Parent Questionnaire results

Thank you for all your comments. I have picked out comments that appeared more than once. My responses are in red.

In your opinion, what are the best things about Wavendon Gate School?

1. It’s a friendly and well organised school. I have always felt that it was a safe environment and a lot of effort is made to create a school community. Some of the teaching staff really are outstanding.
2. Teaching staff and the facilities.
3. Wavendon Gate is a warm and friendly school with high expectations. The staff and senior leadership team strive for the best for all of the children.
4. Very welcoming, queries and questions answered quickly. Lovely atmosphere
5. Friendly and helpful staff.
6. In our experience, the teachers have always taken the time to understand our children, not just academically but their passions and work really hard to help nurture those passions and interests.
7. The teachers care so much about the students
8. Great teachers and lots of extra-curricular activities to choose from.
9. Wavendon gate school allow the children to grow and learn as the individuals they are but still have the whole school spirit.
10. An engaging and effective leadership team that are hands on dealing with any arising situation.
11. I feel like both of my children have thrived in this school, they have always been very eager to come in and learn and I feel it’s the staff that help that, it’s an amazing school.

Is there anything in particular that you would change about the school?

1. More varied subjects in the older year groups to prep them for secondary. Maybe sessions on using mobile phones/money matters. We already have these lessons in our IT curriculum and PSHE curriculum.
2. Parking is still a problem with parents stopping in the car park and blocking spaces. We continue to put out messages.
3. Parents evening – important and should be face to face, this also gives a chance to view books. The face to face one tends to be in the summer and it is too late to talk about potential questions / concerns when viewing books. We have one meeting face to face in the spring term and one online in the autumn term. We pick the spring meeting as face to face as the children have been in school longer and more work to see in the books and discuss. Some parents have aske for online meetings and some want face to face.
4. Could start teaching French / languages earlier? We do introduce languages in key stage one but officially the curriculum doesn’t start until year 3.
5. Child to have someone they can contact during the school day if they need help to deal with their frustrations and actually be listened to. There are two learning mentors available during the day as well as their class teacher.
6. More variety in afterschool clubs i.e. computing, student newsletter. We are continually trying to add to our afterschool clubs which now include coding, iRock and cooking.
7. More organised sports opportunities. many seem ad-hoc and not a prolonged opportunity (for example girl’s football). Girls’s football is starting in the summer term. We already arrange a number of sport’s opportunities including football, cricket, cross country, handball, orienteering, dodgeball, tag rugby, netball, badminton, athletics, basketball,
8. More music opportunities  (we really miss rock steady!). iRock start with us on Monday 4^th March, year 3 to 6 children can do peripatetic lessons, year5/6 can take part in Young Voices.
9. Would like to see the capable children being pushed further to keep their interest/attention. All subject areas have challenge as part of the teaching.
10. More regular feedback on child’s progress (rather than just parents evening). We have 2 parents evening and a formal report at the end of the year. If parents would like further feedback, they can arrange an appointment.
11. Having a proper girls football programme. We had one term of it last year but then it hasn\’t happened again. There seems to be an offering for boys – why not the girls? We are offering the girls again in the summer term.
12. More outdoor activities for children. PE lessons in the summer term are mostly outside.
13. Communication on lessons taught. At the beginning of every half term a curriculum newsletter goes out on the lessons being taught that half term. On the website you can see all subject overviews and timetables of classes.
14. There are a lot of parent mails coming out and requests for donations.  is there a more concise weekly email rather than as hoc emails? It’s far too easy to miss date and key info in the constant email deliveries.  A weekly planner sent out on Friday for next week would be beneficial. At the beginning of each half term, there is a diary dates sent out on the newsletter. All events are also added to the website on the calendar for parents to view.
15. More focussed homework for years 2 to 6 and more preparation in year 6 to assist with the transition to secondary school. Year 6 have extra homework. Year 2 are optional SATs now but we don’t give them additional work as they don’t need anything above reading, times tables and spellings.

In what ways would you like to see the school develop over the next three years?

1. Different after school activities would be good – not just sport. Maybe STEM?
2. Raise money for a school minibus or an all weather pitch.
3. More opportunities for children to be involved in extracurricular activities.
4. More school trips to support learning.
5. Development towards an OFSTED \’outstanding\’ rating.
6. Invest capital funds in buying a school minibus to enable more sports fixtures and opportunities.
7. Academy status- be part of a good one not just a trust that isn’t already fully when it becomes a requirement. This would bring much needed investment that is always used as the reason for lack of development or extras other schools offer.
8. Better outdoor facilities and play equipment.
9. More opportunities outside the curriculum for younger children in the school.
10. I would love for the school to have a forest school especially as there is a lot of space to be explored and personally think all children benefit more from playing and learning outside

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