Dear Parents and Carers,
I cannot believe we are reaching the end of yet another academic year. For our Trust family, there have been many positives to shine a light on, including:

• Our new Free School Garden Village Primary is ready for opening in September 2024. This has taken over a year of meticulous planning and has included recruitment of staff for many roles as well as meeting the new community, parents and children along the way. We look forward to the privilege of opening.

• Three 'Good' inspection gradings in recent school Ofsteds. All signpost the care and support from the Trust in raising standards through the support given to Headteachers' and Subject Leaders.

• There has been significant investment Trust wide in IT, ensuring that our children have the appropriate resources to help them learn effectively. A team of IT staff support children daily in lessons with their laptops, iPads or Chromebooks.

Fierté Facts

Our Governors frequently visit their schools to engage in subject leader meetings, local governing committee meetings or governor days. They also join in the additional everyday events and occasions such as Summer Fayres, Parent's evenings or productions. We appreciate the time and dedication they demonstrate in enabling our children to flourish.

The Executive Leadership Team, CEO, Vice-CEO and CFO, have been busy supporting leaders with inspections, setting staffing and other budgets and school improvement priorities. A Strategy Day for Leaders was held in July and focused on matters of the moment and how schools craft and secure school improvement priorities for the benefit of children.

Our subsidiary company, Our Pride, Our Joy, continues to support before and after-school clubs, despite the challenges of recruiting and retaining staff. Salaries of staff have been increased to secure the highest quality supervision and offset the increasing economic pressures. 

The Central Support Team has supported all schools in procuring resources required in readiness for the Autumn term. This includes books, stationary and subject-specific items.

At this time of year, ‘We are brave’, is very much a Trust value we need to remember and hold tightly on to.  Believing in ourselves and remaining courageous, even when we suffer setbacks, is crucial.  Children show bravery when completing tests, receiving results, transitioning to a new school or to a new teacher.  These things and many others come with challenges. For some, significantly so, but staff remain resolute in supporting children to face any trial that comes their way.  One of the best things about my role is talking to children who remain a source of inspiration and delight.  Invariably, they are optimistic and face change with a positive mindset, frequently far more resilient than many adults.  

Equally, we respect the bravery that parents and carers show in sending their children to a school within the Fierté family.  We do not take this for granted and completely understand the leap of faith that parents show in us.  This is particularly true for our newly opening free school, Garden Village Primary Academy, which opens in September to its first set of Nursery and Reception children.  We are very much looking forward to taking possession of the building and site at the beginning of the summer break.

As with any organisation, we experience successes and, at times, confront significant challenges.  We promise to remain steadfast in securing excellence for all, doing our best to ensure all children thrive, a quest we are privileged to have bestowed on us that is never taken lightly. 

 

We are brave in the Central Support Team, especially at a time when budgets are tight across the country. As a team, we are always looking for ways in which to save schools money. Examples of this might be through purchasing resources, solving maintenance or building challenges and making sure that schools have what they need to educate their children to the best of their ability.

I meet with Trust leaders each month to discuss their budgets and what their priorities are for spending. This means that I can then capitalise on purchasing across schools as there are frequently shared priorities. 

Recently, support from my team was given to ensure that our Fierté Festival, The Magic of Writing, was a success. Children benefited from the shared opportunities and experiences, such as Magic Mayhem the Magician, a real-life author and illustrator visiting and all children working from one book. Organising and supporting the procurement of resources helps our schools to run more smoothly.

We are brave...

Our schools work hard to show that they are brave - a core Trust value. Please see below a flavour of the diverse and wonderful activities our pupils have engaged in demonstrating that they are courageous. We are very proud of them all...

 

Our children at Ankermoor are brave in so many ways, but I would like to focus on two Year 5 children who were offered the opportunity to go on the Trust Residential this Summer. Both of the children have had reservations about going because it is outside their comfort zones, it is away from their families and friends, and it is something different! Over the last couple of months, they have been so incredibly brave in deciding to do something different. They have been worried and anxious, but importantly they have asked intelligent questions about the residential, and processed what the residential will entail. I am sure on the morning of the residential they will be a little nervous, but I think that the levels of excitement will outweigh the nervousness, and they will jump into this exciting opportunity and come away with lots of new lifelong friends and incredible number of new experiences that they will remember all their lives.  

At Anker Valley we are brave and resilient, even when we find things hard. In our Fierté Festival week, Eva was a role model to others in how she persevered with her writing and completed her narrative. She is a very determined little girl, and we are super-proud of her.

Dosthill Primary Academy Pupils Soar to New Heights in Annual Adventure Trip

In an exhilarating display of determination and bravery, the Year 6 pupils of Dosthill Primary Academy have once again risen to the challenge during their annual residential trip, a key component of the school’s innovative Discovery Curriculum.

The curriculum, with its focus on character development and collective achievement, instils in pupils key traits such as determination, resourcefulness, inclusion, and a strong sense of community. It is these virtues that were put to the test during the adventurous outdoor activities that formed the core of the residential trip.

The trip, designed to take the children out of their comfort zones, provided an opportunity for the pupils to amaze themselves with what they could achieve when committed to a goal. From scaling heights to navigating tricky terrains, the pupils faced each challenge head-on, their bravery shining through at every step.

However, it wasn’t just about individual achievements. The trip also emphasized the power of teamwork and mutual encouragement. As the pupils worked together to overcome obstacles and reach new heights, they demonstrated the true spirit of the Dosthill community.

The annual trip serves as a testament to the effectiveness of Dosthill Primary Academy’s Discovery Curriculum in fostering not just academic growth, but also personal development and community spirit among its pupils. As the children return from their adventure, they bring back not just memories, but also valuable life lessons of resilience, camaraderie, and the power of stepping out of one’s comfort zone.

 

 

Week commencing the 1st July, Edge Hill Academy went to Standon Bowers. Lots of children faced different fears, which included, being away from their family for the first time, a fear of water, caving through dark spaces and even sampling new foods in the dining hall. However, they all persevered and had a wonderful time, showing that 'We are Brave!'

Children at Glascote Academy have proved just how brave they are by performing in musical extravaganzas in front of their families, peers, staff and members of the community.   

Each year group have performed in their own Musical Concerts conducted by Mrs Smith from ‘Rock-it Music’.  Pupils in each year group were chosen to represent their classes by introducing their key pieces of music.   

Furthermore, 

• Reception sang songs and played untuned percussion instruments 

• Year 1 and Year 2 sang songs, and played three musical pieces each on glockenspiels 

• Year 3 and Year 4 sang songs, and played three pieces each on the steel pans 

• Year 5 and Year 6 sang songs, played drums, glockenspiels and keyboards   

Our  Year 6 pupils also performed four pieces from their music examination through London College of Music; Thomas-Jay even played a solo!   

Many of our pupils in Year 3 and Year 4 attended the Amington Fete on Saturday 24th June performing on the steel pans in front of a large community audience!   

Are we brave at Glascote Academy? Yes, we are!  

 

 

The new Reception children, who will be starting Garden Village Primary Academy in September, were brave when we visited them at their current pre-school setting and family home. The children have told us about the things that they like, shared what they are looking forward to about starting school and even had the courage to sing to us! It has been a pleasure to start to build a relationship with children and their families in readiness for their new learning journey.

At Wilnecote, children have been brave and have pushed their own personal boundaries through many challenges this year. Starting off with year 6 pushing themselves past their perceived limits at Laches Wood on their residential and extending into upper key stage 2 with year 5 taking part in a local history competition and speaking in front of all their peers! However, a shining example of bravery has been shown by our Performing Arts club, who have learnt, practised, and performed Peter Pan to a whole school audience and a sold-out hall of families! They were superstars!

We are brave at Violet Way
We have taken on so many challenges this year! Laches Wood, transitioning to a new school, performing in Peter Pan, Maypole dancing, Burton History Walk or Pirate Picnic Day, Sports Day and painting a sculpture for the Burton community to name a few! At all times, we are resilient and brave. We don't find everything easy, but we all show bravery in big and small things- and we are so proud when we do it!