The sun sets on what has been a fantastic year of achievement, success and progress for the Little Green Community. I am still buzzing from the Year 6 Leavers production of Matilda and the Talent Show today. Just scanning the website and the previous Newsweb editions highlights the incredible year we can all celebrate. Thank you to everyone for making the Little Green Team what it is today! But we never rest on our laurels and we have so many exciting plans to come; so many new opportunities for our community to share with in September; so many chances to be even better. Watch this space!

However, I have one particular failing for which I want to personally and publicly apologise. As a headteacher and a school, we have not managed to support the whole community to understand how we can best support our whole community to learn to behave and be a positive part of the community for future generations. As you would expect from Little Green, our careful research shows the best way to do this in bucket loads and we will do far more workshops in the coming terms to support everyone to understand and to help us do the best for everyone. But for now, inspired by our recent poetry competition, I thought I'd start the conversation in the medium of poetry.

'Someone should do something about those children.'

Someone should do something about those children.

As a headteacher who knows things, some things I wish were just not real.

I wish I could tell you so you would understand and empathise,

but everything is confidential these days - a confidence of ignorance.

Someone should do something about those children.

But I can't tell you about that child.

Perhaps I can tell you about those children...

Those children, whose parents struggle with substance abuse and so leave their children to make their own dinner - or don't.

Who wash their own clothes - or don't.

Who look after their siblings the best they know how - the way they were looked after - with a belt or a fist.

Who come to school looking for safety and kindness...

And are laughed at, or judged because they don't know how to read - but who read with them?

Or can't tie their shoelaces - but who showed them?

Or can't cry anymore because crying doesn't make anything better.

Crying is embarrassing. Children laugh - but not kindly.

Those children who are missed from the invite to a party.

A party all their classmates talk about- turning the knife of isolation and loneliness and unbelonging.

A knife twisted with every comment, conversation and look from peers and parents.

It hurts so much.

Those children who use their bodies to communicate their pain because no one taught them how to use the words.

Those children whose parents don't look after them,

because they are dead, or mentally unwell, or locked up, or were never taught themselves.

Those children who don't know what consistent love feels like.

Those children so much less fortunate than our own.

Those children who deserve the unwavering love of their community.

Someone should do something about those children.

That, we can agree on.

Have a lovely summer and I look forward to talking with you all in September.

Ethos Poetry Competition Winner and Nature Photography Competition

Thank you and happy adventures to our Brass Lead

Mr. Ashley Horton!

Thank you and Happy Adventures to

Rev. Jon Bishop

Learning outside the classroom!