Message from the Chair of Governors  

The recruitment for the replacement of Wendy Turner as Head Teacher has been started.

As you know Kerry Devane has been Acting Head Teacher for nearly 18 months, doing an excellent job, but the governors are obliged to undergo a formal selection process, to ensure that we get the best candidate possible.

We have support from Pauline Dodds, Schools advisor from the Diocese and Judith Barrett, School Improvement Partner from the LA. These are advisors and the decision will be made by the non-staff governors alone.

We have formed a recruitment panel to take us through this process and all the non-staff governors will be involved.

The interview and selection process will remain confidential to the team to avoid a perception that Kerry would have an unfair advantage.

We will continue to keep you updated throughout the whole process and ensure that during the interviews that staff get the chance to meet the candidates and provide feedback as we have done in teacher interviews previously.

I would also like to take the opportunity to emphasise the importance of all children achieving high levels of attendance at school throughout their time at St Johns.

To arrive late in the morning is unsettling for the child particularly after lessons have started and the rest of the class is in their routine. In School, the children's lessons start with Phonics at 9am, as soon as Phonics has started being taught, it could be a new sound or book every day, in which case teacher and child have to make extra effort to catch up. My daughter teaches Reception in Yeovil, and she would say that this is the worst possible time for a child to be absent in their school life.

As always, our children are at the heart of our decision-making and staff and parents are key to their success.

If you have any ideas, concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or any of the governors. This is already an excellent school and as governors we would like to make it better.

Jim Gurl

Chairman of the Governors

jgurl@stjohnsinfantsglastonbury.co.uk

St Johns VC Infants School

Mobile 07786074398