After consultation with the Local Authority, staff, parents and other local schools, Consett Infant School and Beechdale Nursery School are officially Federated from January 2016. From the 1st of January the official title of the two schools will be “Consett Infant and Beechdale Nursery Federation.” The most significant change resulting from this Federation will be the formation of one governing body that will have responsibility for both schools and Mrs Graham will become the permanent Head Teacher across both sites.
We believe that there are many positive outcomes as a result of this development:
• Reception staff from the Infant school can now work closely with Beechdale staff to access high quality training and ensure we have consistency in our approach to all aspects of early years education
• Resources are pooled and shared across both schools
• Children from the Infant school are accessing the sensory room at Beechdale to maximise the use of this equipment
• Mrs Bowyer is working one day each week with the Reception children at the Infant school to lead Forest School sessions that extend and build upon the experience gained at Beechdale
• Miss Hymer works as Family Support Advisor within both schools to offer advice and continuity to families, as well as helping to coordinate the PAWS/Friends of the School groups
• After school childcare is now in place for both schools and can be accessed until 6pm each day at the Infant school site
• Leadership and management have a clear overview of the needs of both schools, as well as a consistent expectation for high standards of teaching and learning
The Federation between the two schools is an exciting development and an opportunity to strengthen and enhance the quality of education for the benefit of our Nursery and Infant aged children. If you have any questions about the Federation, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.