New primary school Head will need a love of Shakespeare, Mozart, reading and outdoor learning….
Whoever becomes Aldborough Primary School’s new Head Teacher, they’ll need to be willing to think outside the box.
“We have a bit of a reputation for doing different,” says Richard Hembling, chair of governors. “I suppose the most obvious thing is that we don’t have a school uniform. But there’s a lot more to our ethos than that. The staff here achieve great results by focusing on each child’s all-round education, rather than teaching to the tests. For example, the children here are encouraged to read good books rather than reading schemes. It’s a system that works – in 2017 the school received a letter from the minister of state for school standards, praising staff and pupils for their 100% reading results.”
The current Head, Alison Read, is moving on to pastures new and so the school is looking for a new leader. “Alison has built on Aldborough’s success and leaves behind a strong, committed staff who are passionate about the ethos of the school,” says Richard.
The new Head will have plenty to look forward to. Aldborough has an idyllic setting, surrounded by fields and woodland. Its Victorian façade hides a secret: it was completely rebuilt in 2010 and has modern, airyclassrooms, a learning street and fabulous facilities – with each classroom having a veranda overlooking the playing fields.
Outdoor learning is an increasingly vibrant part of the Aldborough curriculum. There are regular forest school lessons, a pond (well fenced in!)and a brand new outdoor classroom, which was paid for by the Friends of the School. In 2018 the school’s Wellie Wall garden won first prize at the Royal Norfolk Show. The large playing field and rural surroundings encourage sports such as cross country, football and athletics, and the school recently installed a fitness trail.
Music and drama also play key roles in the school. In 2019 the school took part in the Magic Flute Project at the Royal Albert Hall and enthusiastically participates in the annual Shakespeare for Schools Festival.
“Of course the Covid-19 pandemic has been a huge disruption for the school,” says Richard. “But the staff, children, parents and whole community responded fantastically. For example, one of our parents put up a marquee on our field, so that we could accommodate more children safely when schools were allowed to open in summer term 2020. The Marquee allowed our Year 6 children to have a special learning and leaving experience.
“Now we’re looking forward to getting back to our normal – under the guidance of a new, enthusiastic Head!”
The deadline for applications is Tuesday April 6th 2021 and the school plan to appoint for the start of the autumn term 2021. Anyone interested in finding out about the Head Teacher vacancy at Aldborough Primary School will find more information on the school’s website at www.aldborough.norfolk.sch.uk
Press contacts:
Tim Morgan, The Publicity Works, 01263 761000 / tim@publicityworks.biz
Richard Hembling, chair of governors, 01263 577664 / hembling99@gmail.com