The Summer Reading Challenge 2021 is here! You can join the challenge at your local library and collect rewards along the way. Looking for something to read?  Take a look at the list of recommended reads on our website. They are available to purchase from Kew Bookshop (https://www.hewsonbooks.co.uk/darell). 

 Have an excellent summer holiday and don’t forget to keep reading!