The school improvements continue to go from strength to strength with the continued excellent leadership of Mrs McGowan. The teaching staff and children from both schools are working together on different aspects of learning and activities. The Video Conferencing carries on with link ups not only with Ellingham but with a variety of museums and centres. They had a VIP visitor one Friday afternoon. They were not allowed to advertise this visit due to security reasons. Education .Minister, Mr Charles Clarke MP requested the use of the Video Conferencing facilities to link up to a conference centre in Leeds. He stayed on after to meet both staff and pupils and indeed joined in with the Willows story session.

In October, the school held an open evening which was well attended, showing the new refurbishments which included the Willows new classroom and wet room. The library has also recently taken on a complete overhaul with the School winning a
BT Citizenship Award. This has enabled them to refurbish a former staff room into the library and internet access room. A group of children were chosen to form a committee together with teachers and a parent governor helping to make decisions upon the decor, furniture and of course lending a helping hand with the painting etc.
The library committee will help choose the books and be responsible for communicating with the village community and making the library and internet
available. As part of the BT Award the committee have to produce a newsletter
reporting progress made, here is a copy for you to see. After the projects nationwide have been completed in July, the best three will be chosen and the winning schools will become national winners earning an extra £10,000, so fingers crossed.

This was not the only prize the school has won, ESPO awarded the school £50 for the excellent art they entered for a competition and commended Mr Ruel for the excellent art work produced by the pupils at the school.

The new windows have been installed and they certainly compliment the building. This has also improved the sound insulation, light and temperature thus improving the working atmosphere. The school has also been granted planning permission to build onto the existing school to include a larger cloak room and indoor toilets. This will be completed by the start of the new school term in September.

A new parent toddler group has recently been established at the school, meeting on Friday afternoons in the school from 1.30pm to 3.15pm.

As usual, Mrs McGowan extends her invitation to all to make a visit and to see the changes. Just ring the office to make an appointment.