Headteacher’s Welcome Letter

Headteacher’s Welcome

‘I don’t think it matters how old you are, the main thing in life is to always see yourself as a learner’

Welcome to Pinewood School.

At Pinewood, our aim is to encourage pupil’s curiosity, persistence, resilience & respect.  

These things don’t necessarily have to always come in that order, and not always to the same degree or extent each time, but we feel these are the fundamental building blocks to a successful future which together lead to independence in adult life…

• Curiosity – Which is essential to develop the mindset of a lifelong learner
• Persistence – Through which we achieve success over time
• Resilience – So that we find success through challenge and adversity
• Respect – For the views, opinions and diversity we see around us, enabling us to draw on the strengths of one another as we collaborate and grow together

With all this in mind, our curriculum intent is very simple:

‘To provide ambitious learning opportunities that develop independent and motivated learners ready to take their place in 21^st Century Britain’

Here at Pinewood, we want everyone, students, parents, staff and the wider community to find success, and to feel safe, valued and supported.  We know that collaboration is the key to success, which is why the key links that bring together student, teacher and parent are so important to everyone in the Pinewood family.  We feel strongly that education doesn’t stop at the school gate, nor does learning only take place in the classroom.  We make use of the local and wider environment to support learning across the curriculum in many different ways.

We aim to equip Pinewood learners with the skills they need to make a valuable contribution to society whether that be through paid employment, volunteering or any other way that is specific to the individual.

We believe teaching our students how to be emotionally and physically healthy is a key part of education.  We know that many young people find the challenges of adolescence difficult and having good mental health is key to a fulfilling life.  We focus highly on mental health and wellbeing and this is evident in the happiness of our learners, and indeed our staff.

Please watch our welcome video and, better still, visit us to see how learning happens at Pinewood.

David McGachen, Headteacher, B.Ed (Hons.), NPQH