CE PRIMARY SCHOOLS Executive Head Teacher Mrs L

THE FEDERATION OF MIDDLEHAM (VA) AND SPENNITHORNE (VC) CE PRIMARY SCHOOLS Executive Head Teacher Mrs L. Evans Spennithorne, Leyburn, N Yorkshire. DL8 5PR Park Lane, Middleham, Leyburn, N Yorks, DL8 4QX Tel:01969-623474 Fax 01969 622731 Tel 01969 623592 [email protected]. sch.uk [email protected] Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. EPHESIANS 4:32

25th March 2021

Dear Parents As you know our Headteacher, Mrs Evans, is leaving at the end of term to move to the Bristol area and start a new headship. The job for a new Headteacher has been well advertised and we have had a good response. We will be interviewing towards the end of April. Because of the timings, the Governing Body have had to make some arrangements for leadership of the two schools, from when your children return to class after the Easter holidays until the new Headteacher will be able to start. Sorting this out has taken a little longer than usual because of COVID and the lockdown and everything needing to be organised online rather than face to face. I am pleased to be able to tell you that, with the support of the Diocese and the Local Authority, the Governors have accepted a generous proposal of support from the Dales Academies Trust. The head teachers of two schools which are part of the Trust, Mrs L. Probets (Headteacher at St Francis of Assisi CE Primary School) and Mr S. Robson (Headteacher at Croft CE Primary School) will provide on-site Headteacher support for 4 days per week (2 days each). Mrs. L Probets will provide off-site Headteacher support via Teams / telephone on the 5th day. Their time with us will be divided between Middleham and Spennithorne in a similar way to how Mrs Evans works now. Both head teachers have had experience of working in schools other than their own in the past. They are looking forward to helping us and would like to tell you just a little bit about themselves.

Mr Simon Robson I have been a primary school teacher for over twenty years. I have spent eight years working as a senior leader in Church Primary Schools and six years as Head Teacher at Croft Church of England Primary School where I am currently the Head Teacher. I feel very proud and privileged to be a Head Teacher. I have thoroughly enjoyed leading a small village primary school and taking the school on a journey to being ranked number one in North Yorkshire for pupil progress and achieving outstanding under the SIAMS framework in 2018. I have also led the school through academisation to become part of Dales Academies Trust - something that Croft School has benefited from significantly. I am very much looking forward to meeting you all after the Easter break and supporting the federation of schools through this period of transition.

Mrs Louise Probets I have been Head Teacher for over five years in Ingleby Barwick, which is a town in Stockon on Tees. When I am not at work, I spend time with my family and our Cockapoo Millie. I love working in a Church of England primary school and am looking forward to developing positive relationships with the families, children, staff, governors and community during this next term.

ENDURANCE, FRIENDSHIP, FORGIVENESS, TRUST

We know that our two schools are happy, friendly places to be and we are sure that all our staff and your children will quickly get to know them and make them feel at home. They have both had experience of working on projects together and so are not strangers to each other’s ways of working. The governors believe that they will be ‘safe hands’ for this period for our two schools and will provide a smooth transition for the new Headteacher coming in.

Because we are still following the Covid guidelines to keep everyone safe it may be sometime before you meet them in person, but they will let parents know what is going on through the usual emails, newsletters Facebook page etc. You will appreciate that things have been rather strange during the last 12 months and that COVID has put a stop to many things. Governors and staff sincerely hope that before very much longer our schools will be able to hold some of the fun events which we have so enjoyed in the past, and get together again for church services etc. (I really miss meeting you at things like chocolate bingo and summer fairs!}

In the meantime, thank you again for all your support, especially through the periods of home-schooling, and very best wishes for a peaceful and hope-filled Easter break to you all.

Kind regards

Lesley Sweeting Chair of Governors

ENDURANCE, FRIENDSHIP, FORGIVENESS, TRUST