Welcome to our new Head Teacher
This is my hello to everyone connected to Columbia Grange, I am very excited and pleased to begin work with such a super team of staff. I'm really looking forward to getting to know all of our children across school. I promise to do that gently and steadily though!
I have worked in education and with pupils with additional needs since 1996, which seems like a lifetime ago when written as a date, but it has given me years of experience to bring to Columbia Grange.
I was the Head Teacher of another special school for four years prior to coming to Columbia Grange and as a result I appreciate just what an important role I have and how we must all work together to get the best outcomes for the most valuable aspect of school- our children. As a dad myself, I understand just how we want our youngsters to develop and make progress but also that happiness is key. In meetings, reviews, chats, telephone calls the one message I have had back from parents and carers more than any other is that they want their children to be happy. Who can argue with that? Not me- that's what I want too. We share a lot of the classroom progress through ClassDojo and we want to share more of the joy that pupils experience at play and lunchtimes too, GDPR permitting.
Autism has been the main area in which I have worked through my education career and I am such a fortunate person to be able to say that. I have learned so many things (and I am still learning) during my career through, listening to, watching, working with and playing with children with autism and the people who know them that I have become a much better person than I would have been otherwise.
I will bring some changes to school- changes for the better and I'll introduce them steadily unless something is urgent. We are all hoping to start to pick up on the after school events soon and get back to the enjoyment of events like the Halloween disco.
Outside of school I enjoy playing and coaching football and having a ride on my bike as well enjoying family time.
The term has started calmly and well, all staff are working hard to get the pupils back into the swing of things and in all honesty I have been thrilled with how happily the vast majority of pupils have come back into school. I have also been very impressed at just how skilfully and carefully staff have encouraged and engaged the few pupils who didn't feel quite ready.
John Lines
