Making a successful start
From Ousedale School Blog - Friday 15th October 2010
Change is always a difficult part of life and changing jobs is a stressful exercise. This is my first year at Ousedale School as an Assistant Headteacher having moved from a local secondary school. I’m sure many of us remember the nerves of starting at a new workplace and all those questions that went through our head before the first day … “Are the staff going to be friendly?”, “Will I be able to cope with the work?” and “Who can I ask questions to if I don’t understand?”
These are the same kind of questions and worries that must have been going through our Year 7 students’ heads the night before they started with us in September. It is easy to forget how stressful it is to start at a new school but I think our Year 7 students have coped incredibly well. I was lucky enough to talk with parents of our new Year 7 students at the recent Parent/Tutor evening and was pleased to receive such a positive insight into how they are getting on after their first month.
“I haven’t heard the word ‘bored’ once since he started” was the most significant quote I heard during the evening and it’s exciting to know that they are enjoying their learning every day. It is obviously a “step up” in terms of the workload and we know that some students find it more difficult than others to adjust to homework but we’re confident that they will adjust quickly to these new routines. This was one of the many positive comments we received from parents and students on the evening and it’s good to know that our students and their families have had such a positive experience in their first few weeks.
As I walk around school I see Year 7 students who are enthusiastic about school and learning. I was in a French lesson recently where students were singing a song to help them learn the names of the months. It was wonderful to see the energy and enjoyment from the group. I only wish I had a video camera with me to showcase this lesson to other members of staff.
This level of success doesn’t come easily and I’m sure that our students’ success is down to the hard work of their tutors, subject teachers and the pastoral team. Our older students have made our new arrivals welcome and have been helping them out by ensuring they know where to go and that they are able to move around the school confidently.
None of this would have happened without the hard work from the students themselves. They have ensured they are punctual, have all the necessary equipment and putting the maximum effort into their lessons. After such a great start, I am looking forward to seeing how they progress throughout the year. Well done Year 7!
Stuart Ridout
Assistant Headteacher