Bannockburn Primary School joins PolyMAT

We are very excited to announce that Bannockburn Primary School officially joins PolyMAT today, November 1st 2023. Bannockburn is a large and very successful feeder primary school to our existing two secondary schools and will be a key driver of our ambitions to develop our primary offer to other schools.

Bannockburn Primary School prides itself on fostering a unique and diverse learning environment that empowers students to reach their full potential. The school spans two sites, both located within the Plumstead area, offering a purpose-built nursery unit at the Manor Way site. Bannockburn is a school with high aspirations for pupils, their families and the community of Plumstead.

The arrival of Bannockburn means that we now provide education to over 3600 young people in the Thamesmead and Plumstead locality and can extend our work to achieve our vision of Success for Everyone through a cross-phase approach to the education journey.

Bannockburn’s longstanding success and popularity are driven by their caring culture which always puts children first. This was evident from our first discussions and it was clear that PolyMAT’s values of Care and Unity are already reflected in how Bannockburn look after their children and their community.

Our expanded partnership now offers the chance to design the learning journey “through the eyes of the child” and minimise disruption caused by the transition from primary to secondary. The benefits of staff collaborating between phases are considerable and we are all excited about the opportunities of working with our expanded “family”.

Rachel Ford, Headteacher of Bannockburn Primary School, said: “We are all excited to build on our partnership with PolyMAT; sharing an aligned vision to provide our school communities with new opportunities and quality experiences".

Tim Plumb, CEO of PolyMAT, said: “Bannockburn is the perfect school to be the first part of our primary offer, and we warmly welcome their staff, children and community into our partnership – this is a special day for our schools and our Trust”.

PolyMAT Welcomes Bannockburn to the Trust with a Sweet Surprise

This morning, our CEO Tim Plumb and COO Alexa Rendell visited Bannockburn's High Street and Manor Way sites to extend a warm welcome and to deliver some delicious chocolates. This visit commemorates Bannockburn joining our trust, and we couldn't be more thrilled about this partnership and what the future holds for PolyMAT.

Celebrating Black History Month with Ore Ogungbayi

As part of our Black History Month celebration, we had the pleasure of hosting Ore Ogungbayi. This year's theme is “Saluting our Sisters,” and Ore is a remarkable example of a successful, resilient woman. Ore shared her story of growing up as a child of Black Nigerian immigration, fostered by a white British family. She was recently featured in a Channel 5 documentary that explored the impact of "farming," a practice where over 70,000 West African children were fostered by white Britons between 1955 and 1995. The documentary sheds light on the controversy surrounding this official policy and the long-lasting effects it had on those impacted by it.

Despite the challenges Ore faced, she became a successful entrepreneur, author, life coach and public speaker. For over a decade, Ore has worked with our school, delivering workshops on public speaking. During her visit, Ore spoke about her success and resilience, and we are extremely proud to have her as part of our community. Ore, we salute you!

Synopsis of the documentary:

The Channel 5 documentary explores the experiences of nine individuals who were raised as part of the controversial "farming" practice. These individuals were fostered by white Britons between 1955 and 1995, and they share their stories of dealing with such a major change at a young age. For many of them, the workshop retreat was the first time they had the opportunity to connect with others who shared similar experiences. The documentary, called "White Nanny Black Child," is a personal, poignant, and sometimes unsettling reflection on identity, belonging, and the nature of family.

Woolwich Polytechnic Sixth Form will be hosting an Open Afternoon for Internal (WPSfB and WPSfG) students on Wednesday 8 November 2023. Students have been invited to attend one of two slots based on tutor group number. Tutor Group 1s have been invited to the 2:50pm slot; Tutor Groups 2s have been invited to the 3:35pm slot.

Are you interested in becoming a governor?

We are looking forward to hosting our Governance Open Morning on Thursday 12th October 2023 for prospective Trustees and ACMs (local governors). For more information about the event and to register click the link below:

Online Registration Form - Governance Open Mornings

AIM Mentoring Programme – Wednesday 20^th September 2023

Representatives from Visionpath provided a workshop for our Year 12 and 13 students on Wednesday 20^th September showcasing their mentoring programme, "AIM."

Woolwich Polytechnic Sixth Form have worked with Visionpath over the last few years on different programmes that support young people in their development of their next career steps.

The AIM initiative provides a programme of one-to-one mentoring, skills sessions and career insights that will help A Level students from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds to gain knowledge and experience to shape their future careers in technology.

A wonderful opportunity for our students, who thoroughly enjoyed the workshop.

It can be tricky deciding whether or not to keep your child off school, nursery or playgroup when they're unwell.

There are government guidelines for schools and nurseries about managing specific infectious diseases at GOV.UK. These say when children should be kept off school and when they shouldn't.

If you do keep your child at home, it's important to phone the school or nursery on the first day. Let them know that your child won't be in and give them the reason.

If your child is well enough to go to school but has an infection that could be passed on, such as a cold sore or head lice, let their teacher know.

Is my child too ill for school? - Click this link

NHS Website