Our Staff

Mrs Linda May

Executive Headteacher, Deputy DSL

Miss Helen Neil

Head of School – STUDY ZONE (Year 5/6)

Designated Safeguarding Lead

Private Peaceful – Michael Morpurgo

The story begins just before the onset of the first World War and is based on the lives of the Peaceful Brothers: Big Joe (the eldest brother who has learning difficulties), Charlie and Tommo. It is Tommo’s first day at school and he is a little scared, but a girl, Molly, is kind to him and they become friends. Charlie also becomes friends with Molly and they eventually fall in love, get married and Molly becomes pregnant, just as Charlie decides he must go away and fight in the war, even though he is underage. Tommo decides to go with him and the two brothers go off to war. They have many horrible experiences, including being under the command of Sergeant Hanley, who commands their group to do something so ridiculous, Charlie refuses to obey him and his actions have consequences.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book because it sent me on a rollercoaster of emotions: not a story for the feint-hearted. The words on the front cover: innocence and love, courage and cowardice sum this book up perfectly. Morpurgo moves the lives of characters through a calm, tranquil beginning, to the pain, anger and grief of war, with the theme of love threaded all the way through. He engages the reader from start to finish and this book is a great read for anyone.

Miss Helen Neil

Head of School – STUDY ZONE (Year 5/6)

Designated Safeguarding Lead

Private Peaceful – Michael Morpurgo

The story begins just before the onset of the first World War and is based on the lives of the Peaceful Brothers: Big Joe (the eldest brother who has learning difficulties), Charlie and Tommo. It is Tommo’s first day at school and he is a little scared, but a girl, Molly, is kind to him and they become friends. Charlie also becomes friends with Molly and they eventually fall in love, get married and Molly becomes pregnant, just as Charlie decides he must go away and fight in the war, even though he is underage. Tommo decides to go with him and the two brothers go off to war. They have many horrible experiences, including being under the command of Sergeant Hanley, who commands their group to do something so ridiculous, Charlie refuses to obey him and his actions have consequences.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book because it sent me on a rollercoaster of emotions: not a story for the feint-hearted. The words on the front cover: innocence and love, courage and cowardice sum this book up perfectly. Morpurgo moves the lives of characters through a calm, tranquil beginning, to the pain, anger and grief of war, with the theme of love threaded all the way through. He engages the reader from start to finish and this book is a great read for anyone.

Miss Suzanne Bray

Class teacher – Study Zone (Year 5 and 6) – Monday/Tuesday
Rosie’s Walk – Pat Hutchins

Rosie’s walk is a classic children’s picture book. It is one that I loved as a child and now my young son enjoys this humourous tale and together we chuckle away whilst sharing it.

This picture book, follows Rosie’s journey around the farmyard, with her being pursued by a sneaky, but clumsy fox. One disaster after another befalls the hungry fox, while Rosie goes on her way, supposedly unaware of the danger behind her. The near-wordless story provides plenty of opportunities to use the pictures to add in more detail, speech and sound effects. The buzzing bees chasing the poor fox is comical, yet fitting end!

Miss Emma Sumpter

Class Teacher – BUSY ZONE (EYFS) Mon-Weds

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt – Michael Rosen

When considering my favourite book as a child, I was a little overwhelmed with choice. I fondly remember sharing books and stories and so found picking just one a difficult task!

However, I have chosen ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’ to share with you as my favourite book. It brings back wonderful memories of adventures outdoors and family trips to the woods. The idea that from the comfort of the sofa you can be transported into a magical adventure, on the hunt for a bear, captured my imagination – exploring different obstacles and overcoming them. The surprise of finding the bear, and the reality of what that means, scares the reader into a retreat and we eagerly race back to the house with the characters.
This book has become even more special to me recently as it has become my daughters favourite bedtime story, so I get the chance to explore this magical adventure all over again!

Miss Claire O’Brien

Class teacher – WONDER ZONE (Year 1 and 2)
The Prisoner of Azkaban – JK Rowling.

I discovered Harry Potter in my late teens and soon became engrossed in the magic of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the story of how a baby became the ‘boy who lived’ from the evil Voldemort. The Prisoner of Azkaban is the one story where Harry returns to Hogwarts, with his two best friends Ron and Hermione, and discovers that the notorious Sirius Black, who had been imprisoned in Azkaban for being a supporter of ‘You know Who’, has escaped and is coming to get him. However, this story is one of love and that good can overcome bad. Harry learns that Sirius is actually his Godfather and all is not as it seems. Knowing that one day he will be able to live with him gives him hope of having a proper family once again, but in turn he becomes more aware of the dark wizarding world happening around him.

Every time I have read this book, I have been engrossed in it and have especially enjoyed sharing it with with my own children. When reading, it allows me to be catapulted into a magical world so far away from everyday life that it is incredibly hard to put it down.

Mr Ross Williams

Class Teacher – SMART ZONE (Year 3/4)

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse – Charlie Mackesy

This book is an exquisite and heartwarming masterpiece that transcends age and resonates with the soul. I love this enchanting book as it is a delightful journey through life’s essential lessons, artfully conveyed through the endearing interactions between four unlikely friends.

Mackesy’s captivating illustrations are the heart and soul of this book, breathing life into each character and emotion. The boy’s curiosity, the mole’s wisdom, the fox’s vulnerability, and the horse’s strength all come alive in these pages, making it impossible not to fall in love with them. This book has a permanent feature on my coffee table in our lounge.

The narrative, though simple in structure, carries profound insights about love, friendship, courage, and the beauty of vulnerability. Mackesy’s words are like a balm for the soul, offering comfort and reassurance during life’s most trying moments.

“The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse” is a treasure trove of wisdom that can be revisited time and time again. It’s a reminder of the power of compassion, kindness, and the enduring strength of human connections. Whether you’re 9 or 99, this book will touch your heart and remind you of the enduring power of love and friendship.

Mrs Samantha Graham

Teaching Assistant- Study Zone

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis

One of my favourite childhood books was ‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. It’s the story of four siblings who were sent to the country to live during the war. The youngest child, Lucy, discovers an old wardrobe and when she steps inside, she is transported to the magical world of Narnia. Although the siblings disbelieve her at first, they eventually follow her into the land of Narnia where they meet the characters like Mr Tumnus, the evil White Witch and the ruler of Narnia, Aslan the Lion.
As a child I loved the idea of finding a magical world by stepping into a wardrobe. I also enjoyed reading about children my own age going on an adventure and helping good overcome evil.

Mrs Jo Thorniley

Teaching Assistant

Peace at Last by Jill Murphy

Will Mr Bear ever get to sleep? It is very late, Mr Bear is so tired, his wife is fast asleep and snoring so poor Mr Bear can’t get to sleep.

I can think of lots of stories I loved as a child but this one must be my favourite. I still adore it as an adult and have shared it many times with my own children. I love the descriptions and the sounds and as a child found it easy to join in with, even when I couldn’t perhaps read the flow of the text the key phrases made it easy to pick up. My favourite part and picture are the garden scene with the noises at night! ‘Snuffle, snuffle went the hedgehog!’

Mr Bear is a relatable character for me in my adulthood, although I feel Mrs Bear may be better cast as the one who couldn’t sleep! I often used to think of the exhausted Mr Bear during the long sleepless nights with a new born and I still use his catch phrase ‘I can’t stand this’ in various situations.

I would recommend this beautiful story to all and often purchase it as a gift for others.

Mrs Maria Johnstone

HLTA Teaching Assistant

Alice in wonderland – Lewis Carroll

To escape into a different world with all its vivid colours and extraordinary characters was fascinating to me as a child. The Cheshire cat’s broad smile suddenly materializing out of thin air and the mouse scurrying around on the beautifully laid table were images that stood out for me. Reading this fantastic book fed my imagination and it felt as though anything was possible.

Mrs Karen Edwards

Teaching Assistant

Charlotte’s Web – EB White

Charlotte’s Web was written in 1952 and it is one of my childhood favourites. The story is about a little girl called Fern and a pig called Wilbur. Fern saved the little pig from being slaughtered and took Wilbur home to live with her, her uncle and her Aunt. When he became too big for the house, Wilbur was moved to Fern’s Uncle’s barn and Fern did not see Wilbur that often. During his time in the barn, Wilbur became friends with a grey spider called Charlotte. Unfortunately Fern’s Uncle and Aunt were planning to kill Wilbur and have some tasty pork for their dinner, but Charlotte came up with a plan to save him.

This book is one of the most heart-warming stories I have ever read because it teaches all ages of children what generosity, kindness and friendship really is. It’s also very imaginative and humorous.

Mr Guy Wakeham

Teaching Assistant

Fantastic Mr Fox – Roald Dahl

I read many of Roald Dahl’s books as a child and particularly loved the stories because of my love of animals. Fantastic Mr Fox’s characters mostly consist of animals so I was drawn to this book very quickly, especially since the main character is a fox which happens to be my favourite animal. I read this book so many times and even listened to it on a cassette tape I had. I did this with a lot of books, even if I had already read them!

One of my favourite things about Fantastic Mr Fox is the elaborate plan that the titular character creates to get the better of the three farmers. I always enjoyed reading about how this smart character was able to easily outwit them, even when it seems they have outwitted him. The character is incredibly clever, and reading about a character who uses his mind to help others was quite inspiring to me as a child. I think this is the sort of book that children can take a lot from and learn that when things seem bad, they can always find a way to make things better.

As mentioned earlier Fantastic Mr Fox has an ensemble of animal characters and I always liked how these characters acted as you would think the animals would. For example, the foxes are cunning and smart; the rabbits are timid and easily scared; the rat is mean and unfriendly; and so on. This makes the animal characters feel more real and alive. I also felt like the animal characters were a much higher class of character when compared to the three human farmers. They seemed to maintain more dignity which contrasted well with the farmers and how we as the readers often see animals as just wild beasts.

Overall, this story allows you to feel empathy for the characters which makes it even more satisfying when they succeed. It is a very clever and fun book, one that I found myself going back to again and again when I was younger. This is why it holds a special place as my favourite childhood book.

Mrs Natasha Butcher

Teaching Assistant

The Jolly Postman and Other People’s Letters – Allan Ahlberg

The Jolly Postman or Other People’s Letters was published in 1986 and was my favourite book as a child. The story is about a Postman going about his route on his bicycle to deliver letters to lots of different fairytale characters such as Goldilocks or the Big Bad Wolf!

I remember my mum reading this book to me and I was always so excited when I got to open the letters and see what was inside. I loved trying to guess where the Jolly Postman would be heading next on his round.
I now get to revisit the story, but this time I’m the mum who reads the story to her children, and now I get to enjoy watching them open the post, to discover if it’s a letter, a postcard, a puzzle or more!

The magic of this story is still there after many years, and on Christmas Eve every year we all snuggle down with a hot chocolate (with marshmallows and cream!) and read The Jolly Christmas Postman.

Mrs Elizabeth Ellis

School Administrator