SCHOOL NEWS: Effort and enthusiasm at Greenfylde results in national award success

GREENFYLDE First School in Ilminster is still celebrating after becoming the first school in Somerset to be a national winner in the Government’s Pupil Premium Awards.

The award is testament to the effort and enthusiasm shown by all the staff, children, Governors, parents and wider community in ensuring the children from the Ilminster area are afforded the best possible opportunities for their futures.

Although the Pupil Premium awards celebrate disadvantaged pupils including forces children, looked after/adopted children and those who have/have had free school meals it was noted that Greenfylde’s provision also directly improves the opportunities for every child in the school, something the Government is now looking to achieve in all schools.

The award was collected by Greenfylde headteacher Claire Oaten and deputy headteacher Andrea Jones, plus the school’s chairman of governors Stephen Dixon, during a ceremony earlier this month.

But the real impact comes in the prizes that are now available for the school. Staff and children will now have the opportunity over the coming year to work with a range of sponsors including Royal Schools of Music, Apps for Good, Arts Awards from the Arts Council England, Royal Academy of Arts, Royal Shakespeare Company, Science Museum Group, and Shakespeare Schools Festival.

Ms Oaten said: “As a school we are always privileged when anyone chooses Greenfylde for their child’s education. We have always upheld our responsibility to provide a stimulating and holistic based learning environment that encourages our children’s self-worth and esteem through as wide a range of activities as possible.

“Using the Pupil Premium funding, we aim to provide a range of activities so that each child can be given a bespoke package to meet their needs.

“Support offered ranges from uniform; breakfast club; participation in after school clubs; small reception age classes – no class with more than 25 pupils; forest school; learning support 1:1 with a teacher; opportunities for able and gifted children to attend external learning events and emotional support with ELSAs (Emotional Literacy Support Assistants) and employing our own child therapist.”

Ms Oaten added: “Last year we also developed our provision of the Arts hosting weeks for Art, Music and Drama which saw all our children having work displayed in our first whole school art exhibition at the the Meeting House and then children performing Shakespeare in the Market Square to name but a couple of events.

“Although these were aimed at giving our Pupil Premium children wider opportunities, every child in school participated and benefited from the experience.

“We firmly believe that allowing children to shine in as many different ways as possible directly correlates to their own self-belief and has a huge impact on their educational potential and our current results for English and Mathematics are above county and national averages.”

Over the last two years Greenfylde’s work with Sports and the Arts has embedded to become part of the school and intends to carry on these activities along with a focus next year on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

Ms Oaten added: “Having this recognition shows us that we are successfully meeting these aims and further encourages us to strive even harder to develop these in the coming years.”

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