Over the last six months, Ab Kettleby and Somerby Primary Schools have put together a portfolio of evidence under a number of competencies: Leadership and Strategy, Organisational Structure and Culture, Support for Staff, Pupils and Parents, Professional Development and Working with External Stakeholders, to validate their good practice. The Award acknowledges the work involved in keeping children mentally active and the positive working environment which has been created, where staff feel supported and able to share the concerns that are affecting their mental health.

Ab Kettleby and Somerby Primary Schools offer children a wide range of strategies to support their mental health and wellbeing, underpinned by the PSHE Curriculum (Personal, Social, Health and Economic). Children talk openly about their emotions, work hard every day to develop positive mental health and wellbeing, and take the time to notice how others are feeling.

Children are taught strategies to aid their wellbeing to be used in times of self-regulation, such as yoga or breathing exercises, and are encouraged to make someone’s day by offering an act of kindness. In addition to this, encouraging words from adults in school are as important for developing children’s confidence and self-esteem.

For staff across the two schools, there is an openness in acknowledging staff needs and the importance of balance with respect to their personal and professional lives. This is assisted through a culture of open dialogue relating to mental health and wellbeing, in which staff are encouraged to have the confidence to speak to senior leaders.

“As the trained Senior Mental Health Lead for the schools, I’m aware that the number of children with a diagnosed mental health disorder is on the increase. Early intervention is imperative to help build social and emotional skills, which are essential for learning and life and good future mental health. Working towards this Award over the last six months has given us the opportunity to celebrate the wonderful work we already do to support mental health and wellbeing and put an action plan in place to continue to enhance this work across the wider Trust.” Andrea Brown, Headteacher of Ab Kettleby and Somerby Primary Schools

“The teachers in school always take time for us, always understand our feelings and always put children first.” Head Girl, Ab Kettleby Primary School

“In total we have had 410 primary schools across the UK achieve our school Mental Health Award since it started in 2017: 173 have achieved the Bronze Award, 173 have achieved the Silver Award, and 64 have achieved the Gold Award. We are delighted that Ab Kettleby and Somerby Primary Schools have successfully achieved the Silver Award.” Carnegie School of Education, Leeds Beckett University

Find out more about the Mental Health Awards here.

The Grove were nominated as Spirit of The Games winners, Ab Kettleby were crowned overall winners in the Develop Competition, and Brownlow will progress to the finals in the Spring Term! Well done to everyone involved and thank you to the student leaders for officiating!

Children from Buckminster Primary School also sang during the local community service in Sewstern, Mr Rifugiato sounded The Last Post for John Ferneley College's annual commemoration, and Creative Learning Services delivered a World War I history workshop for Year 6 children at The Grove Primary School.

It is testament to the continuous dedication that our teams at the school and across the Trust demonstrate in support of our children.

You can view the full report here: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/23/149271?utm_source&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=report

We had a wonderful morning celebrating their conversion; Year 5 & 6 children enjoyed giving tours and showing us their favourite features of the school, and Julia Orridge, Headteacher at Buckminster Primary School, also co-ordinated virtual meetings for children from across the Trust to introduce themselves!

‘We are really pleased to officially join the Mowbray Education Trust. The school has been on an incredible journey over the last year and are looking forward to continually developing the quality of education with the support and guidance of the family of schools within the MET.’ Julia Orridge

‘Thank you to everyone who attended. We had a lovely morning welcoming members of the community to the Trust. We look forward to the continued collaborative support and development between school and Trust teams.’ Carl Elder, Interim Chief Executive Officer

‘Despite the school’s challenging recent past, through the leadership of the new Headteacher, Julia Orridge, with support from Ian Toon and the wider Trust team, this is a school which the community can be proud of.’ Drew Richardson-Walsh, Vice Chair 

Thank you to everyone who organised and attended the services, it was wonderful to see so many of you there.

Read Somerby's write-up here.

At Ab Kettleby Primary School, this has already included running, karate club, balance bike sessions and the tennis festival at Melton Mowbray Tennis Club!

The Grove Primary School celebrated Roald Dahl Day, with the children coming to school dressed as their favourite characters and taking part in lots of creative activities.

Ab Kettleby Primary School also kick-started their shared reading initiative, which will take place every Friday!

The school works collaboratively with Friends of the Tenth to bring the history of the village to life for our pupils.

Read the full report here. 

We are very proud of all the work that has gone towards them and can't wait to see what they do next.

Read the write-up for John Ferneley College here. 

Thank you also to the Melton Times for the lovely coverage on the event! Read more here. 

It was also lovely to see their art week featured in the Melton Times! You can read the full write-up here.

Here are some photos from sunny sports days across the Trust, which also saw a staff relay at John Ferneley College, and the Leicestershire and Rutland School Games Event at Loughborough University that some of our primaries took part in!

Thank you to everyone at the station for being so welcoming.

Leicester and Leicestershire Careers Hub recently highlighted the efforts of Samm Stanley, KS4 Futures Lead and Business Studies Teacher at John Ferneley College, in preparing her students for the future by partnering with leading employers for an innovative Experiences of the Workplace Project: Unbox Your Future.

Unbox Your Future provides students with invaluable hands-on experience and insights into various industries, helping them connect classroom learning with real-world applications.

Engaging with these employers not only equips students with critical skills and knowledge but also fosters meaningful professional relationships that can guide their career paths.

A huge thank you to these employers for their commitment to shaping the future workforce:

Cadent Gas Limited
Mars
Samworth Brothers
Peter Le Marchant Trust
Hallmark Consumer Services

Thank you to everyone who attended, from evacuees who were placed at the school during the war, to the 1000th pupil and former headteachers.

It was a heart-warming day filled with stories of camaraderie, family and community which will be documented for future generations.

Read the full write-up in the Melton Times here.

We are so proud of our teams and the dedication and commitment to sport that they continue to demonstrate!

The article shares best practice on reading for pleasure and the ideas and approaches that have been taking place across our schools to instil a love of reading in our pupils.

https://www.headteacher-update.com/content/best-practice/reading-for-pleasure-ideas-and-approaches

Well done on this fantastic achievement!!

Read the write-up in the Melton Times here.

Thank you to Leicestershire Music for teaching our children about the dynamics, tempo, rhythm, riff and texture of music today. The children were mesmerised and engaged and everyone had a brilliant time!

You can view a clip from their performance at Ab Kettleby here.

The School Games Mark recognises schools which have excelled in developing competition across their school and into their community. The Platinum Status is the highest award that can be achieved through the scheme, so this is an amazing accolade.

Well done to our staff and students, we are so proud of your accomplishment!

During the Spring Term, The Grove Primary School welcomed James from MADMAC and Alison Riggall, Link Trustee, to their coffee mornings.

Please contact our schools if you would like more information.

The Grove Primary School Sherard Primary School Brownlow Primary School

They came fourth in the Gymnastics County Final which was held at Oakham Artistic Gymnastics Academy on 20th March.

Our pupils also came first in the Sportsability and Curling competitions at SMB College Group, after competing against eight local schools. They will go on to represent Melton and Belvoir in the County Finals!

Well done to Mrs Brown and the team for your continuous dedication and support.

14 schools performed in the first stages of the challenge on 6th and 7th March, which were then whittled down to 6 finalists. Among the finalists were our Key Stage 2 pupils from Brownlow Primary School, who performed brilliantly!

Well done to everyone who took part. You were incredible!

Well done to our children for representing the school and the Trust in true cross country conditions!

You can view JFC's full sports reports here: https://www.johnferneley.org/weeklybulletin

You can view Iveshead's updates in their newsletters here: https://ivesheadschool.org/parents/letters-home/

John Ferneley College Ab Kettleby Primary School Iveshead School

Pupils from Somerby Primary School and Ab Kettleby Primary School enjoyed being Romans for the day on Friday 15th March!

They learned how to build catapults, use weaponry, dress in armour and use marching formations. The children really enjoyed their day, and Queen Boudicca herself complimented them on their manners and listening skills!

Rushcliffe Country Park

Well done to all involved, it was fantastic to see our pupils perform with such enthusiasm. The Grove Primary School made it to the semi-finals, with Brownlow Primary School taking the win!

Thank you to everyone who supported the pupils and the event, including some of our students at John Ferneley College.  

It was great to hear from so many insightful and inspiring leaders.

Thank you to Optimus Education for hosting the event!

Before half term, pupils from across our primary settings participated in the Melton & Belvoir Year 5/6 Swimming Gala at Waterfield Leisure Centre! We witnessed some fantastic swimming, effort and sportsmanship from everyone involved. 

Well done to our swimmers from Brownlow Primary School who placed first, and will go on to represent Melton and Belvoir in the SSPAN led County Final taking place in the summer term. 

They really enjoyed the experience and felt inspired to discover their love for music. We are already looking forward to them being part of this again next year!

Thank you to our staff and families for supporting the children and making the day possible.

The blog considers the role of schools and trust leaders in restoring students' sense of belonging and connection to their community, and why this is important.

Our pupils had an amazing time and felt inspired looking towards their own futures at secondary school.

Well done to our performers who put on a brilliant show and performed amazingly throughout the week!

Thank you to Mrs Mitcham, Mrs Richards and the teams who helped to organise and setup the show. 

The initiative is part of a programme of features aimed at making Melton a greener place to live in. Our pupils were proud to represent the school and the Trust and contribute towards the local community, and they did a wonderful job despite the cold!

You can view the story in the Melton Times here. 

Our Trust Reading Lead, Lucy Neath, also provides valuable practical insight into this study and how taking part has helped us to develop trust-wide improvements to reading.

Find out more here: https://zurl.co/TltL

You can view the piece here: We must think beyond reform and prioritise belonging (schoolsweek.co.uk).

It is wonderful to see the coverage of our pupils engaging with the topic of World War II, and exploring the links within their local community.

Thank you Melton Times for featuring this story, and to Friends of the Tenth for organising the programme. The children had a fabulous day!

You can view the full story here. 

It was wonderful to see everyone's hard work rewarded as we celebrated this new and improved space, ready for our children to enjoy.

Thank you to everyone who contributed towards this effort, including the Leicester Tigers Foundation, Wooden Spoon Charity and GS Developments!

You can view the full story in the Melton Times here, or in Love Business East Midlands here.

Click the link below to see how we remembered. 

You can view the report on their website here.