We encounter a warm welcoming school with plenty of extra caricular activities too, in Penn Wolverhampton.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Hi, I'm Isabel Parkin for the Express and Star. I'm here today at St Bartholomew's Church of England Primary School in Penn in Wolverhampton.
00:07And I'm here with the headteacher, Mrs Kilmister.
00:10Hello, Mrs Kilmister.
00:12Hello.
00:13You OK?
00:14Yes.
00:15Tell us a little bit about your school then.
00:16OK, so we're a two-form entry school in Penn in Wolverhampton.
00:21We've recently increased our numbers thanks to a wonderful new building, early years building, that's been opened for the last two years.
00:28We've recently been inspected by Ofsted and we're delighted to have been graded as outstanding in all of the inspection areas.
00:36So we're really pleased about that.
00:38But we love our school, we love the pupils and our wider community.
00:43Great stuff. And you have quite a lot going on here, don't you?
00:46You've got Eco Clubs, you've got After School Clubs. What's some of the After School Clubs? Is it theatre production?
00:51Yes, so we pride ourselves on our range of After School Clubs that take place and that's very much inspired by what the children want.
01:00So we've got a musical theatre club and the children have put on productions of The Lion King and Matilda.
01:06And they're currently working on The Little Mermaid, which they'll be putting on in April.
01:11We've got craft clubs, we've got Lego clubs, we've got two choirs, we've got a range of sports clubs as well.
01:19We've had computing and coding clubs. So it's really based on what the children want and to enhance the school offer.
01:28And how long have you been here yourself?
01:30I've been here 12 years. I started off as assistant and then deputy head. And I've been head for eight years now.
01:36And what's your musical theatre skills like? Have they improved over the 12 years?
01:40Absolutely not. We definitely don't need musical theatre.
01:43So we won't get you singing then, we'll pass on that.
01:45No, I do not inspire them.
01:47So we're going to take us around the school and we're going to see a few of these little activities.
01:50So onwards we go, thank you.
01:52So we've got some fantastic looking artwork here. Let's just check it out.
01:56Got a big canvas. All kinds of wildlife, dogs, squirrels.
02:01And who have we got guys? What's your first names? Call them out.
02:04Avani, Finn and Edward.
02:07So you were part of this art project, weren't you?
02:10Yeah.
02:11So what happened then? What was it all about? Fill me in.
02:14So it was about the creation story.
02:16Creation? What, creation of the earth?
02:19Yes.
02:20Ah, hence all the wildlife and stuff, yeah?
02:23Cool. And who did you do it with? Your art teacher? Did you have a specialist artist come and visit?
02:28We had a special kind of artist that came in.
02:32And worked with you?
02:33Yeah.
02:34So Amrit, what sort of bits did you end up doing on your canvas?
02:37So what I was doing was a silhouette of Jesus.
02:40Ah, okay. Very cool. And what about you on the end there, Avani? What did you do on yours?
02:45I did an apple.
02:47An apple? Nice. Do you like apples? It's a good job, isn't it?
02:51Well, where are these going to go then? They're going to go round the school. What's the plan?
02:55I think they're going to go in the school.
02:57The school hall?
02:58Yeah, the school hall.
02:59Well, you must be very pleased with them, yeah?
03:01So what's your favourite lessons then? Go on guys. What sort of lessons do you like best at school here?
03:06I like art, history and maths.
03:09Quite a few. Good. And what about you, mate?
03:11Yeah, I like art and maths.
03:13Art and maths. Cool. Go on, Bud.
03:15Art, history and history.
03:17Yeah. And what about you, Avani?
03:19Art, maths and music.
03:21So we've got a lot of budding artists here, haven't we?
03:23Well, you've done a fantastic, fantastic bit of work on this project, guys. Thank you for showing it to us.
03:29So guys, I can see there's some little markers on here.
03:33Orienteering, isn't it? Yeah?
03:35No.
03:36Is that right? Chris, you're a PE teacher, aren't you?
03:39Yes.
03:40So you've got these all round the school?
03:42Yeah, we've got 25 or so.
03:44There's one down there.
03:46Yeah?
03:47One down there. One near the horse field that I can see by the tree.
03:50And it looks like there's little codes, isn't there? You have to work out like puzzles and stuff.
03:54Yeah.
03:55Yeah. Is it good fun doing these?
03:57Yeah.
03:58It's a bit complicated, though.
04:00But that's good, isn't it, really? Because it tests your brain.
04:02Chris, what are your star jumps like?
04:04It says star jumps on there.
04:05Oh, shall I show you?
04:06Go on.
04:07Hey! Look at that. Go on, guys. Can you do us a star jump?
04:10Go on. Let's have a go.
04:12Look at that. Perfect.
04:13There you go. Look at that.
04:14It says star jumps on here. Star jumps is what we've got. Well done, guys.
04:18In your new early years building.
04:20Yes.
04:21Talk us about some of the facilities that this, now you've got this, it's given you.
04:25So we're delighted with the new early years building.
04:28It's purpose built particularly for the age of the children.
04:31It's meant that we've been able to set up the areas for learning brilliantly.
04:34So we've got a maths area, a phonics area, creative areas,
04:38purpose spaces outside for our outdoor learning.
04:43It's meant, obviously, also that we can increase our numbers from 45 in reception to 60 places in reception.
04:49Wow.
04:50And it's a wonderful space for us.
04:52So we've got two of the, you're in the eco club, aren't you guys?
04:56Yeah.
04:57Eco gangers.
04:59What's some of the stuff you've been doing then? Tell me one of the things.
05:01We're in the kitchen, that might give you a clue.
05:03What's one of the things you've done in the eco club?
05:06So we've been trying to get rid of palm oil in the school kitchen.
05:12Okay.
05:13Because of the past few years.
05:15So you've had to have a word with chef, have you?
05:17Yeah.
05:18Did she listen? Has she done it for you?
05:20Yeah.
05:21Yeah, good stuff.
05:22And why is that then? What's wrong with palm oil? Is it an environmental thing?
05:27Because orangutans are dying because they live around palm oil.
05:37Okay, so it affects their habitat.
05:39Yeah.
05:40Well done eco club, keep up the good work. Cheers guys.