Good afternoon,
It's good to be back into the rhythm of the week after half term, and schools have returned with real energy across the Trust. I wanted to start this week by marking National Volunteers Week, which runs from 1 to 7 June. I don't think we say this often enough: WeST simply could not operate as it does without the extraordinary commitment of volunteers at every level. From our trustees and local governors through to the parents who run PTAs, organise discos and fundraise tirelessly, and the individuals who come into schools each week to read with children or support in classrooms, this volunteer workforce shares our ambitions for young people and gives its time freely to advance them. Callington's DofE students have had their volunteering impact formally recognised this week through Social Value Certificates, which feels like a fitting way to celebrate young people giving back to their communities too.
I spent time today at Woodford Primary, where I was proud to show colleagues from another trust around the school. It's easy to see how Woodford earned the Ofsted outcome they did. Children were outside in the sunshine, orienteering with genuine competitive spirit. Two lads waited very politely for us to finish an adult conversation, but they were visibly impatient because every second was costing them on their orienteering time. That keenness, that desire to practise map reading and beat the clock, tells you a lot about the culture a school has built. I also watched Year 6 pupils working with focus and purpose on a Friday afternoon, heads down, building knowledge ready for secondary transition. There's a common perception that once SATs are over, schools wind down. Nothing could be further from the truth. Every school I visit at this point in the year seems to step up a gear, and Woodford was a fine example.
Across our primaries, there has been plenty going on. At Chaddlewood, Year 1 designed birthday cards for Michael Rosen's 80th, and one pupil, Luna, had her card selected as a personal favourite by the author himself. At Buckfastleigh, Year 6 enjoyed a thoughtful post-SATs day at Buckfast Abbey, creating mosaics, illuminated letters and completing a reflection walk about their primary school years. Oreston's Nursery children watched their eggs hatch and got to hold the chicks they named Lola and Max, while Year 3 at Chaddlewood were dissecting tulips and investigating water transport in plant stems using celery and food dye. That kind of hands-on, curious science is exactly what we want to see.
Our secondary schools continue to provide remarkable opportunities. At Ivybridge, 40 students visited the Williams Racing F1 factory for an immersive STEM experience, and History and Politics students attended a guest lecture from Professor Richard Aldrich on spies and British Prime Ministers, which apparently felt more like a thriller than a classroom session. Gary Payne, Ivybridge's Head of Outdoor Education, was invited to the Gold Award celebration at Buckingham Palace hosted by the Duke of Edinburgh, marking the 70th anniversary of the DofE scheme. Meanwhile, Sophie Gilvear has been selected for the Scotland U18s Six Nations rugby squad as fly-half, and Millie Hatfield performed the lead in Matilda with her performing arts company. At Hele's, congratulations to Maisie for competing at the All England West Regional Dance Finals in Cheltenham. Plymstock held a Celebration Evening bringing together students, families, staff and local councillors, and a Year 10 student, Oluebube, is writing her own book, *Heart Detour*, which the school is proudly sharing. Callington's Upper Sixth celebrated the end of their sixth form years with prize giving and prom. Coombe Dean is running a food bank collection, a quiet but telling indicator of a school rooted in its community.
This week also involved some work I find less comfortable: being in front of a camera for Trust publicity. I confess I'm not a natural. But once I started talking about what WeST stands for, what we believe in, and the work being done on behalf of young people and communities, it became easier. There's a quote I like, often attributed to Frank Ocean though probably misattributed: "Work hard in silence, let your success be your noise." I'd rather our young people and staff were making the headlines than me, and weeks like this one remind me why that instinct is right.
Behind the scenes, I've been involved in a network advocating for open data standards in education. It's admittedly quite technical, but it matters. Too often, the data that belongs to our schools and our young people is locked inside proprietary systems that charge us to access it. The push for common standards, so that systems talk to each other and schools can freely use their own information, aligns closely with our commitment to using technology safely and effectively for the benefit of children.
Next week I have more school visits ahead, and I'll be paying close attention to how teams are planning and preparing for September even as this year's term still has plenty of life in it. Thank you, as always, for everything you do.
Warm regards,
Nat Parnell
CEO
