RIVERSIDE JUNIOR SCHOOL
CENTRAL STREET INFANT AND NURSERY SCHOOL
STUBBINGS INFANT SCHOOL
STAFF AND FAMILIES CONSULTATION
NOVEMBER 2015
Hebden Bridge Infant Schools Federation – Background to this consultation.
Central Street Infant and Nursery School and Stubbings Infant School are both schools that base their teaching practice around the child centred
principles of Early Years education. We have been working closely together since 2009. We now have a shared Executive Headteacher and
Deputy Headteacher across both schools and a single governing body. Most of the children who come to our schools go on to Riverside Junior
School.
Over the past six years staff at our two schools have worked more closely together sharing training and best teaching practice. This has been
made easier because both schools have children of the same ages, and we share a common approach and ethos. Both schools have a very strong
heritage of inclusion and Special Educational Needs provision, tailored to the individual child. These strengths were one of the reasons that
Calderdale chose to place their Autistic Spectrum Infant Resourced Provision with us.
The schools have grown together over this time, and in particular over the last two years since we became a Federation. However, as governors
we have seen the challenges working in this way has presented for our school leaders. Challenges that staff have met with skill and
professionalism.
Last year Mrs Godfrey announced that she would be retiring and that meant as governors we needed to decide what the future leadership of our
schools would look like, whether to try and appoint a shared Headteacher with Riverside to lead all three schools as a single unit, or whether to
retain an independent Headteacher.
After a full and frank debate within the governing body of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of each of the two options
governors unanimously decided to retain independent leadership.
When we were unsuccessful in appointing the first time we advertised, our families asked governors to review our decision, and we committed to
do this after we had sought their views on the matter.
This consultation is our way of honouring that commitment before we review our previous decision.
To help frame the consultation the federation produced a vision for both infant schools that clearly sets a direction that would build on our
expertise as specialist Early Years centres.
Riverside Junior School – Background to this consultation.
The primary focus of the governors of Riverside over the past three years has been on ensuring the school was able to progress from being in
‘special measures’ to once again being a ‘good’ school, and on ensuring it continues to improve in the future so that the children of Hebden Bridge
are getting the best possible primary education.
While Riverside’s governors we have always encouraged and supported the school’s leadership in working closely with Central Street and
Stubbings, we have, for some time been keen to explore taking further steps to make the provision as consistent as possible right from nursery
through to the end of key stage two, and to realise the other opportunities we believe are offered by formally bringing the schools together under
a single high-calibre leader.
In particular, given that both Riverside and the Infant Schools Federation have been unsuccessful in recruiting new Headteachers following the
retirement of Mrs Eggleton and Mrs Godfrey, we anticipate that the prospect of leading a project to bring the three schools ever closer together
would present a great opportunity to attract a high calibre school leader, as well as offering other career development opportunities for the staff
of all the schools.
Over the course of Riverside’s improvement journey, we have regularly communication and consulted with staff and families regarding the
strategic future. To date, we have received almost exclusively positive feedback regarding our desired strategic direction but we are very mindful
that, now we have engaged with the Federation’s governing body in considering future options, it is important to allow staff, families and other
interested parties a further opportunity to express their views.
In the first year of Riverside’s recovery from ‘special measures’, governors led the development of the school’s vision, with input from staff,
families and pupils. We believe this vision is still valid and that it very much aligns with that of the Federation.
Independent Leadership – A bit more detail.
This option would see the Infant Schools and Riverside each with their own Headteacher and leadership team. It would be a continuation of the
model we have in place already.
Having independent leadership would not stop the schools from working together as we have done over the last few years. Staff have over the
years met to have professional discussions around their judgements of children’s works. Senior staff from Riverside have, on occasion, gone to
the Infant schools to take assemblies and staff from the Infant schools have gone to Riverside. Governors from the three schools have met
regularly to discuss how the schools can work more effectively and staff at all the schools already work together to make the transition between
our schools as smooth as possible.
Continuing independent leadership means that this work can develop as a conversation between equals. Each Head would have the time and
resource to consolidate and develop the specialism and practice in each key stage. They would have the autonomy to maintain the things that
were unique and special in each setting, without decisions on priorities and resources being made by a single Executive Headteacher who was
ultimately responsible for balancing the competing demands of three key stages, three schools and three different sets of staff.
All three schools will continue to work together to provide a strong foundation for the children of Hebden Bridge. We will build on the work that
has taken place in the past. Independent leadership would allow the schools to do this as equals able to make decisions based on what would be
best for each setting and therefore give the best opportunity for all children starting their journey with us.
Shared Leadership – A bit more detail.
Research evidence shows that children benefit most when the primary education they receive is as consistent as possible all the way from nursery
to the end of key stage two.
Riverside’s governors believe this consistency would best be achieved through the appointment of a single Headteacher responsible for all three
schools (often referred to as an ‘Executive Head’, though this title is not the only one used in such circumstances). The structure of the rest of the
leadership team would be determined by the Headteacher, in consultation with governors, but would probably include senior leaders at Deputy
Head and/or Assistant Head level located in each school, as is the case at present.
A key responsibility of the Headteacher would be to facilitate a cohesive age-appropriate approach to teaching and learning right across the
primary phase, continuously seeking to improve further by making the most of the talents and expertise of all staff in the best interests of
children.
This approach need not result in any existing best practice in any of the three schools ceasing unless, of course, even better practice is identified.
Rather, the greater scale of a combined group of school potentially offers more opportunity for subject matter experts among the staff to seek out
and introduce evidence-based improved strategies that help achieve the schools’ visions.
Next Steps and Feedback
There are a number of ways in which you can give us feedback:
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You can provide verbal feedback during the Town Hall meeting
You can give us written feedback using the attached forms, either during the meeting or, subsequently, by dropping the forms into any of
the schools or emailing feedback to [email protected]
In addition, there will be opportunity for staff and families to give us feedback at sessions in each school - more details to follow
The closing date for giving us your views will be 7th December 2015
Infant School Governors will then meet during the week commencing 14 th December 2015 to make their decision. Riverside governors will also
meet before the end of the Autumn term in order to review their current position in the light of the feedback received.
Riverside Junior School
Values → Vision → Practice → Monitoring
Nurture : Inspire : Challenge : Creativity : Love of Learning : Excellence
At Riverside we are committed to becoming an outstanding school whose academic results match the very
highest performing schools and where creative expression is second to none. As a community of learning
we will engender resilience, tenacity, personal confidence and respect for others. Our work will engage all
pupils and develop a lifelong love of learning which will inspire them to achieve success and contribute to
the global society.
INDEPENDENT LEADERSHIP OPTION
FEEDBACK SHEET
My/our child/children is/are at:
I work at:
(please delete as appropriate)
POSTITIVES
CONCERNS & RISKS
SHARED LEADERSHIP OPTION
FEEDBACK SHEET
My/our child/children is/are at:
I work at:
(please delete as appropriate)
POSTITIVES
CONCERNS & RISKS