Headteacher's Welcome 

A Warm Welcome to Harestock Primary School from our Headteacher, Mrs Aimee Dear.

Being headteacher of a school is an honour and a privilege. Being headteacher of Harestock Primary School is also a role that brings me great joy.  Joy because the ethos and culture at Harestock is one where ambition and compassion work hand in hand, nurturing and challenging the children in our care so they grow both academic and holistic success.

I have the pleasure to work closely with our dedicated staff team with the aim of guiding our children to become amazing young people who respect and value their education, themselves, each other and the fast-changing world in which they live.

We do this in many ways and the children, our school vision and values are the driving force behind every decision we make. This ensures that we are constantly challenging ourselves to reflect and check that our school is delivering on our promises for every child.  We help our children to develop the values and skills that we believe are essential for successful lives.  And by this, we mean to have a role in society that they find rewarding and fulfilling, to have successful relationships and to have the mindset and attitudes that enable them to strive resiliently for their goals.

Here are some of the qualities that make our school so special:

• Being a smaller than average school, means that we are able to develop excellent relationships with all our children and families. Knowing your children so well means we can tailor to their needs and offer personalised support.

• We have a strong belief that children who feel good do better. Therefore, we teach children how to have great self-awareness so they can manage their emotions well and know how best to approach each new learning experience. This is our Empowerment Approach.

• We provide education for our neighbouring Service Families. Most of our service families stay with us long term, but others move on after a few years. This means our children become more accepting, and great at making new friends – a valuable skill for life. The diversity of our school helps children develop respect and understanding of difference and each other.

• Our incredible school grounds include three playgrounds, a large field, sports court, forest school area, allotments and a beautiful pond. We make good use of our outdoor spaces for learning and every class takes part in Forest School.

• And of course, our relentless striving for an excellent education experience for every child from our staff training and development, a relevant and ambitious curriculum and learners who are enabled to thrive.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you feel as excited about Harestock Primary School as I do.  I invite you to look through our website for more information and our Facebook and Instagram pages for our day-to-day life and extend an invitation to you all to visit our school and see for yourselves.

With very best wishes

Mrs Aimee Dear

Headteacher

About Harestock Primary School

The full school profile can be found on the DirectGov website, but a summary follows below:

Children’s Service Authority: Hampshire County Council

Age range: 4-11

Number of pupils: 215

Headteacher: Mrs Aimee Dear

Chair of governors: Mrs Miranda Woolfenden