BRATTON Primary School’s new headteacher is pleased with the welcome he has received since arriving, and is excited to help the school improve.
Ian Bolton started at the school early in April, after teaching at Larkhill Primary School in Salisbury, where he was deputy head.
38 year-old Ian, who has been teaching for 15 years said, “It’s going very well already, and everybody has made a really good transition.
“I took the post as headteacher because it was an ambition of mine, and this seemed like the right time and the right place.
“The school, which is already good, has a lot of potential to grow and improve. The staff are motivated for our journey, the parents have been supportive, and the children are enthusiastic; Bratton has a very vibrant community and there’s a real buzz for learning at the school.
“I’ve been made to feel very welcome, and I am excited and motivated by people’s positive response to my arrival.
“One of the things that attracted me to the school was the size. We currently have 120 pupils, so there is an opportunity for me to get to know many of the pupils.
“When schools get to a certain size, administration takes over the teaching aspect of your job and it’s harder to connect with the children and to have an impact.
“One of the biggest changes at the school will be the assessment framework; we will be aiming the learning at children’s specific skill sets. The new curriculum which started last year gives less coverage of subjects and instead a deeper understanding and secure grasp on the skills pupils need to progress in their learning.
“It’s nice to finally be settled here after a number of visits, and to be working with such positive, polite, and chatty children. I’m really looking forward to helping the school fulfil its full potential.”
Bratton Primary School, on Carpenter’s Lane, teaches students from reception to year six.
The school received a ‘Good’ rating at its last Ofsted inspection in 2012.
The report said, “The school has sustained year-on-year improvement since the previous inspection.
“Pupils achieve well. By the time they leave the school, pupils show that they can learn confidently with and from each other, and are capable of sustaining good learning into the future.”
