Vigilance

Dear Parents,

For Your Information

Yesterday morning we tested our Fire Evacuation Drill.  This is done termly and without warning to the staff, or children.  I am delighted to say that it was highly successful and the children behaved very sensibly, as always. Schools are extremely safe environments as children know the drills, are used to doing as they are asked and familiar with the buildings.  Three factors that mean the evacuation times and levels of order are exemplary.  Other staff and parents on site (our great PTA team setting up the marquee) were quick to respond and in short order everyone was accounted for.  Mr Duffin and I met afterwards to review the proceedings as is part of the protocol.  As always tweaks are sought, often in my experience, with reference to speeding up the gap between evacuation of the buildings and registering at the assembly point.  On this occasion, we have established that three year-groups could take a slightly different pathway to the assembly point, which would have a small, but significant impact. 

The Fire Evacuation drill forms a part of our Emergency Plan.  This has been updated in light of recent national events and discussed with staff.  It will be presented to the Trustees for discussion and ratification if they are satisfied with its content.  Evacuation drills are, by their nature, somewhat distressing for younger, or more vulnerable, children.  As such, although fire drills must be carried out at some point each term, other emergency drills are mainly (but not exclusively) done as a paper exercise by the Emergency Planning Team.

Visiting Gayhurst Prep

I was delighted to be invited by Gareth Davies, to spend Wednesday looking round Gayhurst Prep School, Gerards Cross.  It is always a privilege to be able to experience another educational setting and they are a very similar school to ourselves, in many ways, making comparison easier.  Two of their senior staff spent a day with us earlier in the year and I can see a genuine benefit in developing a working partnership with a school that is also seeking to ensure children thrive.

Vigilance

Could I make a polite reminder to everyone collecting children after school, to keep a close eye on them at all times.  It is very easy to be distracted and it does not take long for a child to get some distance away from one, or into a space that they shouldn’t be in, unsupervised.  There have been a couple of near-misses recently as a result of children detaching themselves from their parents and doing things unnoticed.  Pick up is a particularly vulnerable time in and around the car-park. 

Musical Soiree

I look forward to seeing many of you at the Soiree in the Walled Garden on Monday 26th June at 6.00pm.  Please do bring a picnic, refreshments and a blanket, or seats as preferred. 

Summer Fair

Once the PTA Ball is packed away this weekend the focus will immediately turn to our School Fair, on Friday 30th hard on the heels of the Pre-Prep and Junior Sports Day the day before.  This looks set to be a great event for all the family and a great way to start the weekend!

Returning Cups

Mrs Hart will be delighted to receive the remaining cups, needed for us to be able to present them at this year’s Speech Day on 13th July. 

BEAT 

Following on from the recent success of the Little Havens Marathon our children took part in, Mrs Hart has chosen to follow in their footsteps.  She will be taking part in the Southend Colourthon on Saturday 1st July to raise funds for Beat. Beat is a charity which provides support, training and resources to those affected by eating disorders, a charity very close to her heart. If you would like to read more about this or donate on her Justgiving page please click the link here. We wish Mrs Hart luck with her challenge, she has had plenty of training running around Alleyn Court so this should be a walk in the park for her.                                       

R.W.J. Snow    

Headmaster