Dear Parents and Carers,

It is a great pleasure to write to you as the new Headteacher of Grendon Primary School.

Many of you will know that I started my teaching career here many years ago - I even taught some of you myself! I consider myself fortunate to have been able to take on many and varied roles during this time, and have a proven track record in bringing about school improvement.  I am proud and privileged to have now been chosen to lead the school that I am passionate about and committed to.

I was asked at interview, what I liked best about Grendon; a question that had been written by the children. My answer was simple: the children. Having the opportunity to shape their future and ensure that they have access to the best possible education is what continues to motivate and inspire me. Watching your children learn something that they didn’t know, be able to do something that they previously couldn’t do, go somewhere new or see something that they haven’t seen before is still a magical moment and we plan to have many more of them!

Grendon is a very good school that provides a good quality of education for your child. Your children make strong progress during their time here and we were delighted that this was recognised and validated by Ofsted in our recent, very successful inspection. As a senior leader for many years, I am clear about what we already do well and what we now need to improve further. Many of the systems, processes and cycles that drive school improvement are rigorous and efficient and will not change. You will however, notice some changes at Grendon over the coming months as we aim to move with the times and put Grendon firmly on the map as a successful school. Please be reassured that the education we provide and plans for further improvements will continue to be underpinned by our strong ‘We Can’ ethos.

Finally, I would like to sincerely thank you all for your congratulations and best wishes so far. Whenever I can be, I am in the playground before and after school. Please, if you haven’t already, come and introduce yourself.  I recognise the importance of building relationships and working in partnership in order to ensure your children get the most out of their time at Grendon. There will always be new and exciting challenges to face and I look forward to leading the school on the next stage of the journey.

Many Thanks

H Ridley

Headteacher