Latest News
Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
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Our Whitehall Junior Netball Club has now started! Come and join our after school club where you can learn the skills of netball. Enjoy playing with friends and our sports coach Mr Pemberton!
Wed 28 Feb 2024 -
Magical Maths
Wed 14 Dec 2022Our fantastic after school clubs will help to boost your child’s engagement and enjoyment in maths.
For more information and to sign up, please call 0121 392 7475 for any questions about the club Cost is £39.50 for 5 sessions, one hour long. They will take place on the school premises. Limited places so sign up quick! BOOKINGS ARE TAKEN VIA WEBSITE or TELEPHONE.
So why not sign up.
https://www.magicalmathsclub.com/
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Winter Festival
Tue 13 Dec 2022Winter Festival 13.12.22
Come and join us for our Winter Festival!
The children are excited to share what they have been learning in their music lessons. There will be performances of festive favourites, as well as some of our favourite songs we have been learning in lessons and at singing club.
We look forward to welcoming you. Please arrive for 1:45pm.
**Children will be allowed to leave with a caregiver at the end of the festival. Please bear with us while we organise the children at the end of the performance.**
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Inspection of Whitehall Junior Community Schoo
Wed 02 Nov 202202 November 2022
Dear parent or carer
Inspection of Whitehall Junior Community School
We have just told your child's school that we will inspect it on 02 November 2022. The lead inspector will be Ann Pritchard, SHMI. We are writing to you because we would like to know what you think about the school. Please take a few minutes to read the leaflet that came with this letter. It explains why we inspect schools and what happens during an inspection.
Your views about the school are important to us
If you are a registered parent or carer of a pupil at the school (including pupils on sick leave or who are temporarily excluded), you can tell us your views about the school by completing Ofsted's online survey, Ofsted Parent View, at: https://parentview.ofsted.gov.uk.
Ofsted Parent View asks for your opinion on some aspects of your child's school, including the progress made by your child, the quality of teaching, how the school deals with bullying and poor behaviour. It also provides a free-text box for you to make additional comments, if you wish. The inspectors will use the online survey responses when inspecting your child's school. Written comments can also be sent to the school in a sealed envelope, marked confidential and addressed to the inspection team.
To register your views, you will need to provide your email address, which will be held securely. It will not be used for any purpose other than providing access to the online survey. Neither schools nor Ofsted will have access to any email addresses.
Please complete the online survey by 11am on 03 November 2022 as this will give the inspection team more time to consider your views. However, we will consider all online responses that are completed during the inspection, although the free-text box facility will not be available after noon on 03 November 2022.
Speaking to an inspector
If you are unable to complete the online survey, it may be possible to speak to an inspector during the inspection, for instance at the start of the school day, or to pass on messages to the inspectors if you are unable to speak to them in person. Inspection administrators will be happy to make the necessary arrangements. If concerns are raised about child protection, we may have to pass the information we receive to social services or the police. You can contact the administrators on 03000130174. Inspectors will be pleased to receive your comments, but cannot deal with complaints about individual pupils or settle disputes between you and the school.
Gathering personal information on inspection
Inspectors will gather any personal information necessary to assist them in inspecting a school. Our privacy policy sets out what personal information we collect, what we do with it, how long we keep it and individuals' rights under data protection legislation. The contact details for Ofsted's Data Protection Officer are: Email - informationrequest@ofsted.gov.uk; Post - Information management team, Ofsted, 2 Rivergate, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6EH.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete the online survey.
Yours faithfully
Julie Morris
Inspection support administrator
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Sports Day
Fri 08 Jul 2022Sports Day this year, we are going to be taking part in the Sports Relief Lap of Hope.
We will be making Power Pledges for the World we want to see and wearing them with pride as we run rings around the important issues. The children will be given a set time to see how many laps they can walk/run/jog/skip of their school playground.
Year 3 – How many laps can you complete in 10 minutes? Wednesday 13th July
Year 4 – How many laps can you complete in 12.5 minutes? Monday 18th July
Year 5 – How many laps can you complete in 15 minutes?Friday 8th July
Year 6 – How many laps can you complete in 17.5 minutes? Monday 11th July
All children will receive a certificate for taking part and the winners of the most laps will receive a small prize. We would love for you to get behind the children and sponsor them as much as you can.
Please could you share the Just Giving page link with friends and family.
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/whitehall-junior-community-schools-lap-of-hope
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Walsall LASEND WSOA
Tue 14 Jun 202206 June 2022
Letter to be circulated to parents and carers by Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council. Re-visit of Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council from 20 June 2022 to 22 June 2022.
Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) will carry out jointly a re-visit of your local area following the previous inspection that took place between 4-8 February 2019.
The re-visit will evaluate how effectively leaders have addressed the areas of significant weaknesses detailed in the written statement of action (WSOA). The re?visit will be carried out in line with updated guidance about the return to Area SEND inspection, you can read this guidance here.
During the re-visit, Ofsted and CQC inspectors will be keen to speak to as many children and young people and their parents and carers as possible, specifically about the weaknesses identified in the WSOA. These meetings may take place online.
How can local children, young people, parents and carers contribute their views during this local area re-visit?
There are several ways in which children, young people, parents and carers can engage with the re-visit process and contribute their views. The inspectors will gather the contributions of parents and carers through an online survey and a range of other methods.
1. Parents and carers who would like to take part in this survey can follow this internet link: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/WalsallMetropolitanBoroughCouncilRe?VisitLASEND/ The survey will open at 12 noon on Monday 13 June 2022 and close at 12 noon on Friday 17 June 2022.
2. Parents and carers can email their contributions to Lasend.support@ofsted.gov.uk. Ofsted Agora 6 Cumberland Place Nottingham NG1 6HJ Textphone 0161 618 8524 www.gov.uk/ofsted Lasend.support@ofsted.gov.uk
3. Parents and carers can contact their local Parent Carer Forum to find out more about about how they can contribute their views during the local area re-visit.
Details about the local area SEND re-visit will be available on your local authority’s website and distributed through the local area’s Clinical Commissioning Group/s (CCGs).
Information gathered during the re-visit
During this re-visit, inspectors may collect information about children and young people in the area. They may look at local area records, speak to local area officers and leaders at educational settings, and speak to children, young people and parents or carers. No names will be recorded, but some of the information collected may identify a particular child, young person or adult. Ofsted and the CQC will use this information to prepare their re-visit outcomes letter, and for the purposes set out in their privacy notices. No information will be published that identifies any individual in the outcomes letter.
If you wish to know more about how we use the information, please see our privacy notice relating to area SEND on our website. If you have any concerns about our use of personal data, please email informationrequest@ofsted.gov.uk and/or the CQC at information.access@cqc.org.uk.
Information on Ofsted’s and the CQC’s privacy notices is available on the links below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofsted-privacy-notices/social-care?ofsted-privacy-notice#local-area-send-inspections
http://www.cqc.org.uk/about-us/our-policies/privacy-statement
While we recognise that many parents and carers may have views on their experience that extend beyond the focus of the WSOA, we would like parents and carers to understand that the focus of the inspectors during the re-visit will only be the areas of significant weakness identified at the previous inspection. The re-visit team will consider how well leaders have addressed each of the areas of significant weakness detailed in the WSOA. We will not be able to follow up or comment upon individual cases.
You will find information on local areas’ duties towards children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities on the Department for Education’s website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-guide-for-parents-and?carers.
Yours sincerely
Chris Pollitt Her Majesty’s Inspector
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James Watt Primary School joining Cadmus Federation
Wed 04 May 2022.
Consultation on James Watt Primary School joining (federating with) Cadmus Family of Schools
Dear All,
The Governing Board of James Watt Primary School and the Governing Board of Cadmus family of schools have started to consider whether there are benefits to all of the schools if James Watt Primary School joins Cadmus.
The governors of James Watt Primary School, after careful consideration, feel there are greater opportunities and benefits to joining Cadmus family of schools. No final decision has been taken however and governors wish to hear from pupils, staff, parents/carers and the wider community before any decision is taken.
We have put together the reasons why the school wants to join Cadmus and the benefits the school will bring to the Cadmus family. There is a feedback form which we would encourage you to complete with your thoughts on the proposal. There will also be staff and parent/ carer events where you can attend to hear more and ask questions.
The consultation period will run from the 3 May 2022 until midday on the 22 June 2022. Please share with us your thoughts, ideas or concerns so we can make a fully informed decision.
The consultation document is available via the school website. Additional paper copies can be obtained via the school office.
The closing date for comments is the 22 June 2022.
Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to hearing from you
We would encourage you to respond by attending an open session on the following dates:
Separate dates have been organised for staff and unions.
Yours sincerely,
Roland Roberts Tom Nener
Chair of Governors Chair of Governors
Cadmus Family of Schools James Watt Primary School
Consultation on James Watt Primary School joining Cadmus Family of Schools through federation
Consultation Summary (May 2022)
James Watt Primary School and the schools that make up Cadmus family of schools are undertaking a 6-week consultation to determine whether James Watt Primary joining Cadmus is in the best interests of all the schools involved.
The consultation will seek the feedback of pupils, parents/carers, staff, the local community, Trade Unions, the Secretary of State and the Local Authority. This consultation document explains what a federation is, and the benefits it will bring to all the schools involved. There is also a form to complete where you can put forward your views.
In April 2022, the governors of Cadmus and James Watt Primary School separately agreed to go out to consultation on the proposal for James Watt Primary to join Cadmus family of schools. This hasn’t been an instant decision. Mrs Hammond sits as a governor of one of the Cadmus schools. Similarly, Mr Vlahakis, the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Head at Cadmus sits on the James Watt Governing Body. Mr Nener, Chair of Governors at James Watt Primary also already sits on the Cadmus Governing Board. This has led to the increasing sharing of expertise and best practice in both directions.
In addition to receiving the consultation document, drop-in sessions will be organised at James Watt for the parents of James Watt children at 9am and 330pm, where questions can be posed and further information gathered about the proposal. Can you please let the school know if you intend on attending these sessions so they can make appropriate Covid precautions. We would really appreciate your contribution to the consultation.
Do please complete the form at the back of the consultation pack, and send us your views by the 22 June 2022 on our proposal
.
What is a Hard Federation?
A Hard Federation is the name given to the way in which two or more schools work more closely together. There are already a number of schools that make up Cadmus (Alumwell Junior School, Butts Primary School, Chuckery Primary School, Leighswood Primary School, Millfields Primary School, Palfrey Junior School and Whitehall Junior School).
The experiences of these schools is that they have very much kept their own identity linked to the communities they serve. They still receive their own budget, the same staff will deliver the same teaching and learning on a day to day basis and the school will be led by the same leadership team.
What will change is that James Watt Primary will be able to access additional support whether that be staff training and development, leadership capacity, the sharing of best practice or access to Cadmus support services such as SEND support or behaviour management support.
James Watt Primary prides itself on being a safe and welcoming school where every pupil is able to succeed in their studies, take responsibility for their own learning and to love learning. These values align very closely with the ethos and values schools in Cadmus live by.
National guidance in regard to federations states that federations are “not just about structural change. It is also about a different mind-set where the governors and school leaders share a commitment to improving the outcomes and life chances for all children across the Federation, as opposed to just a single school, through a school-led system of raising standards and driving improvement”. (NCTL The governance of Federations, 2014).
What are the values of Cadmus?
Cadmus schools inspire and create a passion for learning. They take a localised and inclusive approach, involving communities, to take collective responsibility for ensuring that every child and young person in the federation receives an excellent education.
Cadmus values its staff, who model themselves as lifelong learners, hungry to acquire new knowledge, skills and understanding. Governors are chosen to enhance the skills within the Federation and it highly values representation from the local community.
Cadmus aspires to deliver lessons using exciting and innovative techniques, so that pupils are absorbed and motivated by their teaching. Cadmus regularly use outdoor learning experiences to deliver the curriculum.
What will it mean?
In practice, it will mean that:
- All schools in the federation will retain their own identity. No school has merged or lost its identity.
- James Watt Primary will continue to be known as a school in its own right, at the centre of the communities it serves.
- There will be no change in current staffing levels, the way classes are organised or the curriculum offer as a result of working as a Federation. Each school will continue to receive its own budget in full.
- There will be a small financial contribution to the Federation for the running of the Federation as a whole but experience from the other schools in Cadmus has been that they get back far more in kind than the costs incurred. History to date has shown that costs per school have fallen as more schools have joined.
- The Federation may employ new staff, with a specific Federation role under a Federation contract. That will be explicit at the point the job is advertised.
- There will be no change to the school’s admissions criteria. Those children entitled to go to the school before federating will be able to go to the school after it federates.
- All schools will continue to have their own Ofsted inspection.
- The reporting of standards will remain separate for each school.
Why are we making this proposal?
Cadmus family of schools was created by a like-minded group of head teachers, governors and staff who recognised that the challenges facing schools were best dealt with together, sharing expertise, good practice and commitment to do the best for children and young people served by its schools.
At the core of the Cadmus way of working is that we are stronger together but that local decision making is best.
Through informal dialogue with staff and governors at James Watt Primary it has become apparent that James Watt shares the same values and passion for improving the education and social and emotional development of children in its schools.
The governors, leadership teams and staff of all the schools have a shared ambition of maintaining a child focussed environment that continues to drive up standards and one which provides supportive space where children and young people are supported to grow in confidence, independence and grow their unique talents and strengths. Cadmus also have a commitment to continually developing and retaining exceptional staff, investing in high quality professional development. Federating will enable all schools to more effectively recruit and retain high quality staff and share and jointly procure staff training across the federation to ensure quality and value for money.
What are the benefits?
The main benefits are:
- A shared commitment to ensuring the very best development and education for pupils regardless of their unique needs.
- Cadmus has extensive experience in supporting primary aged pupils in achieving their potential. It has a growing team of specialists that are experts in constructive behaviour support and SEND support.
- The Federation provides strength in numbers and support at a time when external agencies are reducing support due to budget constraints.
- There will be greater development opportunities for staff, for example, shared training and a broadening of understanding and experience through collaboration with each other.
- The opportunity to attract future experienced Headteachers and senior leaders. Leading a school can be a lonely job and has the pandemic has proven, a highly pressured role. Being part of a family of schools provides breadth of support and also career pathways that create the leaders of the future.
- Where possible, maximise the efficient use of resources to the benefit of the curriculum.
- Less bureaucracy, under a federated structure with one Governing Board but still a local governing committee to provide oversight at a local level.
What will it mean for the children?
On a day-to-day basis there will be no change in school routine or the provision of education at James Watt Primary School. However, there will be opportunities to share staff across schools, which will give access to a much larger pool of knowledge and the chance to share specialist expertise across the schools which will ultimately benefit the children. They will benefit from having access to more opportunities for good quality learning.
There will be greater opportunity to use school resources and budgets more effectively with regard to the purchasing of goods and services which both directly and indirectly impact on the lives of the pupils.
What will it mean for staff?
Day to day management of all schools will continue as it is now. However, there will be opportunities for closer working between staff. This co-operation will create greater development opportunities and career routes within the Federation.
As a federated school James Watt Primary School will remain a maintained (local authority) school with staff remaining on their current terms and conditions. Whilst there may be career opportunities for staff in the future, staff will still be contracted to work at their existing school. Any request to work at another school in the Federation will only be through discussion and agreement with the staff member concerned.
Will staffing change?
No, the staffing arrangements currently in place at James Watt Primary will remain unchanged. Mrs. Hammond will remain the Headteacher leading their school.
It is important to state that there will be no redundancies as a result of moving to a Federation.
What will it mean for parent/ carers?
The schools will continue to operate as usual and parents/carers will continue to receive the same high level of provision and support. It is anticipated that as the schools co-operate more closely and share good practice there will be greater opportunity for shared learning which in turn will help all pupils. This, together with the retention of quality staff, greater staff development and progression opportunities will ensure a continued high standard of education for the pupils at all schools in the Federation.
The day to day contact arrangements between the schools and parents/carers will not be changed by the Federation, but we will continue to seek ways to improve what we do. If you have queries about your child’s education, then you will speak to the same staff members after federating as you do now.
You talk about a local approach but this school is in a different local authority?
In Cadmus we pride ourselves on our schools being at the centre of their local communities. Part of the reason for setting up Cadmus was to evidence that school to school support at a local level led to benefits for all schools without having to academise.
Cadmus is committed to only working with schools that share the same values and ethos. There isn’t an intention to expand for the sake of it.
Will it mean a change to school uniform for the two schools?
No, James Watt Primary School will retain its individual identity and uniform. Parents and carers won’t incur additional costs having to buy new uniform.
What will it mean for the governing board?
Were James Watt Primary to federate with Cadmus then they would join the Cadmus Governing Board. The Chair of Governors at James Watt Primary already sits on the Cadmus Board and the Head teacher would have an influential role alongside all the Head teachers in the federation. The Cadmus Governing Board has overall oversight of the school improvement journey of the Federation and oversight of Cadmus Inclusive (the body that provides support services to Cadmus schools and other schools on a traded not for profit basis).
The existing Governing Board at James Watt Primary will become a Local Governing Committee. The terms of reference give a high degree of autonomy and accountability to the Local Governing Committee. They will still lead the recruitment of senior staff and have oversight of the school, its finances and the progress being made by pupils.
Were James Watt Primary to join Cadmus then the Cadmus Governing Board would include:
- 2 Parent Governors;
- 1 Local Authority Governor;
- 1 Staff Governor;
- 9 Executive Head teacher’s/ Head teachers/ Heads of School for each school in the federation
- 17 Co-opted Governors (including 8 Chairs of local governing
- committees)
Total number of Governors 30
The governors will share a commitment to improving the outcomes and life chances for all children across the Federation, yet still be able work to improve a single school, where needed.
The Local Governing Committee will be responsible for the following in all the schools that they manage:
- Admissions
- Staffing
- Finance
- Premises
- Curriculum
- Wellbeing and safeguarding
- Reporting on results (for example to Ofsted)
- Being accountable to the DfE for results, finances and management.
Cadmus is passionate about retaining local accountability and decision making.
Is there a cost to being a member of Cadmus?
Schools in the federation pay no more than 3% of their budget to the strategic management and operational running of the Federation.
Any surplus created by the Federation is re-invested back into school across the Federation.
What does it mean for admissions?
Admissions to the school will continue to be under the current arrangements and be unaffected by this proposal. Parents and carers will continue to apply for a place at the school of their choice in the usual manner.
Can a school leave a federation? Can other schools join?
It is possible for schools to withdraw from a federation and governing boards must follow a prescribed process, set out in The School Governance (Federations) (England) Regulations 2012. Additional schools can join a federation and the prescribed process is set out in The School Governance (Federations) (England) Regulations 2012.
The news talks about the government wanting all schools to become academies. What is the difference and should we not be looking at academising?
A school that joins a federation remains a local authority maintained school. A federated school can withdraw from a federation by following a prescribed process.
A school that joins an Academy Trust can’t go back to becoming a local authority maintained school. Academy schools are funded directly by the Education Standards Funding Agency (a part of the Department for Education). A Federation school continues to be funded via the local authority.
Cadmus strongly believes that federation has the same benefits as academisation in regard to schools working together to improve schools across the federation and provides a stable support mechanism for the long term. Cadmus has a strong history of school improvement.
It is true that there is encouragement for schools to academise by 2030 as evidenced in the recent government White Paper. The structure of Cadmus means that it can flexibly adapt to whatever the future holds for the sector.
What happens now?
This document is the start of the consultation period on the proposal to federate. All written comments will be considered by the governors when the consultation period closes on and they will then decide whether to proceed or not. If the decision taken is to proceed, the schools will inform the Local Authority that they wish to federate and James Watt Primary School will join Cadmus family of schools. Should the agreement be to federate then it is expected that this will commence from 1st July 2022. Staff and parents/ carers will be kept informed at each stage.
How can I get more information?
This consultation document can be accessed via the Cadmus website and the website of each school
Your views are important to us so please let us have your comments on the proposal by completing and returning the attached response to the school office
Senior staff and governors will be on hand at upcoming events in both schools to respond to queries and explain more about what these proposals mean. The dates for these are as follows:
Proposal for James Watt Primary School to join Cadmus family of schools
Please use this form to add your comments:
Please return your response form to the school office
Your name (BLOCK CAPITALS)
………………………………………………………………………………
School
………………………………………………………………………………
Please indicate which group you belong to by circling the appropriate title:
Parent Staff Member
Other – please specify Rather not say
……………………………………….. Date:
Consultation on James Watt Primary School joining (federating with) Cadmus Family of Schools
Dear All,
The Governing Board of James Watt Primary School and the Governing Board of Cadmus family of schools have started to consider whether there are benefits to all of the schools if James Watt Primary School joins Cadmus.
The governors of James Watt Primary School, after careful consideration, feel there are greater opportunities and benefits to joining Cadmus family of schools. No final decision has been taken however and governors wish to hear from pupils, staff, parents/carers and the wider community before any decision is taken.
We have put together the reasons why the school wants to join Cadmus and the benefits the school will bring to the Cadmus family. There is a feedback form which we would encourage you to complete with your thoughts on the proposal. There will also be staff and parent/ carer events where you can attend to hear more and ask questions.
The consultation period will run from the 3 May 2022 until midday on the 22 June 2022. Please share with us your thoughts, ideas or concerns so we can make a fully informed decision.
The consultation document is available via the school website. Additional paper copies can be obtained via the school office.
The closing date for comments is the 22 June 2022.
Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to hearing from you
We would encourage you to respond by attending an open session on the following dates:
Separate dates have been organised for staff and unions.
Yours sincerely,
Roland Roberts Tom Nener
Chair of Governors Chair of Governors
Cadmus Family of Schools James Watt Primary School
Consultation on James Watt Primary School joining Cadmus Family of Schools through federation
Consultation Summary (May 2022)
James Watt Primary School and the schools that make up Cadmus family of schools are undertaking a 6-week consultation to determine whether James Watt Primary joining Cadmus is in the best interests of all the schools involved.
The consultation will seek the feedback of pupils, parents/carers, staff, the local community, Trade Unions, the Secretary of State and the Local Authority. This consultation document explains what a federation is, and the benefits it will bring to all the schools involved. There is also a form to complete where you can put forward your views.
In April 2022, the governors of Cadmus and James Watt Primary School separately agreed to go out to consultation on the proposal for James Watt Primary to join Cadmus family of schools. This hasn’t been an instant decision. Mrs Hammond sits as a governor of one of the Cadmus schools. Similarly, Mr Vlahakis, the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Head at Cadmus sits on the James Watt Governing Body. Mr Nener, Chair of Governors at James Watt Primary also already sits on the Cadmus Governing Board. This has led to the increasing sharing of expertise and best practice in both directions.
In addition to receiving the consultation document, drop-in sessions will be organised at James Watt for the parents of James Watt children at 9am and 330pm, where questions can be posed and further information gathered about the proposal. Can you please let the school know if you intend on attending these sessions so they can make appropriate Covid precautions. We would really appreciate your contribution to the consultation.
Do please complete the form at the back of the consultation pack, and send us your views by the 22 June 2022 on our proposal
.
What is a Hard Federation?
A Hard Federation is the name given to the way in which two or more schools work more closely together. There are already a number of schools that make up Cadmus (Alumwell Junior School, Butts Primary School, Chuckery Primary School, Leighswood Primary School, Millfields Primary School, Palfrey Junior School and Whitehall Junior School).
The experiences of these schools is that they have very much kept their own identity linked to the communities they serve. They still receive their own budget, the same staff will deliver the same teaching and learning on a day to day basis and the school will be led by the same leadership team.
What will change is that James Watt Primary will be able to access additional support whether that be staff training and development, leadership capacity, the sharing of best practice or access to Cadmus support services such as SEND support or behaviour management support.
James Watt Primary prides itself on being a safe and welcoming school where every pupil is able to succeed in their studies, take responsibility for their own learning and to love learning. These values align very closely with the ethos and values schools in Cadmus live by.
National guidance in regard to federations states that federations are “not just about structural change. It is also about a different mind-set where the governors and school leaders share a commitment to improving the outcomes and life chances for all children across the Federation, as opposed to just a single school, through a school-led system of raising standards and driving improvement”. (NCTL The governance of Federations, 2014).
What are the values of Cadmus?
Cadmus schools inspire and create a passion for learning. They take a localised and inclusive approach, involving communities, to take collective responsibility for ensuring that every child and young person in the federation receives an excellent education.
Cadmus values its staff, who model themselves as lifelong learners, hungry to acquire new knowledge, skills and understanding. Governors are chosen to enhance the skills within the Federation and it highly values representation from the local community.
Cadmus aspires to deliver lessons using exciting and innovative techniques, so that pupils are absorbed and motivated by their teaching. Cadmus regularly use outdoor learning experiences to deliver the curriculum.
What will it mean?
In practice, it will mean that:
- All schools in the federation will retain their own identity. No school has merged or lost its identity.
- James Watt Primary will continue to be known as a school in its own right, at the centre of the communities it serves.
- There will be no change in current staffing levels, the way classes are organised or the curriculum offer as a result of working as a Federation. Each school will continue to receive its own budget in full.
- There will be a small financial contribution to the Federation for the running of the Federation as a whole but experience from the other schools in Cadmus has been that they get back far more in kind than the costs incurred. History to date has shown that costs per school have fallen as more schools have joined.
- The Federation may employ new staff, with a specific Federation role under a Federation contract. That will be explicit at the point the job is advertised.
- There will be no change to the school’s admissions criteria. Those children entitled to go to the school before federating will be able to go to the school after it federates.
- All schools will continue to have their own Ofsted inspection.
- The reporting of standards will remain separate for each school.
Why are we making this proposal?
Cadmus family of schools was created by a like-minded group of head teachers, governors and staff who recognised that the challenges facing schools were best dealt with together, sharing expertise, good practice and commitment to do the best for children and young people served by its schools.
At the core of the Cadmus way of working is that we are stronger together but that local decision making is best.
Through informal dialogue with staff and governors at James Watt Primary it has become apparent that James Watt shares the same values and passion for improving the education and social and emotional development of children in its schools.
The governors, leadership teams and staff of all the schools have a shared ambition of maintaining a child focussed environment that continues to drive up standards and one which provides supportive space where children and young people are supported to grow in confidence, independence and grow their unique talents and strengths. Cadmus also have a commitment to continually developing and retaining exceptional staff, investing in high quality professional development. Federating will enable all schools to more effectively recruit and retain high quality staff and share and jointly procure staff training across the federation to ensure quality and value for money.
What are the benefits?
The main benefits are:
- A shared commitment to ensuring the very best development and education for pupils regardless of their unique needs.
- Cadmus has extensive experience in supporting primary aged pupils in achieving their potential. It has a growing team of specialists that are experts in constructive behaviour support and SEND support.
- The Federation provides strength in numbers and support at a time when external agencies are reducing support due to budget constraints.
- There will be greater development opportunities for staff, for example, shared training and a broadening of understanding and experience through collaboration with each other.
- The opportunity to attract future experienced Headteachers and senior leaders. Leading a school can be a lonely job and has the pandemic has proven, a highly pressured role. Being part of a family of schools provides breadth of support and also career pathways that create the leaders of the future.
- Where possible, maximise the efficient use of resources to the benefit of the curriculum.
- Less bureaucracy, under a federated structure with one Governing Board but still a local governing committee to provide oversight at a local level.
What will it mean for the children?
On a day-to-day basis there will be no change in school routine or the provision of education at James Watt Primary School. However, there will be opportunities to share staff across schools, which will give access to a much larger pool of knowledge and the chance to share specialist expertise across the schools which will ultimately benefit the children. They will benefit from having access to more opportunities for good quality learning.
There will be greater opportunity to use school resources and budgets more effectively with regard to the purchasing of goods and services which both directly and indirectly impact on the lives of the pupils.
What will it mean for staff?
Day to day management of all schools will continue as it is now. However, there will be opportunities for closer working between staff. This co-operation will create greater development opportunities and career routes within the Federation.
As a federated school James Watt Primary School will remain a maintained (local authority) school with staff remaining on their current terms and conditions. Whilst there may be career opportunities for staff in the future, staff will still be contracted to work at their existing school. Any request to work at another school in the Federation will only be through discussion and agreement with the staff member concerned.
Will staffing change?
No, the staffing arrangements currently in place at James Watt Primary will remain unchanged. Mrs. Hammond will remain the Headteacher leading their school.
It is important to state that there will be no redundancies as a result of moving to a Federation.
What will it mean for parent/ carers?
The schools will continue to operate as usual and parents/carers will continue to receive the same high level of provision and support. It is anticipated that as the schools co-operate more closely and share good practice there will be greater opportunity for shared learning which in turn will help all pupils. This, together with the retention of quality staff, greater staff development and progression opportunities will ensure a continued high standard of education for the pupils at all schools in the Federation.
The day to day contact arrangements between the schools and parents/carers will not be changed by the Federation, but we will continue to seek ways to improve what we do. If you have queries about your child’s education, then you will speak to the same staff members after federating as you do now.
You talk about a local approach but this school is in a different local authority?
In Cadmus we pride ourselves on our schools being at the centre of their local communities. Part of the reason for setting up Cadmus was to evidence that school to school support at a local level led to benefits for all schools without having to academise.
Cadmus is committed to only working with schools that share the same values and ethos. There isn’t an intention to expand for the sake of it.
Will it mean a change to school uniform for the two schools?
No, James Watt Primary School will retain its individual identity and uniform. Parents and carers won’t incur additional costs having to buy new uniform.
What will it mean for the governing board?
Were James Watt Primary to federate with Cadmus then they would join the Cadmus Governing Board. The Chair of Governors at James Watt Primary already sits on the Cadmus Board and the Head teacher would have an influential role alongside all the Head teachers in the federation. The Cadmus Governing Board has overall oversight of the school improvement journey of the Federation and oversight of Cadmus Inclusive (the body that provides support services to Cadmus schools and other schools on a traded not for profit basis).
The existing Governing Board at James Watt Primary will become a Local Governing Committee. The terms of reference give a high degree of autonomy and accountability to the Local Governing Committee. They will still lead the recruitment of senior staff and have oversight of the school, its finances and the progress being made by pupils.
Were James Watt Primary to join Cadmus then the Cadmus Governing Board would include:
- 2 Parent Governors;
- 1 Local Authority Governor;
- 1 Staff Governor;
- 9 Executive Head teacher’s/ Head teachers/ Heads of School for each school in the federation
- 17 Co-opted Governors (including 8 Chairs of local governing
- committees)
Total number of Governors 30
The governors will share a commitment to improving the outcomes and life chances for all children across the Federation, yet still be able work to improve a single school, where needed.
The Local Governing Committee will be responsible for the following in all the schools that they manage:
- Admissions
- Staffing
- Finance
- Premises
- Curriculum
- Wellbeing and safeguarding
- Reporting on results (for example to Ofsted)
- Being accountable to the DfE for results, finances and management.
Cadmus is passionate about retaining local accountability and decision making.
Is there a cost to being a member of Cadmus?
Schools in the federation pay no more than 3% of their budget to the strategic management and operational running of the Federation.
Any surplus created by the Federation is re-invested back into school across the Federation.
What does it mean for admissions?
Admissions to the school will continue to be under the current arrangements and be unaffected by this proposal. Parents and carers will continue to apply for a place at the school of their choice in the usual manner.
Can a school leave a federation? Can other schools join?
It is possible for schools to withdraw from a federation and governing boards must follow a prescribed process, set out in The School Governance (Federations) (England) Regulations 2012. Additional schools can join a federation and the prescribed process is set out in The School Governance (Federations) (England) Regulations 2012.
The news talks about the government wanting all schools to become academies. What is the difference and should we not be looking at academising?
A school that joins a federation remains a local authority maintained school. A federated school can withdraw from a federation by following a prescribed process.
A school that joins an Academy Trust can’t go back to becoming a local authority maintained school. Academy schools are funded directly by the Education Standards Funding Agency (a part of the Department for Education). A Federation school continues to be funded via the local authority.
Cadmus strongly believes that federation has the same benefits as academisation in regard to schools working together to improve schools across the federation and provides a stable support mechanism for the long term. Cadmus has a strong history of school improvement.
It is true that there is encouragement for schools to academise by 2030 as evidenced in the recent government White Paper. The structure of Cadmus means that it can flexibly adapt to whatever the future holds for the sector.
What happens now?
This document is the start of the consultation period on the proposal to federate. All written comments will be considered by the governors when the consultation period closes on and they will then decide whether to proceed or not. If the decision taken is to proceed, the schools will inform the Local Authority that they wish to federate and James Watt Primary School will join Cadmus family of schools. Should the agreement be to federate then it is expected that this will commence from 1st July 2022. Staff and parents/ carers will be kept informed at each stage.
How can I get more information?
This consultation document can be accessed via the Cadmus website and the website of each school
Your views are important to us so please let us have your comments on the proposal by completing and returning the attached response to the school office
Senior staff and governors will be on hand at upcoming events in both schools to respond to queries and explain more about what these proposals mean. The dates for these are as follows:
Proposal for James Watt Primary School to join Cadmus family of schools
Please use this form to add your comments:
Please return your response form to the school office
Your name (BLOCK CAPITALS)
………………………………………………………………………………
School
………………………………………………………………………………
Please indicate which group you belong to by circling the appropriate title:
Parent Staff Member
Other – please specify Rather not say
……………………………………….. Date:
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P.E Kits/days updated information
Mon 18 Apr 20225th April 2022
Dear parents/carers
After Easter, we will still be asking the children to come into school in suitable PE clothes.
We ask that you send your child into school wearing suitable clothes on their PE days. This would include joggers, t-shirts (no football shirts please), tracksuits and trainers.
On PE days can the children remove any jewellery (earrings, watches/necklaces) and can long hair be tied back. If girls wear a headscarf, would it be possible to replace this with a hijab cap during PE for safety.
PE days will be:
Year 3- Monday and Tuesday
Year 4- Wednesday and Friday
Year 5- Monday and Thursday
Year 6- Tuesday and Friday
We will be offering extra-curricular clubs again. Year 3 will be on a Monday, Year 4 on a Wednesday, Year 5 on a Thursday, and Year 6 on a Friday. If you require any more information, please ask the office.
Thanks for your continued support.
Mrs Cattell
PE Coordinator
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New Website Launched!
Fri 11 Mar 2022Welcome to our brand new school website! We have created the website to keep parents up to date with school news and notices, and to showcase some of the great things our pupils are achieving. The website is extremely easy to edit by all staff at the school, so check back soon for new updates!
