The Schoolsworks Schools – Meet the Heads

 Downsbrook Primary School

Downsbrook Primary School is a larger than average primary school in Worthing, with a long history dating from 1910.

Our spacious site offers fantastic facilities, which include recently refurbished ICT suites, interactive whiteboards in every classroom, two spacious halls, a food technology room, music suite and a dedicated science lab. In 2018 Downsbrook converted to an academy and joined Schoolsworks, after the school was placed in Special Measures by Ofsted. The Schoolsworks network of good schools in the locality now provides us with a strong and supportive structure on which to build a positive future. We are working closely with the Schoolsworks team to share teaching methods and best practice to access the support we need in the short and longer term.

I am delighted to have joined Downsbrook at this exciting time and am very much looking forward to working in partnership with the whole school community to make Downsbrook the school of choice in the local area. Having worked in several London schools with a specific focus on school improvement, I am determined to ensure that Downsbrook moves to become an outstanding school where we deliver educational excellence every day, for every child. We will be working very hard to become a more outward facing school and will be forging opportunities to work more closely with the wider community to strengthen and enhance all aspects of learning: academic, social and emotional.

 

 

 

 

Just Jeffrey

Head of School, Downsbrook Primary School

 

East Preston Junior School

East Preston Junior School (EPJS) is a friendly and happy school situated in the beautiful coastal village of East Preston.

“Enjoyment and Excellence in all that we are and all that we do” is our school motto: we aim to provide exciting, meaningful and enjoyable educational experiences ensuring that all children have fun learning and achieve their academic potential. Our core values (responsibility, enjoyment, collaboration, kindness, excellence and respect) focus on providing a caring and nurturing environment to encourage our children to form positive relationships and become well rounded, resilient and confident individuals. EPJS currently has two classes per year group (years 3 to 6) but is at the very start of an exciting project to expand to 3 classes per year group.

EPJS joined the Schoolsworks Trust in May 2017. Schoolsworks’ commitment to excellence and its ethos of “people first” resonate with our own values. It is exciting to collaborate with like-minded people, to share ideas and learn from one another. A variety of groups meet together including School Community Councilors, head teachers, teachers and children so everyone benefits from the collaboration. The shared expertise within the Trust is invaluable providing challenge and support which enables us to develop further as a school, and provide the best for our children, staff, parents and the wider community.

We are looking forward to building on our successful introduction to academy life.

 

 

 

 

Michael Tidd

Headteacher, East Preston Junior School

 

Edward Bryant School

Edward Bryant School is a large primary school in the heart of Bognor Regis.

There are three classes per year group and each class is in a family. Each family has a weekly celebration assembly and play together on a Friday. This means that the children are able to experience what it would be like to be part of a small school, whilst remaining part of a larger one.

All the staff have high expectations of pupils and their learning and the children usually leave our school with higher than national average attainment in English and Maths. The staff work together in close teams to plan work for children. We ensure the curriculum is varied, interesting and fun. We also ensure continuity in the children’s learning. As part of Schoolsworks, groups of staff meet regularly with each other to share and steal ideas!  We are able to share resources with the other schools which enables us all to benefit from real school to school support.

 

 

 

 

 

Charles Beckerson

Headteacher, Edward Bryant School

 

Medmerry Primary School

Medmerry Primary School is a small primary school in the seaside town of Selsey.

The school takes pride in its community and its ‘village feel’, with just a single class in each year group, but with families who have known the school over a number of years. The school was graded as Good in its last inspection.

With one teacher in each year group, it is invaluable for us to be part of the Schoolsworks Academy Trust to draw on expertise across a number of schools and to be able to share ideas with like-minded professionals. We also benefit from sharing ‘back-office’ functions which enable us to run a small establishment efficiently for the benefit of our pupils. The school selected to join the Trust, having previously been an independent academy, because it felt that the values of Schoolsworks aligned well with those of the school.

As headteacher, I value the opportunities to collaborate with colleagues in other schools within Schoolsworks. Their commitment to excellence ensures that as a school we feel supported to continue to improve the offer we make for our children, both at Medmerry and across the trust’s schools.

 

 

 

 

Dave Lott

Head of School, Medmerry Primary School

 

 

River Beach Primary School

River Beach Primary School is a large school in the heart of Littlehampton.

We are very well-resourced and benefit from having large open outside areas for the children to use, including an outside gym and an adventure playground. A specialist unit for deaf children is attached to the school and children from across the County attend it. Our school is a happy place and our curriculum is creative and exciting which enables not only our children to become successful learners but also, to hopefully have fun whilst they do it! We understand that every child is individual, unique and has a wide range of talents and through this, our school aim is to give “Every Child, Every Chance, Every Day”.

River Beach Primary School joined the Trust in 2013 and quickly recognised the benefits of good schools sharing good practice together, whilst at the same time retaining their own identity. Staff at all levels have been able to establish an effective network where challenges are met as a group of professionals, rather than alone. Assessment, data analysis and subject specific leadership have all benefitted from the focused groups that work across the Trust and year teams regularly visit their colleagues in other schools. Alongside this, senior leaders meet regularly to share ideas, support and learn from one another.

 

 

Dave Ayers

Headteacher, River Beach Primary School

 

Rose Green Junior School

It is great to be able to work with senior leaders, teachers and support staff from the other schools in the Trust to share good practice and to learn from one another.

The support that is provided to and from all of the schools in the Trust is invaluable and the resource pool of knowledge and expertise that I have available has now widened considerably beyond my own school.

My staff have really valued working with others across the Trust, especially with those carrying out the same or similar roles in different schools.  The future potential for further development of this work is significant and exciting, which will result in excellent professional development & career opportunities for our staff and improved outcomes for all our children.

 

 

 

Philip Craig

Headteacher, Rose Green Junior School

 

   

Rustington Community Primary School

Rustington Community Primary School was the first school to join Schoolsworks in 2013 and we have flourished ever since.

Our academic results have been the best we’ve ever seen, while at the same time we have been careful to preserve our own ethos and culture.

The Schoolsworks team have ensured our continued improvement by sharing excellent practical ideas and by supporting all our staff through effective networks, all of which has helped us improve our educational provision. One of the key features of Schoolsworks is the focus on personal development and the quality of relationships. This thread runs throughout all our work, including children, staff, parents and those who assist with monitoring our performance.

Putting people at the heart of the organisation has always been my passion and it is good to work with schools which feel the same way.

 

 

 

 

Marie Smailes

Head of School, Rustington Community Primary School

 

Whytemead Primary School

Whytemead Primary School is a small primary school in Worthing, just opposite Downsbrook School.  We are a small, friendly school that joined Schoolsworks in October 2021.  We are seeing the benefits of working as part of a school trust in many different ways. For example, Downsbrook kindly share the use of their facilities with Whytemead for PE.

 Our vision and values are summed up within our statement, ‘Through Curiosity, Collaboration and Determination, we are Growing Minds’. We ensure that all children develop these positive attitudes towards their learning.

We have developed our own curriculum which can be viewed on our website and have plans to continue to develop and review this in order to offer our children the best possible experiences.  As I write this, one of our teachers has a large snake wrapped around them which is visiting for the day!

I have previously been the Headteacher of Edward Bryant School, also part of the Schoolsworks trust and look forward to the continual development of the education offer here at Whytemead.

 

 

 

 

 

Richard Waddington

Headteacher, Whytemead Primary School