Last week included three very different school “events”. It was a very happy celebration in St John”s Church when the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton inducted two new local Headteachers: Mrs Bono to St John’s Catholic School and Mr Field to St Robert Southwell School. Probably the most critical decision faced by any governing body is who to appoint as Head and both these appointments had clearly been very well received.
I am looking forward to seeing both schools “in operation”, just as I did this week at Crawley Down Village CofE Primary School. Mr Burcombe kindly showed me round – and it was no surprise that Ofsted had found the childrens’ classroom behavior “outstanding”. I have got used to being bowled the occasional googley in classroom Q&A but I had not expected the technical precision of one pupil asking whether I found the “hanging microphones” distracting when speaking in the Commons! The school is coping brilliantly as the village expands. Temporary classrooms have been established over the summer. They are kitted out to a very high spec and the staff have been pleasantly surprised. However “temporary” is not a long-term solution. Local School Funding will be a massive issue this academic year, as it was last. It is good news the Government remains committed to fair funding but schools are desperate for transitional support as soon as possible, a cause I am pursuing with the new Secretary of State.
A different school entirely completed my trio of educational experiences. The Rikkyo School near Rudgwick was founded in 1972 to provide Japanese schooling to the children of ex pats working in the UK as the Japanese “economic miracle” took off. The school still thrives and reaches out into the local community and beyond with links to Millais, Rudgwick Parish and through helping to inspire the UK-Japan Young Scientists’ Programme. While other schools’ “Open Days” contain a fair amount of “marketing” Rikkyo’s Festival on Sunday, 23rd October throws open a little piece of Japan-in-Sussex. From Kendo Displays to the Tea ceremony it will be a fascinating family day out, the school is keen to stress that all are welcome.