Dear Prospective Parents,

Firstly, I want to thank you for showing an interest in Ickford School and to invite you to make an appointment to be shown around personally so that you can get a feel for the school and have the opportunity to ask any questions directly. In the meantime, I hope that the school website will give you some insight into life at Ickford School.

I have been Headteacher at Ickford since 2010 and in that time, I am delighted with our progress to being one of the best, maintained, Primary Schools in the United Kingdom. Our success is, without doubt, largely due to the expertise and personal high expectations of the teaching team and the support staff. Teaching and learning is at the centre of everything we do and we make no apologies for taking great pride in our high standards of writing and the quality of children’s work in all subject areas.

Nonetheless, there is far more to Ickford than just academic standards and results. Our aim is that every child leaves our school being able to read music, play two instruments (recorder and violin), have a superb grounding in another language (French from Year R to 6, German and Latin in Year 6) and be masters of technology rather than slaves to it. We aim to teach all subjects well including, Art and PE and a tour of the website should provide you with a glimpse of what the children achieve. Our sporting achievements for such a small school are impressive and we have been County Champions in Netball and Badminton as well as consistent winners in a number of other sports.

We have 4 values, chosen by the children, that underpin all aspects of school life: kindness, honesty, respect and determination and our children not only know these but also try to manifest them in everything they do. Our children mix across all age groups and enjoy each other’s company. Behaviour in classrooms and in the recreational areas is exemplary because expectations are high and we are consistent in our approach.

Good attendance is imperative and, although some children travel quite a distance to come to school, they are on time and attend every day. If you are looking for a school with flexible hours or a laissez-faire approach to absence and time off, please look at another.

Some may describe us as a little ‘old fashioned’, but I disagree. We are, in fact, forward thinking, reflective and passionate and our children leave as confident, considerate individuals well-prepared to tackle the challenges of Secondary School. They recognise the need to work hard in school and know that they are rewarded for effort just as they also know that we are all unique, different and talented in a variety of ways.

There is no ‘required standard’ when starting at Ickford and we have no connection or affiliation with any particular pre-schools. In fact, children come with experience in a variety of pre-school settings. Our only expectation and, if I am honest, request is that your child is ‘toilet trained’ so that they can use the lavatory independently and be able to let a member of staff know if they need to.

Our relationship with parents is important to us and children benefit from a successful partnership where expectations and values are aligned. I encourage you to look carefully at the Home School Contract and at other sections of the website when making your decision about application. If you know that you can support our school and its ethos, and you want your child to receive a very good primary education in a safe and happy environment, then please apply.

Mr Ronane

Headteacher