Mrs Izard's Blog - Welcome back!

What a fantastic start to the Summer Term. The weather has been beautiful over the last few days and it has been lovely to see the children and staff spending time outside, enjoying the grounds in the sunshine. The school has been buzzing with activity and purpose and it has been impressive to see the children tackling new topics, new sports and new clubs so confidently this week. I was particularly delighted to see some new faces in Year 5 Choir last night - some children were trying it for the first time and had a lot of fun, as well as learning to sing a song in three parts by the end of the session. They sounded pretty good too!

At Gateway we ensure that pupils are encouraged and supported when they tackle new challenges, whether inside or outside of the classroom. This leads to them feeling much more confident about trying new experiences - they know that even if they do not achieve what they initially set out to, there will be plenty of support to help them on their journey to reach their goal. Their ability to harness existing skills and interests and apply them in different areas and in different ways is a key skill for life. As they grow up and continue both with their education and their working life they will constantly be required to use pre-existing skills in a flexible way to solve problems and tackle new challenges. The children in the Gateway community are presented with a varied range of opportunities, within the curriculum and beyond, that allow them to learn for themselves, which empowers them and boosts self-esteem and confidence.

We consider it vitally important we help our pupils to develop the grit to overcome difficulties and to have the determination and resilience to use their skill set in a different way to tackle new challenges. The classroom presents many such opportunities, especially when we ensure that pupils are asked open ended questions and set investigative tasks. Tackling a new sport or a musical instrument also provides many challenges that need to be overcome to be successful and many of our club offerings enable the children to develop their skills in many different directions. The children are encouraged and supported to step out of their comfort zone and relish new challenges - a skill that will stand them in good stead as they grow up, enabling them to develop into confident individuals who will be successful in their chosen walk of life.

In the hope that the sunshine continues, have a wonderful weekend.