Three hundred Year Old School Looks To Future with Appointment of New Senior Team
A local primary school which has served generations of pupils from villages around York and Wetherby for the last three hundred years has started a new chapter in its teaching text book with appointment of a new senior teaching team, set to lead the school and its pupils on an exciting journey of growth and development.
Louise Flatters has been appointed as the new teaching Head of Long Marston Primary School, joined by Key Stage 2 Teacher Justin Patterson and Early Years and Key Stage 1 teacher Victoria Arnold. The appointments mark the start of an important phase of development for the school which aims to build on its strong track record of providing high quality, personalised learning and development opportunities for local children, centred around a strong community and family ethos.
Formerly Assistant Headteacher at Copmanthorpe Primary School near York, Mrs Flatters has over twenty years experience spanning a variety of school settings across the Primary age range, specialising in Key Stage 1 and Early Years. She has experience of leading development projects in Mathematics, Behaviour, Marking and the Early Years Curriculum as well as supporting staff and developing teaching and learning.
Mr Patterson joins the school from Burton Green Primary and has six years experience with a focus on Key Stage Two, being part of a leadership team driving learning forward within the primary setting. Mrs Arnold specialises in teaching and supporting children in Early Years and Key Stage 1, having worked previously in both nurseries and schools.
The school, which maintained its ‘Good’ rating from OFSTED in its most recent inspection in 2017, is located in the picturesque village of Long Marston half way between Wetherby and York. This year the school also achieved a ‘Good’ outcome in its SIAMs inspection. It offers pupils class sizes which are typically half the size of other primary schools.
Currently with just 26 pupils, the school bills itself as ‘small but mighty’ and is now looking to attract more local children by offering a wider range of curriculum opportunities in sports, music, the arts, and residential visits. It also boasts its own woodland and pond area, with outdoor learning and ‘Woodland Schools’ forming a key part of its curriculum.
The new team join a total staff complement of 11 which spans teachers, teaching assistants, administrative staff and a ‘Wrap Around Care’ team, providing before and after school clubs for pupils.
Louise Flatters said:
I am passionate about curriculum design and finding ways to excite and engage children in their learning. From my very first visit to the school I was drawn to its unique family ethos and huge potential. It’s a school that’s proud of its past but also excited by its future and this is a fantastic opportunity to lead the team and children through a time of change and new beginnings.
I feel very fortunate to have been able to recruit such talented teachers who have so much to bring to their new roles and would encourage anyone looking for an incredibly supportive, caring and effective learning environment for their child to get in touch.
Long Marston CE Primary School is part of the STAR (Sherburn, Tadcaster and Rural) Alliance, a partnership of 17 primary and secondary village schools which are dedicated to sharing skills and experience to jointly support, help and improve learning and achievement for local children.
