Dear Parents and Carers,
What a year we have all had! We are hopeful that we can slowly ease out of lockdown and return to some kind of
‘new’ normal. However, the Governors of Brighstone are extremely proud of the way that Mrs Lennon and the entire
staff have risen to the challenge of steering the school through the Covid-19 crisis. The Local Authority cited Brighstone
as being an exemplary role model for their response to the situation. Therefore, we are especially delighted that Mrs
Lennon has been appointed to become the next headteacher.
We are looking forward to being able to give Mrs Fox a proper farewell next term and to express our gratitude to her
for all that she did for Brighstone.
It seems a long time since last September and we must not forget all the achievements of the children before
lockdown. Going back to the SATs results last summer, Brighstone was reported as being one of the Island schools that
made the biggest improvement with a 30 per cent increase in its score.
Under Mr Goldsmith’s leadership, sports at Brighstone has become recognised across the Island as being of a high
order, and we were awarded the Gold School Games Mark Award in 2019 for our levels of participation in sporting
activity and the commitment to the development of competition. We were also awarded the Virtual Sports Mark for
our promotion of sport and physical activity during the period of school closures. Then who can forget the energy and
joy the children brought to the Nativity play “Lights, Camel, Action 2” and especially the delivery of those with speaking
parts!
Educational trips have sadly been curtailed, but before lockdown, the children’ enjoyed a range of visits, and we are
mindful of the need for the current Year 4 to be able to enjoy a Residential Trip for all the benefits it brings.
As we virtually say goodbye to Year 6, we send our very best wishes for their move to secondary school. It has been
hard for them not to be able to enjoy the usual challenges and rewards of being at the top of their primary school, but
I am sure the values instilled into them will carry them forward into their new lives.
We would not be able to offer the range of trips, and additional resources such as the school text system, without the
support of Brighstone School Association (BSA), so brilliantly run by Mrs Lucy Brodie. Their social and fund-raising
activities raise hundreds of pounds each year.
None of this would be possible without the dedication and hard work of the team at Brighstone, and governors would
like to express their extreme gratitude to each and every one of the staff, including all the support staff. Everybody
contributes over and above in order to ensure your children have the best start possible in their educational life. We
are so pleased that this is also reflected in the recent parent surveys.
Finally, I would like to share with you the Key Priorities for next term together with the new tagline for the school:
Key Priority 1: Develop the curriculum to be cohesive, progressive and informed by the science of learning so
that all children are ready for the next step in their learning journey.
Key Priority 2: Develop consistently effective teaching and learning so that all children make agreed levels of
progress in lessons and over time.
Key Priority 3: Develop strategic leadership to ensure impact and secure improvement against the key School
Improvement Priorities.
Our tagline and school values
LOVE, COURAGE & RESPECT
Learning and Achieving Through Love, Courage and Respect
With best wishes for a very happy holiday,
Didi Nicholson
Chair of Governors
BS CoG letter to parents July 2020_
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