Report from Dennington Church of England Primary School 22.5.23

Dennington School is continuing to thrive in terms of its education, community and ethos. We, the staff and children, are particularly delighted with the number of school trips and events we have partaken in this year. This is very important for our pupils to have widened horizons, opportunities and experiences. Different classes have been involved in a variety of trips and experiences, including a visit to London by train and tube (to the Tower and down the Thames on a boat), the Farm Fair at Trinity Park, the Dinosaur Park at Norwich, a theatre visit to Colchester to see The Beauty and the Beast, Sizewell Power Station, West Stow Anglo Saxon Village, Foxborrow Farm and Framlingham Castle. The highlight of the year for the older children is the residential trip to Hilltop in Sherringham, where they get to experience challenging outdoor experiences and skills. We have also celebrated the coronation this year, with a re-enactment and a tea together.

This year we have been working with Suffolk Wildlife Trust to create wildlife habitats within the school grounds. The Trust has visited us over the year and worked with the children making bird boxes, bug hotels and planting. The children have researched, mapped and planned for the wildlife we want to encourage and have and raised money needed for these projects.

We currently have 74 pupils on roll. The numbers joining us for Reception Class were lower than average for this last September and also for this coming September. However, we had been informed by the local nurseries that there was a low number of pupils in these two year cohorts and that the following year (Sep 24) is expected to be larger!

We also received a visit form Ofsted in January. This report from this visit was good; please see extract below.

"Pupils are safe, happy and well cared for at this school. They enjoy excellent relationships with adults and their peers. Pupils say bullying does not happen but, if it did, they know adults would stop it immediately. Pupils are kind and supportive of each other. For example, the eldest enjoy taking care of younger pupils during their regular walks to church. Pupils’ behaviour is consistently good. They work well in lessons because there are very few distractions. Play time is calm and orderly. Pupils show high levels of respect for each other and their physical environment. They listen to others’ views with interest. They are courteous and speak positively about how everyone is included in the school. Pupils are confident that every child is welcomed and supported to do well. Pupils benefit from the high expectations that adults have for them. They enjoy work that challenges them in different subjects. Pupils like reading and the wide range of books they can choose from the school library. They speak passionately about the large number of trips that the whole school goes on. Pupils are rightly proud of their sporting success in a range of sports including dance."

Ofsted Report January 2023

Sadly, the visit itself was not a positive experience; much that has been recently been reported on in the news regarding the conduct and function of Ofsted Inspections was our experience in reality, over the two days of the visit. However, the outcome of the report was mostly reflective of the school and we are glad that the experience is behind us and we can concentrate again on our most important role; educating the children in our school.

There have been various school improvement projects on the school premises, including the school gates and entry systems being made more secure, the playground fencing and new storage and play equipment for den building/ engineering play equipment. In January we have a few unwelcome building issues, such as the entire heating system breaking down and a plumbing problem leading to a leak. These were a little challenging at the time but were all resolved without disruption to the children’s learning. Plans for the coming year involve a new library in an insulated summerhouse type building, a wooden play fort and converting a small courtyard into a sensory room for children with additional needs.

We continue to enjoy being out and about in the village, walking and exploring the rich history and geography we have in Dennington. We visit the Church every other month for a short service with Father Martin.

Charys Rushbrook

Head of School

Dennington Church of England Primary School is part of the All Saints Schools Trust.

A charitable company limited by guarantee. Registered in England and Wales. Company Number: 11216388.