Jenny’s return to Motcombe Infant ‘Golden’ School

Jenny went back to one of her very special schools just recently. Both Jane Midwinter and Fizz Starkey are ex-headteachers of this school and both have been accredited in the Whole School Quality Circle Time Model after attending Train the Trainers courses. And they have left a legacy of goldenness!! Fiona Day, acting headteacher has carried on the wonderful work and now Tracey Robinson is going to steer them to finally receive their formal Gold Award!! We are lucky enough to have a resume of Motcombe’s journey to goldenness and detail about Fizz Starkey who first started working with Jenny in 1995.

(See here for Train the Trainers course details or phone 01225 767157 to find out more)

Quality Circle Time at Motcombe Community Infant School, Eastbourne

Fizz Starkey, headteacher  and Ruth Holyoak, deputy headteacher, attended a one day training course run by Jenny Mosley in 1995 – on a Saturday!  This resulted in training for the whole school staff and the Governing Body in 1996.  From then the model was adopted and it became central to the ethos and success of the school – (mentioned very positively in all Ofsted reports).

There are many reasons why all aspects of the model have continued to be at the heart of the school’s achievements.

Firstly, there is a total commitment to the model.  All new staff attend training run by Jenny or a member of her team and they are supported by staff members who are very familiar with it.

It is well resourced and its success in classrooms, the dining hall, the playground and across the whole school community is regularly monitored and any weaknesses are addressed via an action plan following consultation with staff, governors, the Pupil Council and parents.

Staff and pupils are empowered to suggest ways in which improvements can be made. For example, lunchtime procedures and play times were significantly improved when support staff took on responsibility for organising them, training playground helpers and friends to work with them.  Staff have lots of fun too.  There are many ways that they are able to help each other, especially when times are tough!

Parents have a big part to play.  They are invited to attend annual workshops; they sign up to the model annually and have termly opportunities to attend a Parents Forum where issues can be discussed with the year group leader and governors. Newsletters, postcards home and stickers enable them to share in the successes of the children.

The Governing Body also plays its part.  The Golden Model figures highly in the selection process for staff and the successive headteachers/ Acting heads have all continued to pursue its philosophy.  They have been supportive in funding two heads, Fizz Starkey and Jane Midwinter to become accredited Quality Circle Time Trainers.  This has enabled the school to keep up to date with current thinking and for Fizz, retired since 2010, to support other schools in the area.

Following the appointment of Jane to a school in special measures, Fiona Day, deputy head and a long standing member of the Motcombe Team continued the good work and with Tracy Robinson, the school’s new headteacher, well versed in the model, already having invited Jenny into a “Shining up the Model” day there is no doubt that the community will continue to flourish and that Motcombe children will continue to be happy, thriving and successful learners.

That Saturday course attended 20 years ago has a lot to answer for!  It changed my life and consequently the lives of many others.

Fizz Starkey, January 2015

Here are a few paragraphs from Fizz Starkey, Education Consultant and former Headteacher of Motcombe Infant School

I worked successfully as Headteacher of Motcombe Infant School (four form entry) from April 1994 until August 2010.  Prior to this I built up considerable experience of working within the primary sector, teaching children from aged 3-12 years in both small rural and large urban schools.

Two Deputy Headships preceded my appointment as Headteacher. Ofsted in 2008 highlighted that the dynamic leadership of both senior staff and governors with an inspirational head at the helm assured the school’s outstanding status. I am totally committed to the Every Child Matters Agenda and am convinced that multi-agency working and strong school communities are the ways to ensure that every child has the opportunity to become a high achieving, self-motivated and enthusiastic lifelong learner. With this philosophy in mind, our school successfully applied in February 2009 to the NSCL for me to become a National Leader in Education (NLE) and for it to achieve National Support School (NSS) status. This proved to be a mutually beneficial initiative, with our staff gaining valuable experience in further strengthening their leadership and management skills in differing environments.

An appointment as Acting Head of a school in Special Measures during 2003 furthered my understanding of headship and HMI were confident that I moved the school forward successfully. In 1999 I was seconded to the East Sussex Advisory Service as a Link Adviser.  This provided opportunities to work with schools focussing on the School Improvement Agenda.  I also mentored new headteachers and worked as a Primary Strategy Leader.

Prior to my roles as a senior leader, I worked for three years as an Advisory Teacher for PSHE which developed my experience of working not only cross phase but also in a multi-disciplinary way.  The role enabled me to develop high quality training skills and also to work in many environments beyond the education setting.

As an accredited trainer for Jenny Mosley Consultancies and the head of a Lead Behaviour School I had significant experience of promoting positive behaviour management strategies and the emotional well being of both children and adults. Since my retirement from headship I have continued to maintain a link with Jenny Mosley and have supported primary schools in improving their Behaviour Management systems. This has involved working alongside senior leaders, governors, support staff and pupil councils, the ultimate aim being to enable schools to further raise standards.

As a head teacher I represented Headteachers on various committees.  I served as a member of the DfE’s Primary Heads’ Reference Group from 2003- 2010, which enabled me to have some influence on current educational initiatives.  I gained accreditation as a School Improvement Partner (SIP) in June 2009 and continued to work in this role until March 2011.  Since then I have worked as a consultant supporting the Headteacher Performance Management Process, the East Sussex Small School Project and in facilitating a CPD project on formative assessment for the Bexhill Consortium.

Fizz Starkey  Email: felicity.starkey@sky.com

If you are interested in seeing a Golden School in action and having a Jenny Mosley training day, then why not come to Watercliffe Meadow Community Primary School, Sheffield, on 12th June 2015. Watercliffe Meadow is a shining example of a school that has been turned around by dynamic and forward-thinking leadership and by working with Jenny Mosley to turn what was a very difficult situation for a school into a thriving community that is achieving great things! And the school is opening its doors and welcoming Jenny back for the day and you are invited!

To find out more about this exciting day, CLICK HERE.

Website Editor’s Notes

1. Jenny brings her Golden Model to schools across the UK and abroad to help improve social and emotional skills, communication skills, lunchtimes and playtimes, positive behaviour and staff well-being.
2. Jenny has worked with staff and pupils from Motcombe Infant School during the last 20 years.
3. To read a little more about Train the Trainers courses and how they can help your school become a Golden School, please click here.
4. Jenny is available for bookings, to come to your school just phone 01225 767157 or email circletime@jennymosley.co.uk
5. We also run Open Conferences throughout the country and throughout the year. To see our training section on our website go to https://www.circle-time.co.uk/page/training-and-conferencing or phone 01225 767157 or email circletime@jennymosley.co.uk