Penny Challenge fundraising
2. What do you like best about your school community at Sacred Heart, Byermoor? The children generally come from all over to be part of the Sacred Heart school community. It has increased by a massive 300% in the last 7-8 years. We have no catchment area which is unique - so it’s a school with a difference. Nearly all our pupils go onto St Thomas More Catholic Secondary School in Blaydon, our academy feed. When we welcome the child, we welcome the family at Sacred Heart. I truly believe that once you embrace the family you have every chance of having a successful partnership between home and school. 3. What makes a successful Headteacher? Why? Believe in yourself always, attention to detail matters, respect everyone, have a growth mind set, stay fit and live every day in school as though it is your last in the job, and finally, smile! 4. Which part of school life do you find to be the most important for your students? The safeguarding of children is the single most important factor in schools. For me, the children’s health and wellbeing is incredibly important followed by a creative and exciting curriculum. Finally, I have always strived to create an environment full of opportunity that inspires. If you have outstanding teachers it helps. 5. Do you believe the school meals to be adequate and healthy? Our school meals are the best in the North East. We are an academy and do not use local authority catering so can really produce high quality food. We have real chefs, who have worked in high profile restaurants, designing and sourcing menus with the children and all of the ingredients are from local butchers, farmer, fishmongers etc. 6. Why did you become a teacher over other possible careers? When I realised that I was not going to be a cowboy like John Wayne or an astronaut I looked at what life could offer. I wanted to make a difference. Sadly when I was at school everything was text based learning with little interaction. My teachers smoked cigarettes in school and didn’t really inspire me. School needs to be a place of opportunity where children and staff feel happy, safe and are valued. Schools need to be full of hooks and sparks to excite children. 7. Can you describe for us a typical day in the life of the Headteacher? It starts with a sleepless night. I must turn the light on at least three times to write down thoughts. This continues in the car so I am clear about the day ahead. No matter how busy I am I always try and meet and greet parents, respond to all queries and concerns as soon as possible and I always do my lunch and swimming duty. Every day is different and many are more challenging than others. It’s certainly not a 9 to 5 job! The biggest challenges facing schools now are social media, attendance, safeguarding and behaviour. The love of reading is something that we have to continue to promote as a nation or standards will fall. 8. What do you find to be the best part of your job? At the end of the day I am a teacher so naturally working with the children in school. However, I equally enjoy helping trainee teachers, current teachers and support staff reach their aspirations. 9. Have there been any highlights or stand-out moments for you in your time at Sacred Heart School? Helping save the school from closure in 2009, sleeping in a tree in the graveyard next to school for Children in Need, saying good bye and welcoming so many lovely children, academisation, successful school builds, working with so many brilliant teachers and governors, seeing children reaching their potential and helping families. 10. Which is your most favourite event of the school year? There are so many. The summer school fayre has its moments because I get put in the stocks for three hours and have wet sponges thrown at me, but probably the children enjoying sporting activities and residential visits. They get so much experience from being away from home and being part of a team. THE CHILDREN did a brilliant job collecting coins this spring and there was a sea of pennies on the yard! It is always a lovely spectacle of how kind our school community is when we hold our annual competition to raise funds for Zambia and CAFOD.
It was also lovely to see so many parents attend and support the children. All money will go to helping some of the poorest, most needy children in the world to have an education in Zambia.
We have sponsored eighty children so far. The next challenge is to count all of those pennies because there is a lot! Well done to all of the children for taking part. TEAM SHB ATTENDED the netball finals at Blue Flames recently and played amazingly to finish 3rd place. They played against a number of schools from the North East and we are all extremely proud! Great sportsmanship and outstanding behaviour.
As a reward for their fantastic result their coach, Mrs Iles, arranged for them to take part in a team Northumbria super league camp. Team Northumbria netball star, Tasmin Moala, coached the children and got them to complete a 90 minute training session with other children within the MAT.
Maddie said: “I loved the netball camp. First we did some drills and some fun games, then we played ‘golden child’. Everyone did really well and we loved being coached by Tamsin”.