Church Links
As a Church of England Primary School we are required to undergo an inspection relating to the Christian character of our school. Please find below the inspection report for your information.
Shalfleet SIAMS Report
Yarmouth SIAMS Report
Living Difference Planning
Living Difference IV is the agreed Syllabus for Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton & the Isle of Wight
Please click on the link for a copy of the Syllabus – Living Difference IV
RE entitlement is:
EYFS & KS1 36 hours taught RE from the Living Difference IV syllabus
KS2 45 hours taught RE from the Living Difference IV syllabus.
Rt Rev Jonathan Frost
Bishop of Portsmouth
The Church of England’s Bishop of Portsmouth is the Rt Rev Jonathan Frost, who is currently the Dean of York. Downing Street announced that HM the Queen had nominated Bishop Jonathan to be the tenth Bishop of Portsmouth. His current role involves him leading the historic York Minster where he has served since February 2019. He has previously been a parish priest, police chaplain, university chaplain and suffragan bishop.
The Venerable Peter Leonard
Archdeacon of the Isle of Wight
Rev Leisa Potter
The Rev’d Leisa Potter, is Team Vicar of the West Wight Mission Community and is Priest In Charge of the Parishes of All Saints, Freshwater with St Agnes, St James, Yarmouth and Christ Church, Totland.
Rev Jackie Maw
Reverend Jackie Maw has accepted the Bishop’s invitation to be Team Rector of the West Wight Mission Community. You can find out a little bit more about Jackie in the short biography below.
The Federation enjoys significant support from our local churches, with both clergy and volunteers leading worship and working with children.
Reverends Leisa Potter and Jackie Maw are governors and active members of our Community Group. They offer pastoral support to staff as well as whole-school weekly Collective Worship ( including by video through the lockdowns). They also work with younger children in each school. Church-based groups such as Timebank provide practical help, like food parcels, to struggling families.
Volunteers from church work every week with children under the direction of teachers, hearing readers or taking small groups, while the popular ‘Open the Book’ group acts out Bible stories in Collective Worships.
Outside the schools, children take part in church community events such as carol singing to Abbeyfield and in Yarmouth Square, as well as the Shrove Tuesday races. They also read or lead occasional services in the churches. This year, outdoor learning about the environment and community will include the extensive churchyard at Freshwater.
We also have strong working partnerships with the Diocese of Portsmouth, who provide training and help us prepare for SIAMS (Inspections of the schools’ Christian provision and identity). They provide Christian counsel when asked and visit regularly ( see the clips of former Bishop Christopher below).
The Lord’s Prayer
Our father in heaven
Hallowed be Your name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven,
Give us today our daily bread,
Forgive us our sins,
As we forgive those who sin against us,
Lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power
And the glory are Yours,
Now and forever
Amen
Federation school prayer written by The Spirit Group of each school.
Dear God,
Thank you for our schools and friends and we ask you to bless the Federation of Shalfleet and Yarmouth.
Encourage and help us to follow our school values of Respect, Determination and Relationships in school and at home.
Help us to show forgiveness when people make the wrong choices.
In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen
Additional Pastoral Support
Over the past few years our children have been through unprecedented times, through these times they have shown determination to succeed and to look after one another. Demonstrating respectful behaviours to themselves and each other.
Despite this resilience, we know that emotional wellbeing is more important now than ever before, with this in mind we have decided to develop our pastoral team across the federation to ensure we can meet the needs of our children and to also have a diverse bank of resources and support available.
We continue to offer ELSA support from the two ELSAs across the federation. Additionally, we are introducing a Strengthening Behaviours Lead and a Church Pastoral Lead who will work across the federation. This team will work with children either individually or in small groups depending on the level and type of need.
As church schools, we felt it was important to look to God for support and guidance and through the existing expertise within the federation are able to offer bespoke pastoral support, with the bible teachings embedded for any family who feels that this is the support they would like for their children.
We are also incredibly fortunate to have the Mental Health Support Team (MHST) working with us. The MHST consists of the clinical lead, team managers, supervisors, and Educational Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs). The team will work with schools to support parents whose children are struggling with their thoughts and feelings.
Overseeing the pastoral and wellbeing support across the Federation are our Inclusion Lead, Mrs Georgina Westhorpe and our Inclusion and Family Support Officer Mrs Heather Eggleton; there are both trained as our Senior Mental Health Lead Practitioners through the DfE quality assured training.
If any concerns are highlighted about a child, either through the parents, class teacher or other member of staff we use a collaborative approach to discuss the needs of the child and who would be best placed to support them, at this point a parent can also request the support of the Church Pastoral Lead.
With Easter fast approaching what better way to introduce the children to the meaning of Easter than a trip to All Saints Church. Little Stars & Reception Class had great fun taking part in lots of Easter activities set up by Reverend Leisa, collecting sticks & making crosses; creating dioramas; decorating some Easter pictures; and sharing an Easter story. Outside the church there were lots of signs of spring, the children were quick to point out all the beautiful flowers & blossom on the trees.
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Our Link with Yelwoko
By Rev Linda Porter
We’re back! Safe and sound! On 25th August we flew from Heathrow to Accra, the capital of Ghana, and the on the 26th a further flight to Tamale in Northern Ghana. It was then a few days into our stay before we were taken on the long drive of about four hours to Yelwoko.
I hadn’t been prepared for the remoteness of this place. I was aware that there was a clinic in the village and somehow this had, in my mind, translated itself into the village being on a ‘proper’ road. And so it was when we left the road and started off on a dusty track, at that moment I realised what rural really meant.
We were warmly greeted by Father Jeremiah Aladago, his assistant Fr. Michael, one of the Church Wardens, the Headmaster of the school and one of the teachers.
Nor had I realised the extent of the recent storm damage to the school which is, in large part, currently without a roof. There are approx. 250 pupils at the school which provides for kindergarten and children up to the age of 15.
Although the school children were on their summer holidays we were able to meet just a few of the younger ones together with some of the mums who go in to help at the school on a rota basis.
The villagers have begun to build a new church. The present building accommodates about 200 but when the Yelwoko congregation are joined by worshippers from its outstations they number around 600. They have been saving for three years and are only now at foundation level, providing the labour themselves. When I asked when they hope to complete I was told, ‘it could take 5 years, it may take 10’!
Yelwoko is, without doubt, a poor village, that is in material terms. In other ways we have much to gain from them in the way they lead their lives, placing value not so much on what they have got but on the goodness of God each and every day.
The children at Shalfleet & Yarmouth schools will soon be able to write letters to children at Yelwoko, widening knowledge, learning from each other, appreciating what life is like in another part of the world. As for us, what will our role be? This link is a companion link; encouraging one another, praying for one another, sharing both our joys and our down moments.
I hope over the next weeks and months to share more with you and update you on progress with both the church and school. I know we will be enriched by these friends in Ghana as I pray that they will too.
work on Yelwoko church
bricks for Yelwoko church
Yelwoko school
Yelwoko people
Yelwoko children
UPDATE – Friendships are beginning to be formed as the children of Shalfleet and Yarmouth Church of England Primary Schools have sent off over 100 letters to the pupils in Yelwoko.
The Churchyard Project
On Thursday last week, a few of us went to St Michael the Archangel church in Shalfleet.
Our mission was to help tidy up some of the gravestones and clear some weeds, so we went prepared with gloves and trowels.
Chloe and Rhod, who help look after the church showed us round and answered all our questions. Rhod helped us fill up 4 big buckets of weeds and ivy!
While we were there, we hunted for clues to help us find out about some local families associated with the church and looked for hidden objects in the stained-glass windows.
Chloe was a mine of historical information and we learnt a lot of fascinating facts. There was just enough time for a bit of artwork, too. It was great to be able to help out in our community and we’re looking forward to our next visit in March.
Mrs Gates, Year 4 and Year 5 Helpers
Churchyard Project (3)
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Pearl of Africa Children’s Choir
We recently had the privilege of having a visit from The Pearl of Africa Ugandan Children’s Choir. Pearl of Africa is a non-profit organization who aim to break the cycle of poverty for Ugandan children by investing in education, health, water and sustainable food programmes, in consultation with their Ugandan partners. https://pearlofafrica.org.uk/
The choir spent the day at both sites, teaching the children singing, drumming and dancing workshops before giving the school children and their friends/ families an uplifting, energetic evening performance at Freshwater and Yarmouth CE Primary! A fabulous time was had by all! Thank you to everyone involved in making the day possible and to everyone who came and supported! 
Here are a few quotes from the staff and children:
It was really good. I liked the clapping -Bruce
The dances were amazing – Annaleigha
They were amazing! They sung acapella using only drums to keep in time. It was fabulous! – Mrs Harris
The exploded into the hall with so much confidence, they were so inspiring and left us all feeling elated – Mrs Whitehead
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Carol Evening
Bishop Christopher and Peter Leonard visited the school. The report can be seen here: http://bit.ly/2FVVehV
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