Governors Blog

15th December 2022

Welcome to the first of our annual Governors’ Blogs. We hope this will give you a bit more of an insight into what is going on in our school and about our role as governors. 

It has been such a pleasure to be able to get back into school this term, to visit the classes and chat to the children.  As governors we have a strategic overview of the running of the school and sometimes the best people to help us are the pupils. We love to hear their ideas, what helps them learn and enjoy their schoolwork. Unfortunately, we can’t increase lunchtime playtime, a popular request; but the older children do have some great ideas about how they can support the younger pupils and have ideas to build on what is already happening to continue to ensure everyone has a safe and happy lunchtime. We can see their excitement at learning about the Great Fire of London, hear about the confidence they are gaining from entering interschool sports tournaments and the Christmas performances as well the skills and team building they discovered while on the residential trip.  It’s also been great to see the KS2 toilet refit started and, although there has been a bit of upheaval this week, it will be worth it after Christmas when they are finished.

The school have managed to fit such a lot into this term, offering our children a huge range of opportunities:

  • Year 6 children are regularly swimming at the High School,
  • a Pets As Therapy dog visits twice weekly,
  • a Fire Engine and Fire Fighters visited during Safety week,
  • years 4 to 6 received CPR training,
  • Oak class children took part in Bikeability training,
  • there has been a running club, choir, football, recorders, puzzle club
  • during the Interfaith week there were visits to the Cathedral, Mosque and Synagogue,
  • the children have all be up to the church and visited the Aylsham Library,
  • plus so many more experiences in the school day. 

We’ve been delighted to see parents being welcomed back into the school building now that Covid numbers have reduced, this started with reading talks by Mrs Phillips for reception and year 2 parents, and went on to parents evenings and the very busy Christmas Family Learning day. Thank you so much to all the parents who support the school’s events, such as the Harvest Celebration at the Church and just this last week or two the 2 wonderful Nativity plays, and KS2’s amazing Peter Pan Performance. 

Look out for the Coffee Morning coming in the Spring term for the new Friends of St Michael’s Group, this will be the new PTA to help raise funds for fun educational extras for the children throughout the year. 

The role of a school governor does involve going to meetings, looking at anonymised pupil progress data, curriculum maps, finance reports and health and safety records, but it is all for the good of the children in the school so that St Michael’s is a place where the children truly can Dream, Believe and Achieve.  The overwhelming feedback from the pupil’s voice is that they feel safe and encouraged to follow their dreams. 

Well done to all of the team at St Michael’s we know that the school is in safe hands with such a committed team. The future of the school is secure and bright, in 2030 there will have been a school here for 500 years! There are many more to come. 

If you are interested in becoming a school governor, please speak to any one of the governors, John Neenan or Fiona Tibbitt. 

We hope you have a wonderful Christmas and peaceful New Year