Claire Taylor, the new Headteacher at St Stephen’s School in Bath looks back on her first few months in the role
Since arriving at St Stephen’s Church School in January, I have noticed the welcome I received from children, colleagues, parents and wider community. This, as I have quickly come to realise, is very much the St Stephen’s Way. We are a school whereby our school values of love, courage, creativity and joy are at the centre of all that we do.
I write this piece shortly after our, ‘Walk to School Breakfast’, an early morning outdoor café on the inspiring playground overlooking our wonderful city. Members of the School Council collected orders and served breakfasts, parents gathered and caught up over a morning coffee, children provided musical entertainment and the staff team worked behind the scenes with the breakfast prep. This is just one small example of what makes our school special; everyone coming together to provide children with the best memories.
We are a vibrant primary school within a close-knit inclusive community. A highlight of each day is welcoming families into school whilst standing by the school gates in the morning. Having spent the last six years as Headteacher of a junior school, I have been soaking up the interactions between our oldest and youngest pupils. The children mix happily together at playtimes – Key Stage 2 children set the standard for behaviour and engagement during our daily Collective Worship and the Year 6 prefects are the best ‘buddies’ to children lower down the school.
As Headteacher, it’s my role to ensure we provide every pupil with a fantastic education and that this goes way beyond the classroom. It’s about ensuring children are safe, happy and experience rich opportunities which draw on individual skills, passions and interests. My experience shows having these as the foundations of a school leads to great outcomes. It’s these opportunities which not only stay with the children long after they leave St Stephen’s but build and foster the confidence, self-esteem and the resilience that we want to see in our young people.
St Stephen’s is a school with high expectations. Our motto, ‘Be the Best We Can Be!’ feeds into everything we do. Our aspirational and engaging themed curriculum results in high attainment outcomes, consistently exceeding local and national results. The future looks bright for our school. Whilst we hold close the traditions which makes us who we are, we are also forward facing in developing aspects of school life to ensure children have the education required for 2022, and beyond.
Before the end of the academic year, we will have completed three projects: the redevelopment of our Reception outdoor learning environment; relocation of our school library to a vibrant space at the heart of our school; and additional intervention spaces for small group and one to one sessions. We are grateful to our PTFA who tirelessly fundraise for projects, alongside the support of our parent community.
I am excited and proud to be part of St Stephen’s and would love to meet and show you our wonderful school. email hidden; JavaScript is required