What many people may not realise, but the Ashmore Park Nursery School here on Ashmore Park was federated with Phoenix Nursery at the beginning of this year.
This followed a twelve month period where our school management team took over the running of Phoenix Nursery in Blakenhall Wolverhampton, following the retirement of the Phoenix Head Teacher, who had given long and valuable service to that school and Wolverhampton’s education family.
In January of this year (2016) we formalised the arrangement and our Head Sue Lacy and Deputy Jane Parocki took formal control of Phoenix Nursery School educators.
I have become Chairman of the newly federated Governing Body as our team of Governors here in Ashmore Park Nursery also assumed the Governing body status for the Phoenix School. The Governors at Ashmore Park Nursery are a very focussed team of talented people. Who have brought their individual talents and disciplines into the Governance team.
The plan is to further develop and enhance the provision at Phoenix Nursery school and to work hard to continue an upward trajectory with the aspiration of gaining the status of ‘Ofsted Outstanding’, a status that Ashmore Park Nursery School has attained three times in recent inspections.
I can now report that there is already some very good news for the Phoenix Nursery Team!
The Good News is that Phoenix Nursery School has recently been rated Outstanding by the Local Authority for its financial controls. This is what the City of Wolverhampton – Governor’s Newsletter, recently reported –
Good News-Phoenix Nursery School -Rated Outstanding
Audit Services are pleased to confirm that following their recent review of key financial controls, Phoenix Nursery School has been assessed as providing outstanding assurance that significant risks are mitigated to acceptable levels. This means that the school fully complies with the Scheme for Financing Schools and there are many outstanding areas of good practice and no, or only a few, areas of weakness in the school’s financial management arrangements.
Now as Chair of Governors for both Phoenix and Ashmore Park Nursery I am delighted in this really good news for the federated school. We have a lot more to do and a long way to go. But we do have a really first class Head and Deputy, and very talented educators with a focussed team of Governors.
Well done everyone I am so proud of you!
