Dear Parents and Carers,
I hope you have had a positive week and are well.
Notices for the week ahead
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Monday 20th July – Sports day, PE kit to be worn all day, all pupils to have a water bottle, hat and sun cream.
Celebrating Our Progress
Over the past year, we have seen improvements across many areas of school life. From strengthened teaching and learning to enhanced pastoral care, we have focused on creating an environment where every child feels safe, valued, and inspired to achieve their very best.
Our pupils have embraced new opportunities with enthusiasm and resilience, while our dedicated staff have worked tirelessly to ensure every child can thrive. I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together.
Our latest School Improvement Review took place two weeks ago; we are overjoyed with the feedback we have received. Here are a few highlights from the report:
Achievements/Strengths/Progress:
“Since the last Ofsted inspection, the school has made significant progress through a carefully planned and sequenced improvement strategy, resulting in notable gains across safeguarding and culture, inclusion, behaviour, attendance, teaching and learning, and stakeholder confidence.
Leaders have successfully established secure foundations in behaviour and safeguarding, creating a positive, inclusive environment in which pupils feel safe, valued, and supported – there is a strong sense of belonging across the school. This is reflected in strengthened relationships with pupils, families and the wider community, rising pupil numbers, improved staff and student voice, and growing confidence in the school’s provision.
Curriculum planning is increasingly coherent and aligned with Trust expectations, supported by the implementation of the Danebury Way, strengthened middle leadership, and a strong culture of evidence-informed professional development.
Improvements in adaptive teaching, SEND provision, attendance processes and therapeutic support have strengthened outcomes for vulnerable learners, while targeted interventions, particularly in mathematics and reading, are beginning to demonstrate encouraging impact.
The school’s well-established personal development and careers provision remains a key strength, complemented by a highly inclusive approach.
Overall, leaders have established secure systems and a strong culture of continuous improvement, positioning the school well for the next phase of development, which will focus on increasing consistency, further improving attendance and achievement, accelerating outcomes for SEND and disadvantaged pupils."
“Staff voice reflects a highly positive and cohesive leadership culture, with colleagues describing leadership as consistent, purposeful, and firmly rooted in the "Danebury Way." Staff value the clear strategic direction, noting that leaders are focused on refining existing practice rather than introducing multiple competing initiatives. There is a clear sense of professional trust, with staff feeling valued, well supported and encouraged to develop through meaningful opportunities and coherent, evidence-informed professional development.”
“Pupil voice reflects a highly effective pastoral culture where students feel well supported, listened to, and cared for. Pupils report that there is "always an adult to speak to" and recognise the impact of therapeutic support and emotional regulation strategies, enabling them to better manage their emotions and seek help before situations escalate. Overall, pupils speak positively about the support they receive and clearly feel that staff are invested in helping them succeed."
“Leaders have also strengthened the school's reading culture through recommended reading lists, student librarians, author visits, workshops, and creative reading experiences, while introducing a range of initiatives to promote reading for pleasure across Key Stage 3. Support for the weakest readers has been enhanced through improved intervention tracking, diagnostic assessment, Reading Ambassadors, strengthened parental engagement, regular screening through CODE and the introduction of a clear Danebury Reading Pathway”
While we are proud of how far we have come, we know that school improvement is an ongoing journey. Next year we will continue to build on this year's successes, maintaining high expectations while introducing new opportunities to enrich learning even further. Areas for improvement have informed our school improvement priorities for 2026–2027. They are:
Priority 1 Curriculum and Teaching
Fully embed whole school literacy strategies to ensure all pupils secure foundational knowledge and skills in all subjects. Implement ‘Review and Reflect’ to help pupils develop their metacognitive skills, moving them towards independence in their learning.
Priority 2 – Achievement
Further strengthen high-quality teaching and targeted intervention to improve outcomes for all learners, especially for our vulnerable pupils. Enhance alignment of curriculum and assessment and ensure that all pupils understand their targets and next steps.
Priority 3 – Attendance
Secure consistently high attendance through a culture of belonging, early intervention, and targeted support so that all pupils, particularly those who are vulnerable, can access and thrive in education.
Priority 4 – Inclusion
Implement the ‘Graduated Response’ and further strengthen the 'Graduated Approach’ to ensure appropriate adaptations are used to remove barriers to learning for all pupils.
Transport for September
Our current transport provision will remain the same. However, as we are growing, we have purchased an additional minibus to provide a new route towards the Salisbury area. We are in desperate need of a few mini-bus drivers. (paid). Ideally, we would like a pool of drivers to prevent anyone having to do morning and afternoon runs 5 days a week. If you know anyone who would be interested in doing the school runs, please do get in contact with Monica Freeman freemanm@danebury.hispmat.org.
Wishing You a Wonderful Summer
As we reach the end of another school year, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support, encouragement, and partnership. Together, we have made significant improvements, progress, and growth across our school community.
A huge thanks must go to all our staff for their hard work, commitment, and care for the pupils. As well as our wonderful PTA for always going above and beyond for us.
I hope every family enjoys a happy, restful, and well-deserved summer break. I encourage our pupils to keep physically active, read, enjoy spending time with family and friends, and make wonderful memories over the holidays.
With warmest wishes,
Nicky Goodridge
Head Teacher
