Nick King, head of Scarning Primary School, delivered the following report at the recent Annual Parish Meeting.
“I am pleased to report a positive year at Scarning VC Primary School.
Our school remains a popular school; one where attendance is good and outcomes are generally pleasing. Parental satisfaction surveys are positive (e.g. 100%, who answered at last survey, would recommend the school)
We have been particularly working on our curriculum in recent times. This has seen each subject reviewed thoroughly and we hope improved. We have managed to do this whilst not losing sight of the sound teaching of the basics.
We have established a curriculum specific website (https://sites.google.com/nsix.org.uk/scarningcurriculumwebsite/home) which readers may find interesting. It details specific subjects as well as some of the other features of learning at Scarning.
The school roll is currently over 400 and we remain popular, with an intake of 60 anticipated for September. This is effectively our capacity. Growth in the future is not anticipated.
The governing body has continued to provide invaluable support to the leadership of the school. In the last 18 months the governing body has been bolstered by new recruits from within the wider Scarning community.
As ever we work closely with the Seckar Trust and they have enabled us to run projects that, without their support, we might not have been able to e.g. a speech and language project.
It is fair to say that financially the current educational landscape is the most challenging it has been in my experience. Energy costs and changes to SEN funding are just two of a number of significant stresses on our budget. It has made setting a budget for the new financial year incredibly challenging.
Sports, arts and cultural activities have continued to take place throughout the year. Highlights since my last report have included:
Over 40 sports events scheduled to have been completed by the end of the year –
- ‘Inspire Days’ based around a variety of themes e.g. ‘folk tales’; ‘The World Cup
- The return to having Christingle and Easter services at the Church
- The continued (albeit slow) development of the wood we are trying to grow in the old ‘Thistle Field’
- A recent visit from Science Minister and local MP George Freeman for a pupil ‘Question Time’
One thing that we are excited about is a project to develop a ‘Scarning legend’ – this will give the community an opportunity to write a story of Scarning that might sit alongside ‘The Pedlar of Swaffham’ or Dereham’s Tale of St Withburga’. We hope to share this project with the wider community through the Scarning Beacon in the June issue.
It remains a pleasure to lead the school, as well as to work within the welcoming and supportive community that is Scarning.”
– Nick King
