Little donkey rides again

To St James Church of England Primary School - infants department - where the children were rehearsing for their forthcoming nativity in the church on Wednesday and Thursday (I hope to be there for the former). Each of the classes sung a carol to the others. It was good to re-acquanted with 'Little donkey.'

Next a meeting with the head and then the chance to visit the children in their classes. Lots of good work going on here.

Primary schools are so much quieter, calmer, and tidier than secondary schools. (When I was a teacher, not only were the boys big, noisy and clumsy but they  turned up at lessons brandishing a minimum of a coat, a bag, sports kit, a lacrosse stick and various other items dear to them which all had to be stashed away safely out of reach of the nearest Bunsen burner before the lesson could commence.This created a certain untidiness about the place- the direct result of the abolition of the institution of the school cloakroom which meant that boys, refugee-like, had to trudge around the school carrying all their worldly possessions with them).

In my last parish there were no primary schools within the parish boundaries, but before that, in St Helier, we had ten schools in our parish, and I was chair of governors of the community primary school nearest the church. Before that, in West Norwood, we had our own church school and I regularly took school assemblies and school services in church.

So I am looking forward to getting involved with primary schools again, particularly our own church school, St James, which is doing such a good job for the children of our community, being officially rated as one of the best 200 schools in the country. A magnificent achievement.

I am delighted that St James School has such close links with St James Church.There is a church led assembly every week on both sites and the children regularly come to the church for services - as they are doing twice in the coming week - for their carol service, and for their end of term service. It will be great to see them. 

From the school website stjamesschoolbermondsey.com