Dear Parents and Carers,
I hope you had an enjoyable long weekend. As we enter the final half-term of this year, I am sure you are wondering where the time has gone! Inevitably, thoughts turn to September, and who will be teaching your child when they move into the next year group.
Every year, there are several myths surrounding class mixes at Bramhope. Classes are created with careful consideration of several key factors: age, gender, personality, ensuring we have a mix of ability and knowing who the children work well with. This may not be the same as whom the children are friends with, although of course in some cases the two may coincide. Class teachers know your child well. They spend weeks drafting provisional class lists and ensure that no child is isolated. This is quite a challenge, but teachers are experienced in knowing what works best.
I will be writing to all parents on Friday 15 July to inform them which class their child will be in, in the next academic year. This will give you the weekend to talk to your child about forthcoming changes and prepare them for meeting their new teacher.
In the final week of term, your child will meet their new teacher and spend time with children who will form their new class in September. As you are aware, we are in a period of transition while the school gradually expands. This means that in September, there will still be single age classes in reception, Y1 and Y2 and mixed age classes in Years 3-6. Next year, there will be three mixed Y3/4 classes and three mixed Y5/6 classes. We will be growing this single age model through the school over the next three years. By September 2025, all children will be taught in single age classes.
The team at Bramhope are a real strength of the school. We have longstanding staff with a wealth of experience, but we also welcome newcomers. I am sure you will want to join me in congratulating Miss Maull and Miss Parker, both of whom have been offered a permanent teaching position at Bramhope from September. I am really delighted they will be staying with us and building on everything they have worked so hard to achieve this year.
In September, we will also be joined by a new staff member, Richard Street. Mr Street will be joining us as Deputy Head, which is a new position at Bramhope. Richard will be adding capacity to our existing leadership team, working alongside Mrs Laws, Miss Harrison and Mr Dawes and leading Quality of Education across the whole school. Please click HERE to read more about Mr Street.
I know your child will enjoy the next few weeks of this term and I look forward to seeing you at some of our summer events.