Welcome to Herne
Welcome from the Headteacher
Think of a school 100 years ago. What were the expectations? To train children for the world of industry, a place where they needed to follow instructions competently and comply with the rules and regulations. We needed maths for the accountants and English for the clerks. Now think of a school 50 years ago. Children needed to be good at the basics along with a variety of subjects so that their grounding in education allowed them to take up positions in manufacturing, law, sciences and technology.
So what do we expect of a school today? Children today will go into a world of rapid change, high-technology in all walks of life and into jobs which have yet to be invented. They need to have speed of thought, be able to problem solve, to work in teams and to successfully live in a world where people expect the very best from them. We want our children to be confident and willing to continue learning well after they have left their formal education behind. Our challenge at Herne is to make sure we give each and every child a chance to succeed in our ever-changing world. Every child deserves our best to ensure that we get the best from them and they in turn can contribute to create a better world, whatever their abilities.
We hope the information in this prospectus will help you to get a feel for our school and, where applicable, help with the successful induction of your child into our friendly school community. We want to get to know your child and to inspire their mind.
Our recent developments have put Herne firmly into the 21st Century. We have made
huge strides into personalising learning for all of the children where they have individual learning targets matched to their abilities across a range of areas. Each classroom is fitted with state of the art Active Boards allowing us to make use of video, computer software and the power of the Internet to enhance lessons. They link with Apple iOS, Microsoft and Android applications. There is a school-wide wireless network and we have wireless devices in every part of the school for the children to use. We use Kindles to promote reading. 128 iPads are available and are regularly used in every year group, with more to come. Our ICT Suite was upgraded in 2016 with 30 brand new computers, ensuring one computer per pupil when they are working in there.
The grounds of the school are excellent, giving lots of space and opportunities for creative play, sports, exploration, special reading areas and adventure. There’s a new outdoor gym which we intend to expand due to its popularity. We have been awarded the Active Mark for exceptional PE, International School awards from the British Council, the Rights Respecting School award through the United Nations and are the undisputed champions of Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth and IoW in girls’ football. We have competed nationally in motor racing and trampolining!
We are not perfect, but like all successful schools, we aim to listen to our children, parents, staff and visitors so that we can constantly improve what we provide to our community. The latest new assessments for the more demanding expectations in the revamped national curriculum saw only 53% of primary age children nationally reaching this higher standard. In Hampshire primary schools this rose to 59%. At Herne, 81% of pupils made this stringent benchmark.
We value our links with parents, other local schools and organisations. Our partnership with parents and carers is essential, encouraging children to attain high standards of effort, achievement and behaviour. It is vital that together we develop all aspects of our children, allowing them to feel good about their efforts at school. We pride ourselves on being a friendly place where people, young and old, really matter.
In 2018 we changed our vision for the school to “Knowing Every Child – Inspiring Every Mind - Achieving Every Day”. It is our personal challenge to make sure we get to know every family too. By working alongside you, we know we are more likely to succeed to help, support, challenge and inspire your child. We are looking forward to what lies ahead for the children and the rest of the family here at Herne and to forging a successful partnership with all parents and carers.
Susan Sayers
Headteacher
