Welcome to Iwade Village

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View of school from Meadow Close

New School Hall

Mosaic Display in New Hall

Gym Equipment in New Hall

Resources

Children's Work

Breakfast Club Display

Interview with Katrina Ware, Head of Iwade County Primary School

Wednesday 8th February 2006

How many children do you currently have at Iwade?

We have 260 children but now have the capacity to take 420. We're hoping to have 2 reception classes in September and so on so that we expand by an additional class each year from bottom up.

What problems did you face when you took on Iwade?

Iwade was at a low standard educationally. That's the main thing I've got to conquer. Parents were also frustrated as there were problems with the school and they were not listened to, the school shut them out which made things worse. We need to change this culture and make it more open. I encourage parents to ask me questions openly at school rather than writing letters etc.

When will the next Ofsted be?

Well they tend to be done every 4 to 6 years and the last one at Iwade was in 2003 (read Ofsted report here>). With a new Head, Key Stage 2 results not being great and new buildings we're expecting one within the next 18 months.

And what are your plans to turn Iwade around?

Improve the quality of the teaching through management and leadership, improve resources and learning, set higher expectations... I need to deal with under-performance in teaching and this involves some difficult decisions.

What difficult decisions have you had to make so far?

Some staff changes. Tightening up on uniform. I've introduced the 6 Golden Rules which works well at Bobbing. It's a positive behaviour system.

Can you tell us more about the 6 Golden Rules?

The 6 Golden Rules are Be honest, Be kind and helpful, Be gentle, Work hard, Listen to others and Look after property. Something we could all learn from! For each am and pm session if a child keeps the rules they are awarded a Golden Star. If a rule is broken no Golden Star and the reason is written in the Golden Star books which are sent home everyday for parents to see and discuss. At the end of the week pupils get 30 minutes Golden Time where they can choose from a range of extra-curricular activities but for each star not awarded 5 minutes is lost from this session.

How do you manage running Bobbing and Iwade? Is it workable?

Very much so. I'm here every day and it's about being seen, being visible and being available. In an emergency I can be here in 5 minutes. I've been at Bobbing for 7 years now and it's 'settled'. Both schools run as a Federation, not something that I've introduced, just the way they are. That means that you have an Executive Head and an enhanced Deputy, that's to say the Deputies have some of the roles that a Head would normally have as do Senior teachers below them. The career opportunities are very good for teachers in both schools as a result.

When did you start at Iwade?

I officially started on 1st January but I did unofficially start in December last year.

What has been hard so far?

I realise it's incredibly important to keep everyone on board with changes and the reasons behind the changes, parents and teachers that is, but change is happening at a galloping rate so this is sometimes difficult particularly when some things are still up in the air. I held an open evening for parents in January which was attended by over 50 parents and we generally received good feedback. The evening included a Questions and Answers session which is important.

You mentioned changes in the Reception class...?

Yes whilst there was previously 2 combined Reception and Year 1 classes and 1 Year 1 class, there will now be 1 Reception class and 2 Year 1 classes. Whilst parents seemed to be happy with the arrangement, the 2 Years are educationally very different. Year 1 is much more formal and structured as the first year of Key Stage 1 whereas Reception is the foundation stage and more about learning informally through play.

Can you clarify the Key Stages and when SATs are taken?

SATs are taken at the end of each Key Stage. Key Stage 1 covers Years 1 and 2 and Key Stage 2 covers Years 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Is Iwade split into Infant and Junior?

No - and I like it that way. It's lovely to see the children develop right through from 4 to 11.

Is all the building work finished now?

The building work at the school is all finished bar some minor work regarding security and the grounds. There are 8 new classrooms with a new hall and a new servery. The old building has been refurbished including a new library (for which the Iwade Dads are raising funds to buy new books and resources), a small hall which is currently used for Breakfast Club, a staff room and new offices. Two old classrooms are still to be refurbished. There is also a 'mezzanine' room which is not suitable for disabled access but would be suitable for external meetings if this was not a requirement. This still requires computers, storage facilities and a board room table and chairs before it is operational.

Why was there not a kitchen put in place in Iwade when the building work was done so food could be cooked on-site?

Whilst I was not involved at this point I think it was probably because it is hard for schools to keep up with health and safety regulations involved in cooking on-site. It's legally easier not to so dinners are brought in from outside.

And are the dinners here healthy?

They have improved a bit since Jamie Oliver's campaign. However the number of pupils actually having school dinners has gone down over the last couple of years probably because of the increase in awareness. Having said that the packed lunches children bring in aren't always that healthy either! We currently serve between 40 and 50 hot dinners a day. Initial Catering Services Ltd currently have the contract for Iwade but the contract finishes in August 2006 when it will go out to tender. This will encourage some healthy competition.

I heard there was a time capsule buried in the school when the last extension was built. Can you tell us anymore?

Yes that's right, in 2001 a time capsule was buried and we have another one waiting to be buried when we officially open the new building. The opening ceremony will probably be around about May time.

Are the halls available for outside use?

Yes absolutely. We are particularly keen to encourage community use and the prices would be lower to reflect this. There is a small hall, the new large hall and there is also a mezzanine room which will be ready soon (needs storage and PCs) and would be good for small conferences/meetings. It does not have disabled access however as you need to go up stairs to access it. Interested parties should apply to the school for prices. Lamplighters and Weightwatchers currently use the school halls for meetings and it works well.

And how is the Breakfast Club going?

Good yes, there are between 7 and 10 children each day and whilst it currently is run as a separate business the school will take this over to make it more workable. We also plan to start an After-School Club initially twice a week until about 5.30/6 o'clock. This isn't cheap to run however. There is availability for the Breakfast Club so interested parents should apply to the school.

How big are the classes?

No more than 30 is the rule.

What staff do you currently have at Iwade?

After Easter we will have 10 full-time teachers and 14 teaching assistants. There is a teaching assistant attached to each class and the 4 others have specialist support roles and cover PPA (Planning, Preparation and Assessment)

Are there openings for voluntary work or work experience at the school?

Absolutely. We reward volunteers with training and will carry out the necessary police checks. Volunteers can help with reading for example, the library, or someone might just want to get back into the workplace. Basically if you have any skill or just some time then contact the school and we can have a chat about what might suit you.

So what has been your experience at Bobbing?

Well I've been there 7 years now and started with 54 children in 3 classes and we now have 212 children and are over-subscribed. I will normally get about 120 applications for 30 reception places. The Ofsted Report in 2003 commended the improvements made in the school. (read Ofsted report here>). Bobbing is now one of the top 5 schools in Swale.

How long do you think it will take you to turn Iwade around?

2 Years. That's what I have said and that's how long it takes. The kids in Iwade are lovely.

Well thanks for your time Katrina, it's been really interesting talking to you. Good luck!