Welcome to the Governor Visits page. Governors provide a crucial role supporting the school to achieve the very best outcomes for all of your children. This page will provid brief ongoing account of some of our work.
21st and 27th March: Liz Court (Chair of Governors) Royal Albert Hall Spectacular and The School Spring Concert
I have been privileged to attend two recent events with Woodcroft that demonstrate a commitment to enriching pupils experience through the arts. On Friday 21st March I went along with Y4 to the Classical Spectacular at The Royal Albert Hall; a performance that thrilled everyone who went along. I then came to Woodcroft’s own instrumental concert on Thursday 27th March, courtesy of the woodwind and string musicians. The school’s violin, cello, flute and clarinet players put on a wonderful show for the pupils and their families. It is fantastic to see such a rich variety of activities taking place at Woodcroft. Well done to Miss Sherring and the whole school staff.
12th March 2014: Liz Court & Donna Dolphin Voice in a Million at Wembley Arena We were privileged to be invited to attend this spectacular show held at the Wembley Arena. The Year 5 Choir had a great time and sang the songs with amazing energy and enthusiasm. Well done to Mrs Sherring and the Year 5 teachers, Ms Vanner and Mr Scudetto, for organising this event for our pupils.
10th March 2014: Liz Court (Chair Of Governors) Barnet Dance Festival at the Arts Depot Finchley
There were good performances from all the schools that took part and they all deserved congratulations for their dedication and hard work. Yet again I felt Woodcroft stood out for their talent, costumes, dance and music. They certainly showed the Alice In Wonderland story in an entirely different and unforgettable way.
27th February 2014: Donna Dolphin (Parent Governor) Music and Enrichment
I attended a KS2 Achievement Assembly that was led by the school’s Drama Club. The club, run by Miss Burnett, performed their own version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This was another example of the fantastic dance and drama opportunities offered at Woodcroft. The enrichment of pupils experience at the school makes me proud to be a part of it.
24th to 26th February: Donna Dolphin (Parent Governor) Music and Enrichment
In my role as Governor for Music and Enrichment I have spent the week helping out with the school’s preparations for Rock Challenge. 2014. I would like to say a big thank you on behalf of the Governors to all of the pupils and staff involved. What a fantastic group of children they are! The whole of this experience leading up to the competition in Stevenage on Wednesday night made me so proud. The pupils were fantastically well behaved, looked great in their costumes and performed wonderfully. I am looking forward to the Finals in June!
24th February 2014: Father Hugh Moore (Community Governor) Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Education (SMSC) Monitoring Visit
I visited school today to look see first-hand some if the work that Woodcroft does to promote Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Education. I attended an assembly lead by the Headteacher based around the theme of ‘Be The Best You Can Be’, a current whole school project to raise aspirations. In the assembly children spoke about important role models such as sports stars, and how they could achieve their dreams. The school had been visited by Ian Rose, an inspirational Paralympics judo champion. I then looked at examples of work on display around the school; picture galleries, paintings, school council boards, foreign language and international link celebrations. The school very visibly promotes many aspects of SMSC. I then met with Mrs Valoti (Assistant Head with responsibility for SMSC & RE). We discussed how the school has incorporated the Borough Agreed Scheme of Work for RE into their curriculum. Then a brainstorm of SMSC across the curriculum demonstrated how it is integrated into drama, music, multi-cultural events, languages, RE and PSHCE.
24th February 2014: Liz Court & Elaine Hurley Governor Development – Pupil Premium Training
John Paxton, Local Authority Advisor, presented Governors with an overview for effective use of the Pupil Premium. This is Government Funding designated for schools to use to support vulnerable pupils and ensure they achieve as much progress as possible. The training helped Governors clarify how to monitor if the school is using the money to achieve maximum impact on pupil achievement. A great deal of work has already been done at Woodcroft to ensure these aims are met. An overview of Woodcroft’s Pupil Premium budget can be found on the ‘Information Page’.
13th February 2014: Liz Court Year 4 School Visit to the Verulamium in St Albans I was pleased to help with a trip organised for Year 4 pupils, and what a lovely day I had. Despite all of the rain and flooding recently, we were treated to a beautiful sunny day! Miss Cox and Miss Blyth had organised an informative and fun fill trip visit to support their history studies about the Romans. The pupils were a pleasure to work with and were polite and well behaved at all times.
10th February 2014: Elaine Hurley & Liz Court Safeguarding & Child Protection Training
Two Governors attended training at the North London Business Park. The course, part of a package available to all governors, provided them with an overview of legislation, guidance and procedure. Governors provide a vital role in helping to ensure the health and welfare of the whole school community.
10th February 2014: Donna Dolphin (Parent Governor) Be The Best You can Be Project
I enjoyed coming into school today learn about how the school is helping the children be the best they can be! I watched an assembly that celebrated the children’s achievements and told the children about aspects of the project like the new aquarium. I also spent some time with the Rock Challenge Club as they prepare for their competition.
3rd February 2014: Liz Court (Chair of Governors) School Staff Training Session Today I attended a school INSET session that gave staff ‘hands on’ experience of a new maths resource that is being introduced in the school called Numicon. The session was lead by a Maths consultant and showed how it could be used throughout the school from Nursery to Year 6. This session was an example of the high quality of staff development that takes place at Woodcroft every week.
3rd February 2014: Additional Governors Meeting Governor Audit and Action Planning
Governors organised an additional meeting today to review their responsibilities and agree their Governance action plan for the forthcoming year. Governors play a vital strategic role in supporting and challenging the school to be the best it can be. Following this meeting Governors are now clearer about their monitoring duties.
28th January 2014: Richard Burrows (Chair of Finance) Governor Development: School Budget Training
I attended an extremely worthwhile and informative training session run by Nick Adams, Schools Finance Manager the Local Authority. The session provided me with an update on governor responsibilities over the budget and financial procedures in school.
28th January 2014: Liz Court (Chair of Governors) ‘Be The Best That You Can Be!’ Launch:
I was privileged to attend the launch of the ‘Be The Best’ project in school. Ian Rose, a Paralympic and World Judo Champion, took an assembly and told us all about his life, the challenges he faced and the inspiration he received. Although partially sighted in one eye, and totally blind in his other, Ian was encouraged to take up judo when he was only seven years old. He enjoyed it, trained hard, and never gave up. He was full of fun and a truly inspiring speaker. All of the children from Foundation Stage to Year 6 responded warmly to him.
After assembly we visited each class for a photograph and for him to answer questions about his life and achievements. Two lucky children were thrilled to wear his Olympic medals. I feel sure that the whole school will remember his visit for a long time and, hopefully, be encouraged to keep trying and to do their best even when things seem hard. I think it is fantastic that the school are running exciting and innovative programmes for the pupils of Woodcroft. We even had reporters from Barnet Press and Hendon Times in school to find out about our fantastic work.
6th January 2014: Liz Court (Chair Of Governors)
Teacher Training Day: I attended a teacher INSET day which was about a new school project called ‘Be The Best You Can Be‘. This was set up as part of the 21st Century Legacy following the London 2012 Olympics. The aim of the programme is to encourage children to have the confidence to be the best they can be and how every adult involved with them can help them to achieve their goals. The sessions, lead by a professional sports psychologist who works with international athletes, was very informative and thought provoking. I will follow the development of this programme at Woodcroft with great interest.
12th December 2013 – Donna Dolphin (Parent Governor) Christmas Lunch:
I helped out with Christmas lunch today and was kept busy throughout the service. The children had a lovely time with good food, Christmas music and crackers for all! Well done to the Kitchen staff and Meal Time Supervisors for ensuring this busy lunchtime ran so smoothly. I was also good to see so many staff enjoying lunch with the children and making it a special mealtime. 11th December 2013 – Liz Court (Chair of Governors) Christmas
Performances: I have seen all of the shows this year; Foundation Stage, Year 1 and Year 2 – what a treat! All of the children performed beautifully, their costumes were delightful and the singing amazing! Many thanks, and congratulations, to all of the staff and helpers who make these shows so memorable.
30th November – Liz Court (Chair of Governors)
I visited the school today with a friend on a visit from Nigeria. She was delighted with all that she saw in the school. I stayed after lunch to help with the Christmas Table Top Sale. It was lovely to see all of the parents and Friends of Woodcroft supporting the school and making the event so successful. Well done to everyone involved. I am now looking forward to watching all of the Christmas performances that are coming up soon.
25th November – Liz Court (Chair of Governors)
Father Moore (SMSC Governor) and I had a meeting with Mr Tallon along with an external consultant called Ken Warburton. Ken is an experienced education advisor and Ofsted Inspector. We were meeting to carry out Mr Tallon’s annual performance review. I am pleased to report that the school’s targets have been met and we look forward to another successful and exciting year ahead.
21st November 2013 – Donna Dolphin (Parent Governor) Little Oaks:
Today I took the opportunity to spend some of the morning in Little Oaks, Woodcroft’s Parent and Toddler Group. This was very well organised by Miss Finnegan and felt very safe and fun for younger children of all ages.
KS 1 Music Festival:
For the rest of the morning I attended the KS1 Barnet Music Festival that was being hosted by Woodcroft and involved our Y2 classes along with children from 5 other schools. The event was fabulous, and reduced me to tears at one point seeing the enjoyment on the children’s faces as they sang their hearts out. Well done to all of the staff for preparing the children so well. 13th November 2013 – Donna Dolphin (Parent Governor) Year 3
Egyptian Day:
I enjoyed coming into school today for the Year 3 Egyptian Day. The children were really enjoying the experience, and I must say that I also learned a lot as well. It was great to see the children dressing up and getting involved in the practical activities. I even got my own hands dirty!
