Autumn Newsletter 2025
From your Chair of Governors, Elaine Bunn
Welcome to the latest edition of the Castle Federation governor newsletter, and what a term of exciting change it has been.
What’s changed?
The Castle Federation governing body is responsible for Victoria and Thomas Coram schools. Our governors include Victoria and Thomas Coram’s heads of schools Mrs Freeman and Mrs Daily, our executive head Ms Roberts, and the rector of St Peter’s Church Father Stuart. There is also a staff governor, parent governors, a local authority governor, foundation governors who link the church and school interests, and associate members who provide specific expertise and support.
We had to wish a fond farewell to four of our longest-serving foundation governors back in July, and we are incredibly grateful for their cumulative years of energy, expertise and professionalism in guiding the strategic direction of our schools. Vicky Harris completed her tenth year of being a governor with Castle Federation. Nicola Few stepped down after several years of support, and Bev Julien and Nick Goss also reached the end of their terms, having also provided significant support and expertise to the board in many aspects.
I’m looking forward to working closely with our two new foundation governors, Laura Preston and Chris Cartwright, who have taken on the ‘link roles’ of maths, and attendance and behaviour respectively.
Many governors have link roles like these which mean that they are the main link between the schools and the governing board. Some are curriculum based, like maths and science, while other governors look at more holistic areas of school life. We have created new roles to support with ‘attendance and behaviour’, ‘inclusion’, and ‘personal development and wellbeing’ this year, as they all form part of the new Ofsted framework that Ms Roberts explains below.
We are very excited about celebrating these initiatives that our schools already do so well and highlighting to Ofsted, when they do visit us, all the incredible progress that both of our schools have been making.
What are we celebrating?
We also have so much to celebrate, including a new eco-school accreditation achieved by Thomas Coram, led by Mrs Giles and the governors’ sustainability advisor Anthony Boden, and the governors’ sustainability committee is also working hard on mapping out the schools’ climate change action plan. The new look and feel of both schools and a revitalised community engagement programme, led by our senior leaders and supported by the governors’ marketing and communications committee, has resulted in increasing numbers of pupils joining our school community this year. And our pupil survey responses also tell us that our children feel safe and happy at school too, which is of course the most wonderful thing to hear.
It feels like such a lot has happened already this term, but of course, the most exciting bit is still to come! We hope you all enjoy all the wonderful festive celebrations and events that are coming your way over the next couple of weeks, and hope you all find the time to take a break, relax and enjoy time with family and friends this Christmas.
Best wishes for the festive season, and I wish you health and happiness in 2026.
Elaine Bunn, Chair of Governors
From your Executive Head, Ms Roberts
The Federation has had an exciting start to the year this term with lots of curriculum enrichments in both schools. I am sure you have seen these on our social media channels and in the schools’ newsletters.
I wanted to start by saying that I am so proud of the pupil outcomes across the Federation in July. They were cause for much celebration, with pupils at the end of Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 achieving exceptional standards of attainment in national assessments, with the vast majority of indicators above Hertfordshire and national levels. This is a fantastic achievement and is a direct reflection of the quality-first teaching our children receive and the targeted interventions to narrow any gaps in learning.
We have now begun to implement year one of our five-year strategic plan, which is very exciting and is the result of a significant amount of work. This is being closely monitored by our leaders and governors.
The Federation is also embarking on a three-year strategic plan to further develop oracy in both schools. Leaders have visited a school of excellence in this area and were inspired to plan and implement a variety of initiatives, so watch this space!
Ofsted changes
As many of you will have heard, Ofsted inspections will look very different moving forward, with schools being graded on a five-point graded system.
Inspectors will start at the expected standard, with the vast majority of judgements falling within these three categories:
- Needs attention
- Expected standard
- Strong standard
The other two categories, urgent improvement and exceptional, will be very few in number and only awarded in expectational circumstances
The graded areas will be:
- Safeguarding
- Inclusion
- Curriculum and teaching
- Achievement
- Attendance and behaviour
- Personal development and wellbeing
- Early years
- Leadership and governance
The inspection framework focuses on celebrating our successes and us being explicit in our next steps for further improvement. One of their key questions will be: how do the children achieve, belong and thrive? Our work every day, across the Federation, is underpinned by these core principles, so we will look forward to sharing the countless ways we seek to secure this.
Thank you
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to offer our thanks and offer our best wishes to Mrs Williamson, assistant head at Thomas Coram, who is retiring at Christmas.
As always, thank you so much for all your support and entrusting us with your phenomenal children. Merry Christmas and best wishes for a fun, family-filled festive period and a happy and healthy new year.
Ms Roberts, Executive Headteacher
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:15
Christian Distinctiveness at Castle CE Federation
As Elaine says, Castle Federation’s foundation governors link the church and school interests, and it was pleasing to see many signs of Christian distinctiveness in recent visits I undertook to Victoria and Thomas Coram. Whilst welcoming those of all faiths and none, the schools are very fortunate to have excellent links with St Peter's Church, with children attending some services and enjoying Father Stuart’s collective worship and presence in school. Rebecca and Sarah, the vicar of Sunnyside Church and its children and families worker, have also started a popular weekly club at Thomas Coram recently, called the Space To Be.
Christian distinctiveness is also woven throughout the vision and values of the school which are based on Christianity but accessible and valuable to all. Recent artwork depicting the mustard seed parable has been painted by a past pupil on the wall at both schools. At Thomas Coram, artwork illustrates the lives of famous Christians which have been discussed in classrooms.
The RE syllabus has been developed and now includes a rigorous assessment module which focuses is on developing and exploring spirituality. And the children at Victoria and Thomas Coram hold the position of spiritual ambassadors with pride, and enjoy helping with services and collective worship.
I was asked why I decided to become a foundation governor, to encourage others to step forward. As a retired headteacher who is also the wife of a priest, this role allows me to combine two great interests and help children towards an enjoyment of both.
Nicola Boddam-Whetham, Foundation Governor
Early Years Update
The Ofsted framework includes an evaluation for early years, and as the link governor for Early Years Foundation Stage I have the lovely job of going into Nursery and Reception and observing the day-to-day activities there.
Seeing three and four-year-olds taking their hesitant first steps into school with nervous parents leaving them at the gate, I watch with delight as they manoeuvre their way through new friendships and different routines, gaining confidence when they have mastered a new skill. Bravely taking on new challenges and finding their voice in expressing themselves.
But of course, however lovely that is, the real reason I am there is to play a strategic role in ensuring that the provision is safe, high quality, inclusive and compliant. Governors offer support to the early years leader whilst holding them to account.
This involves regular meetings with Mrs Sargeant and we discuss a broad range of topics whenever we meet. These include progress against the school’s development plan, checking that funding is used effectively to support the children’s outcomes and welfare, and ensuring that those with special educational needs are identified early and supported.
At the end of the last school year, 88% of the children were on track compared to the national average of 67%. This is a great achievement and due to the skill and dedication of Mrs Sargeant and her staff.
The recent parent tours have also received excellent feedback and pupil numbers are increasing in both Nursery and Reception. This increase is good for the school long-term and predictions for next September are higher still.
Tracy Brown, Link Governor for Early Years Foundation Stage
Marketing and Communications Update
The number of children in Nursery and Reception are higher this term than last September, despite declining birthrates across Hertfordshire and the rest of the country leading to lower pupil numbers overall, and a drop in the funding some schools can receive. This is thanks to a concerted effort by Mrs Freeman, Ms Roberts and Mrs Daily to build and maintain the reputation of the Castle Federation’s schools over the last year.
They have explored every opportunity to better promote Victoria and Thomas Coram’s excellent educational offer and vibrant school communities, by revamping everything from the tours for prospective parents, to the schools’ websites and social media channels.
There is also a new prospectus, flyers for local estate agents, Christmas cards for local businesses, ‘stay and play’ events for families considering the nursery at Victoria, and postcards to new Nursery and Reception children and parents, the summer before they start.
The governors have supported this work because healthy pupil numbers are integral to a sustainable and financially certain long-term future for Castle Federation. We set up a marketing committee to offer strategic support and will continue to work alongside our school leaders as they look to ensure the numbers of families choosing our schools for their children remain strong in 2026 and beyond.
Mark Thomson, Associate Member
Governors December 2025
