crich area community news
It’s a dog’s life
Can you remember a previous article we wrote in the Spring 2007 issue, reporting on the traffic situation on the Market Place? Well, we have now gone a step further. With help from the Infant School, parents, and children, we have compiled a school travel plan. All of the children, parents, and staff were asked to fill in a questionnaire regarding their means of transport to and from school. We found that the majority of children walk to school.
However, some parents displayed reluctance in letting their children walk due to the consistent dog fouling on Crich’s pavements and paths. The responsibility of cleaning up dog foul lies with the owner, and we hope that this article will bring to the attention of owners the importance of clean paths, especially those leading down to the school. As such, we plan to raise awareness through various tasks during the summer term, with a little help from a certain member in school.
As those with relations in the school will surely be aware, we have a recent
addition to the staff, serving the position of Counsellor, Reading Partner, and
Cuddle Administrator. Her name is Peggy, and her most famous features include a wet
nose, waggy tail, and cheeky personality.
The benefits of having a school pet, and especially one as social as a dog, have proven successful in areas across the board. Initially a play-time treat, the three-times-a-day ‘Peggy Duty’ opportunities have taught pupils about care, responsibility, and respect for animals. As the months have passed, Peggy’s working days have steadily filled up with reading time, during which she listens to individuals who require informal and comfortable surroundings to enhance their confidence, and positive play time, involving play with pupils experiencing illness or anxiety.
Peggy’s presence in the school is received with excitement and interest. Her role
was commended in our recent Ofsted report, praising her for her contribution to the
‘exceptional care’ the school provides for pupils. Peggy has also benefited
personally from life within school, having become familiar and comfortable with a
variety of adults and children. Her place here has encouraged a healthy approach to
pupil involvement with animals, and she has become a significant feature in
promoting cleanliness, safety, and tolerance; she’s a real bonus to school life!
Our Valentine Surprise!
Our Valentine message from our recent Ofsted Inspection was that Crich Juniors is an ‘exciting place to learn’. Our whole school community is thrilled by the outcome of our recent Inspection because it highlighted as outstanding the areas we most value as having the greatest impact on children’s learning and life outcomes.
- The curriculum, including all our extra-curricular activities, is outstanding. The Inspector wrote in his letter to the children that their ‘Valentine Musical Concert, in the Chapel, is something I will remember for a long time. It was brilliant’.
- Our children really enjoy their education – one of our children said to the Inspector, ‘I’ve been to lots of schools and this is the best.’
- Behaviour is excellent which confirms the feedback we receive both from visitors in school and when we are out on visits.
- Our ethos that ‘every child is gifted and talented’. When learning is ‘new and difficult’ we tailor the activities to match the pupils individual learning styles. Did you have a wiggly bottom at school? Were you always told off for not sitting still? Here we enable children to concentrate on the task in hand by being able to stand at the computers or in class rather than focussing on sitting still.
- A school that is at the centre of its community.
Thank you as a community for supporting our children by giving them opportunities to develop their citizenship and life skills through gardening; using money for shopping; raising inter-generational awareness through Luncheon Club; playing in Crich Band; and for the support we get from all the churches. Finally thank you for reading these articles. Over the years they have provided a potted history of the school and hopefully given you a positive view of our children’s future.
You can read previous articles from the Junior School in the archive.