The Ferncumbe Family will celebrate it's125th birthday this year. The school has had a long, and sometimes chequered, history from the time of its foundation as Hatton Elementary School in 1886. In its early days there was one infant class and one junior class. Since that time the school has expanded considerably. We are now oversubscribed and nearly up to our capacity of 125 pupils.
Many of our parents have chosen Ferncumbe because they value the family ethos that a small school nurtures. I have worked at Ferncumbe for nearly 10 years, wearing a number of 'hats' - , parent, teacher, Deputy Headteacher and now Head Teacher. We have a dedicated team of professionals who aim to develop high standards of behaviour and academic achievement. We are becoming increasingly successful in these aims because each and every pupil is well known to all of the staff. We track their progress carefully, putting in extra support or challenge as appropriate. We strive to keep parents informed and involved.
We know that childen's emotions are key to their learning and healthy development. We are always looking to improve every aspect of school life to make it a place where our pupils feel valued, understood and consulted. Much of what we really want children to learn as they are growing up is 'caught' as much as it is 'taught'. Adults strive to be good role models and enthusiastic learners themselves to promote positive attitudes to school and learning in our pupils. We involve them fully in the wider aspects of school life and give them increasing amounts of responsibility as they mature.
We see ourselves as partners with parents in your children's development. We have an open door policy and welcome parent volunteers to enrich many aspects of school life. The prospectus, can only give a brief introduction to the 'Ferncumbe Family'. If you and your child do join us, there will be a carefully planned induction programme to cement the foundation of what we hope will be a long and fruitful partnership.
Sally Morris, Headteacher
