Janice Freeman

School: King’s Wood School and Nursery, High Wycombe

Email: head@kingswood.bucks.sch.uk

Phases: EYFS, KS1 and KS2

Context of school: King’s Wood is a two-form entry school in the Totteridge area of High Wycombe. We serve a diverse community with a wide range of needs.  28% of our pupils are entitled to pupil premium. 19% of our pupils are currently eligible for free school meals. 39% of our pupils have English as an additional language and 65% (295) are from ethnic minority backgrounds. 13% of our pupils are identified as SEN or have an EHCP (5% EHCPs).  16 of our 22 pupils with EHCPs attend our Language ARP. We have a higher than average number of families who are subject to child protection plans, working with social care at CIN level or accessing Early Help.

Experience and areas of expertise as a Headteacher: I have been a Headteacher since 2002 and the Head at King’s Wood since September 2011.  I have always worked in schools that would be described as challenging and started my career working in Hillingdon, then Harrow, where I taught all year groups from Reception to Year 7. I then moved to Bucks to become a Deputy Headteacher in 2000.

Over this time I have developed a great deal of experience in the following areas

• Nurture and well-being
• Safeguarding
• Effective Behaviour Management systems
• Curriculum development
• School improvement and managing change
• Supporting disadvantaged pupils
• Special Educational Needs

I also have experience supporting other schools and have been seconded on two occasions to act as Headteacher in schools experiencing difficulties. I sit on School’s Forum and the Contingency Panel so have a good understanding of school financial systems.

Joanne Butler

School: St Paul’s Church of England Combined School, Wye Valley

Email: headteacher@st-pauls.bucks.sch.uk

Phases: Nursery (3+), KS1 and KS2

Context of school: One-form entry primary school with Nursery. Church of England VA school with strong Christian distinctiveness. Low but increasing SEN, PP and BAME demographic. New leadership team and significant staff changes in last two years. SIAMS and Ofsted inspections in last two years (including Ofsted under new Framework Oct 2019).

Experience and areas of expertise as a Headteacher: Headteacher for just two years after being Deputy Headteacher at St Paul’s for 11 years; so I have experience of moving from DH to HT in the same school as well as recent memory of being a new HT!

Overseen significant changes in staffing and governorship due to retirement, redundancy, promotion and performance. Worked with all stakeholders to consult on ethos, values and vision. Working on developing subject leads in articulating intent, implementation and impact linked to school purpose. BCC Headline visit cited the following as strengths of the school:

• Leadership - values and ethos
• EYFS - strong foundation and impact of new leadership in nursery provision
• Phonics – high and consistent attainment
• Recent Ofsted inspection cited the following as strengths of the school:
• Personal Development
• Home-School Partnership
• Staff Well-being