Latest News
All the latest news happening here:
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CEO's Blog - Meeting the new Education Recovery Commissioner
Fri 23 Apr 2021CEO’s Blog 23rd April 2021
Meeting the new Education Recovery Commissioner
This week, I had the honour of (virtually) meeting Sir Kevan Collins, who has recently been appointed as the government’s Education Recovery Commissioner. The purpose of his role is to oversee a programme to ensure that children and young people can recover learning lost due to the pandemic as quickly and comprehensively as possible.
It was heartening to hear Sir Kevan’s recognition of how much schools have done during the last year, both in terms of education and mental health/wellbeing, and to hear about plans for increasing resources for teacher recruitment and retention. He also outlined some exciting and innovative ways of using the school day more creatively, for example, the inclusion of enrichment activities in the middle of the day to enable all pupils to attend. His more sobering message was that there will be no quick fix; unsurprisingly, it will take a number of years to recover from the disruption of last year.
Nevertheless, there was much to feel positive about in Sir Kevan’s words and it was reassuring to hear that his approach ties in with the work going on across our trust as we continue to review and develop our ambitious curriculum framework to meet the needs of all Rivers’ pupils.
Kate Brunt
CEO
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CEO Blog - Reading! Reading! Reading!
Mon 08 Mar 2021Reading! Reading! Reading!
I always enjoy seeing our pupils and staff dressed up as their favourite book characters on World Book Day and this year has been no exception. Despite lockdown, pupils, staff and families have been dressing up at home and in school and reading stories together in new and exciting ways! One school shared a story with over 170 pupils during an online World Book Day breakfast while, at another school, pupils enjoyed a story and hot chocolate at bedtime. Pupils across the trust have been busy making shoebox scenes from their favourite books and taking part in sponsored reads. Our final days before we reopen our doors to all pupils have been a real celebration of reading, authors, illustrators and books!
Of course, reading isn’t only important on World Book Day and, if you’re searching for something to do this weekend, I suggest that you have a look at the World Book Day website. You’ll find a wealth of online activities, games, free audiobooks, reading suggestions and videos of favourite authors and illustrators.
Have a great weekend. I look forward to seeing you all on Monday and to hearing all about your weekend of reading!
Kate Brunt
CEO
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CEO Blog - The News we've all been waiting for!
Sat 27 Feb 2021This week, we have the news that we’ve all been waiting for! I am delighted to report that preparations for all pupils to return to school on 8th March are well under way in our schools. There is a lot to do but there is a definite feeling of excitement in the air at the prospect of being together again! Over the past eight weeks, I have had many conversations with staff, parents, carers and pupils. Adults have spoken to me about the difficulties of juggling remote education, work and other demands and caring responsibilities as well as managing concerns for themselves and their families; pupils tell me that they just want to see their friends and teachers again! Like the sunny spring weather today, this week’s news gives us all hope for a brighter future.
Of course, as always, the safety and wellbeing of our staff, pupils and families remain our priority. In addition to our well-established measures and routines, staff will take twice-weekly tests and risk assessments will be reviewed and updated regularly to take account of new variants and changing advice.
With just over a week to go, I am thrilled to be able to say that I look forward to seeing you all very, very soon.
Have a good weekend. Stay safe and stay in touch,
Kate Brunt
CEO
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CEO Blog - Staying Positive
Fri 12 Feb 2021As we reach the end of the first half of the spring term, I want to acknowledge the positivity and energy that exists in our schools. Yes, there have been challenges during the last six weeks but the overriding feeling across the trust remains a positive one of collaboration, commitment to ensuring that all pupils receive the best possible learning opportunities and care for the safety and wellbeing of all.
During this latest lockdown period, our pupils have continued to amaze me by their resilience, positive attitude to learning and wholehearted participation in events and activities. Since January, Rivers’ pupils have taken part in national events such as Safer Internet Day, Children’s Mental Health Week and Big Garden Birdwatch, MAT events such as Rivers’ Number Day and school and class activities such as the 100 Challenge in memory of Captain Sir Tom Moore. Their enthusiastic and joyful participation has been wonderful to see – a lesson in positivity for us all!
This half-term period has also been a positive and exciting time for Rivers CofE Academy Trust as we continue to work towards welcoming Cherry Orchard Primary School into our family of schools on 1st April.
Stay positive and have a restful and safe half-term break,
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CEO's Blog - Children's Mental Health Week
Fri 05 Feb 2021Now in its seventh year, Place2Be’s Children’s Mental Health Week has taken on an added significance this year. In the words of Anne Longfield, England’s children’s commissioner, “Children’s mental health is going to be one of the biggest long-term challenges in dealing with the legacy of the pandemic.” As a trust, the mental health and wellbeing of our children and staff continues to be a priority and, this week, our schools wholeheartedly joined in the online games, activities and fun as a way of instigating conversations with pupils about their thoughts and feelings.
Throughout the week, pupils engaged with assemblies, took part in relaxation sessions through Seesaw, dressed and danced to express themselves, participated in a radio interview for BBC Hereford and Worcester and learned to feel good about themselves.
Of course, there was a serious side to all the fun and pupils also learned how to recognise the sources and signs of stress and how to be more optimistic. Overall, this week has been a great reminder to us all that we need to make time to speak to our children about their mental health and wellbeing and, more importantly, to listen to what they tell us.
Be kind to yourselves and one another,
Kate Brunt
CEO
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CEO Blog - What's new?
Mon 25 Jan 2021I have two important pieces of news to share with you this week. Firstly, lateral flow testing for staff in primary schools starts next week. This means that members of staff coming into school will be able to take a twice-weekly COVID-19 test on a voluntary basis. We hope that this additional precautionary measure will help to reassure staff and families.
Secondly, a remote learning questionnaire will be circulated to all parents/carers in the next couple of weeks so that we can see what is going well with our remote learning provision and what could be improved. We want to hear the views of our parents/carers so that we can share successful practice across the trust and evaluate and rethink aspects that are not working as well as they might.
Finally, I want to share with you one of the many supportive comments our schools have been receiving over the last few weeks. Thank you to those of you who have taken the time to show staff how much you value them – it is appreciated: “I just wanted to say huge thanks to the staff at the school for getting us parents through the first week of lockdown so smoothly. I can't imagine how much work it has been for you all in really challenging circumstances” (parent from Great Witley).
Stay safe and stay in touch,
Kate Brunt
CEO
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CEO blog - Lockdown Learning
Fri 15 Jan 2021Lockdown learningOnce again, I am amazed and awed by the way in which staff have adapted so quickly and professionally to the new situation we find ourselves in this term. As always, supporting our pupils safely, both academically and emotionally, remains our priority.
Obviously, we have all learnt from our experience of the previous lockdown. In our schools, this ‘lockdown learning’ is directly influencing everything we are doing to support pupils during this new lockdown period. Since our first experience of lockdown, we have invested in new software so that we are now able to offer an extensive range of online learning support, appropriately tailored to age and ability. This is in line with our determination to ensure consistency so that all pupils benefit from the same learning offer, whether learning from home or in school.
This week, it has been a privilege to watch heads delivering inspiring ‘live’ assemblies, teachers reading stories online and pupils sharing their work and experiences of lockdown life. Together, we are enabling pupils to continue their learning safely and keeping our Rivers family connected. Thank you all, staff, pupils and families, for making this possible. You are amazing!
Stay safe and stay in touch,
Kate Brunt
CEO
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CEO Blog - Welcome Back Everyone!
Sat 09 Jan 2021Happy New Year!
I know that the coming weeks will be challenging for many of you and keeping our Rivers family connected will be more important than ever. As we begin this new term, I ask that we all continue to work together, keep in touch with one another and support each other in any way we can so that our community is able to move forward safely and productively. Together, with staff working collaboratively and flexibly and the continued support of parents/carers, we will ensure that remote and in-school provision remains the best it can possibly be during this uncertain time.
Thank you, everyone, for all for all that you are doing to ensure that our pupils continue their learning safely - I am proud to be part of such a committed and caring profession and community.
Stay safe and stay in touch,
Kate Brunt
CEO
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CEO blog
Fri 04 Dec 2020Keeping pupils’ learning at the heart of everything we do
This week, the government announced amendments to the Year 6 SATs for May 2021 and stated that, until April 2021, Ofsted monitoring visits will take place for category schools only. Both of these changes have been welcomed by our heads. Obviously, accountability remains paramount and internal moderation across the trust will remain unaffected. In fact, on Wednesday evening, I was lucky enough to witness first-hand our internal moderation process in action via Teams.
As I listened in, I was (once again) awed and inspired by the energy and professionalism of staff as they focused on discussing and moderating pupils’ work from across the trust whilst sharing ideas and specific examples with colleagues from all trust schools. It was a fantastic opportunity for our new colleagues from Summerhill Primary Academy and Jubilee Park Academy to meet staff from our other schools (albeit virtually) and to contribute to this rigorous process.
At the end of a long term, the enthusiasm of staff on Wednesday evening was wonderful to see - a reminder to us all that, whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, pupils’ learning remains at the heart of everything we do.
Have a good weekend,
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CEO blog - Anti-Bullying Week and CEO’s Live Briefing
Fri 20 Nov 2020This week has been anti-bullying week. On Monday, pupils wore odd socks to school as a fun way of encouraging them to express and celebrate their individuality. We have spent time discussing and thinking about the fact that we are all unique and should be free to be ourselves without fear of being bullied. Across the trust, pupils have engaged in numerous activities including poster competitions, assemblies, class worship sessions, visits from community police officers and our KS2 pupils have been writing poems, which will soon become a Rivers video poem – watch this space!
On Thursday evening, we held another of our successful live briefings for all staff across the trust. I was able to update everyone on the support that we have put in place for staff, ranging from providing PPE and access to free and confidential counselling services to regular weekly meetings with heads and a staff wellbeing questionnaire.
I cannot praise staff highly enough for the amazing job that they are doing in these very challenging circumstances. My message to them, and to you all, is to work together, be kind to one another and to yourself and look for the little positives in every day.
Have a good weekend
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