Dear Families,

As we reach the end of another school year, I want to take a moment to reflect on what has been, without doubt, a pivotal and memorable chapter in the life of our school.

Back in September 2024, we welcomed our current Reception children through the doors for the very first time. Since then, they—and their families—have navigated a year of firsts: first day nerves and excitement, first sports day, first Nativity performance, first “Come Dine” experience… the list goes on. It has been wonderful to see how seamlessly they have made the transition into our Chilton community, culminating in this week’s transition to Year 1. What a year it has been for them all.

Looking ahead to September, we will open our doors once again to a new generation of Chiltonians, ready to begin their own journey here. With that also comes the moment when we say farewell to our incredible Year 6 cohort.

This particular group of Year 6 children and I share something special: we started at Chilton together in 2017. My own first day as a year 6 teacher at Chilton was the very same first day for Team Periwinkle and Team Teal in Reception. Since then, the journey has been nothing short of wild—pandemics, five Prime Ministers in seven years, Baby Shark and a world that has often felt unpredictable and turbulent. But through it all, our Year 6 children have been steadfast. Their kitchens became their classrooms, “bubbles” became the norm, and their resilience became something we all admired. They have achieved so much in their time here, and they will be greatly missed. We wish them every success and happiness as they move into the next stage of their education.

This year has also brought so many highlights for the school community as a whole. Above all, I want to pay a huge tribute to you, our families. So many of you have generously volunteered your time to help make Chilton the vibrant place it is—running fairs and parties, coming in to read with children, painting fences and sprucing up previously unloved areas of school, and so much more. You have improved the school for all our children, and for that I am truly grateful.

We also faced our long-awaited Ofsted inspection. I am so pleased to share again that not only did we maintain our “Outstanding” grading, but the inspector found no areas for improvement. This was wonderful to hear as a staff team—and I hope it gave you confidence that nothing but the best suffices here at Chilton. Rest assured, however, that even though the inspector couldn’t find gaps, we are not standing still. We already have a number of initiatives planned to keep moving Chilton forward—because 'getting better never stops'.

As is often the case at this time of year, we are also saying a few goodbyes.

Firstly, to Ms Dudley Smith, who has dedicated an incredible 12 years to Chilton. Her contribution has been immeasurable, and I know you will join me in wishing her every success as she takes her next step managing a nursery closer to home and her young daughter. She will always have a place here with us, and she leaves with our heartfelt thanks and best wishes.

We are also saying goodbye to Mr Abel, who, like me and our year 6 leavers, started in 2017. Mr Abel has been a well-known figure around the school, popular with many children, staff, and families. He will be moving on to further his career elsewhere. While it is always bittersweet to say goodbye, we thank him for his time here and the contribution he has made to Chilton over the years, in all its many forms.

Finally, we bid farewell—but not entirely—to Ms Armstead, who has been a dedicated Teaching Assistant with us for several years. While she is stepping away from her TA role, she will be returning as she trains to become a play therapist. We thank her enormously for everything she has brought to Chilton and look forward to welcoming her back in this exciting new capacity.

To all our families: thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your support, kindness, and dedication this year. You have helped make Chilton Primary School the extraordinary place it is. I hope you all have a restful and joyful summer break, and I look forward to seeing you in September to begin another wonderful chapter together.

Warmest wishes,

Mr McAuley