Latest News
All the latest news happening here:
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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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CEO blog
Fri 13 Nov 2020Thinking of others
This week, we have spent time thinking of others. On Wednesday, our schools joined the nation in a two-minute silence at 11.00am on Armistice Day. Poignantly, our Director of Operations made a surprise appearance at NWPA wearing his own and his great-grandfather’s medals. Other schools made poppy wreaths and displays and even a poppy garden.
Today, our schools have had fun wearing something spotty and fundraising for Children in Need. But, of course, there is a serious side to all the fun and we have all spent time thinking about the disadvantaged children and young people across the UK whose lives will be made a bit easier by our fundraising efforts. As always, I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our community, particularly during this challenging time for us all.
Thinking of others is definitely the positive side of this pandemic and the numerous thoughtful acts of kindness going on in our schools and local communities are something we can all be proud of.
Have a lovely weekend,
Kate Brunt
CEO
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CEO blog
Sun 08 Nov 2020Welcome old and new
I’d like to start by welcoming everyone back to school - I hope that you all had a good half-term break and managed to spend some relaxing time with your families. It is great to see that attendance and enthusiasm across the trust remains high as we begin the new term.
This week we are celebrating some wonderful news. On 1st November we welcomed Summerhill Primary Academy, Jubilee Park Primary Academy and Summerhill’s Little Treasures (formerly of Summer Park MAT in Tipton) into the Rivers family. This marks the culmination of months of careful planning to ensure that this is the right decision for all schools within our trust.
As you know, I firmly believe in the advantages of collaboration for our pupils, staff and communities. As our trust grows, we all benefit from sharing best practice, enhanced continuous school improvement and greatly improved economies of scale. As is the case for all our schools, our new schools will preserve their distinctive characteristics whilst sharing our ethos, vision and values and joining us in our determination to provide the best educational opportunities possible for all our pupils.
We look forward to working together and to getting to know one another better in the months ahead.
Kate Brunt
CEO
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