Welcome
A warm welcome from Mrs Liz Thomas-Friend (Executive Headteacher)
In September 2016 I was delighted to be appointed as Executive Headteacher at St Alphege. I work as Executive Headteacher of both St Alphege CE Infant School and Herne CE Infant School. I am very fortunate that in both schools there is a strong Head of School who leads the schools on a day to day basis.
I trained as an Early Years Specialist and have taught the infant age range in a variety of schools across the country. I have had the opportunity to work with amazing practitioners and have an interest in the international dimension of education, visiting Finland, Sweden and Canada to explore education systems.
I believe that every child should be valued, respected and loved and that well-being and involvement is paramount to the success of each child’s life chances. I recognise the importance of the home-school relationship and that by working together we enable your children to achieve. The Arts and curriculum enrichment has such a vital role in children’s lives and as practitioners and parents we must ensure that our children receive the very best provision.
I am very excited that my role will harness the strengths of both schools so that the school communities can access outstanding learning environments and share their expertise with each other.
The opportunity to share the Celebration of Childhood across Herne Bay and Whitstable is a real privilege and I look forward to ensuring that your children experience a love of learning which will last a lifetime.
Liz Thomas-Friend, Executive Head
A warm welcome from Mrs Jacqui Spinks (Head of School)
Early Years and Infant education is my passion and is where I have spent the majority of my career. I believe that if we can inspire a love for learning in children from the start, this will have a dramatic impact on the way they see themselves as learners in the future. At St Alphege we strive to create an irresistible curriculum that inspires our children and provides them with rich and purposeful learning opportunities.
Music and the Arts is another passion of mine and I am incredibly proud to have secured Arts Mark Gold status for the school in July 2014. I have previously worked as a Leading Music teacher supporting schools across the Canterbury district to improve or maintain their Music provision. I believe that the Arts are an essential element of education as they equip children with the skills to be creative, confident and excellent communicators. They learn to solve problems, persevere and work in collaboration with others. Participating in Music, Drama and Art opportunities gives children the tools for living life reflectively, joyfully and with the ability to shape the future.
I started my career at St Alphege as an Inclusion Leader and Deputy Headteacher and have worked for many years supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs. I am very committed to inclusive education, creating a school environment where well-being is high on the agenda and supporting all pupils regardless of their backgrounds or starting points.
St Alphege CE Infant School and Sunbeams Nursery is a truly wonderful place to be and I am incredibly proud to be the Head of School. Our position in the centre of vibrant Whitstable enables excellent community links and exciting learning opportunities outside of the school. The staff team are committed and share my passion to provide the very best for the children in our care. I look forward to ensuring that your children achieve our school motto of “Learning to Live and Loving to Learn” in an environment where the children will always come first.
Jacqui Spinks, Head of School
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