Brackenfield Preparatory School has been bought by Forfar Education.
The sale was completed over the summer and the school has received investment to become a flagship school, part of a portfolio of 40 schools.
The school was founded in 1977 by Margie Sutcliffe with Helen and Anthony Comerford subsequently owning and running the school following her retirement.
John Forsythe of Forfar of Forfar education spent considerable time looking for the right school to become their lead school.
Nicola Matthews took up the headteacher post in June 2018 and has spent the Summer overseeing a number of changes and improvements to the school.
Nicola Matthews said:
As a school we know what it is like to be part of a professional family and we need to be accommodating.
We have had a very busy summer implementing changes, some of them are building changes, but others more about resources and ways of working.
The buildings are lovely, but the children still remain at the heart of the school.
The school now has a new, brighter and more welcoming, reception area. In the class rooms there has been a move away from plastics to wood and natural materials.
There are new interactive boards in each classroom, a much improved WiFi network and a suite of new laptops.
There is also a new school management IT system in place, making things easier for the teacher and allowing for improved information for parents.
Toilets are also new and updated (making things easier for the cleaners)
Nicola said:
The changes have worked well for the teaching staff, giving them a new passion and allowing them to concentrate more on the teaching and using the new resources.
Outside there have been improvements to the playground, making it much more usable.
The school has also significantly increased the budget for lunches working to a principle of “food for life” with vegetarian days, roasts, pasta along with traditional hot puddings, all with the aim of fueling the children and keeping them going and active through the day.
Nicola said:
This has been a great change for the school. With the backing of Forfar there have been lots of positive changes, but throughout we have maintained the family ethos that the school is known for.
