STAFF and pupils at a Barnard Castle school and teacher training centre have welcomed their new leader who is keen to give something back.
Robert Goffee has taken over as the new headteacher at Green Lane Primary School. He is also the new course director at the High Force Education facility, which is based at the school.
Mr Goffee is excited at the prospect of taking charge of the school as well as supporting the next generation of teachers at the centre where he trained 16 years ago.
Having spent 11 years at Mount Pleasant Primary School, in Darlington, where he worked as class teacher and senior leader, Mr Goffee went on to become deputy headteacher at Red Hall Primary School, in Darlington.
He has been there for the past four years before he decided to head back to the dale where his career path was nurtured.
Mr Goffee said: “I was one of the very first cohort to train there in 2002. Coming back feels like coming home I suppose. I feel like I have come full circle and I feel like I am giving something back. I want to reinvest in it.
“I have really enjoyed my first two weeks. The children and the staff have made me feel very welcome. The children have been knocking on my office door asking if I have had a good day. They are very polite. The Christian ethos comes through quite strongly.
“The children are always looking out for each other and showing their respect for each other. There is a lot of kindness and that is lovely to see.
“That is what drew me to the school in the first place. When I first came to have a look around, the children were very open and friendly and I thought, ‘I could make a bit of a difference here’.”
Mr Goffee is now hoping to drive the school forward by maximising pupils’ achievements as well as getting more involved with the community.
He said: “I want the children’s talents to be shown throughout the town and I want to include parents more.
“I also want to increase the achievements of the pupils. I think the children can achieve the highest level possible. I want to see that maximised.
“Working on developing the children’s reading is a big push here.
“We are looking at different ways of improving that. I also want to see maths results improved. At my last school we achieved 100 per cent for maths for Key Stage 2 two years in a row and I want to see that here. There is room for improvement.”
Mr Goffee already has plans for a pupil talent show which will tour around care homes in the town. Parents are also now invited into school every Friday morning for the school’s celebration assembly.
Meanwhile, Mr Goffee is keen to support trainee teachers who choose to embark on their teaching career at the School Centred Initial Teacher Training centre.
He will be working alongside initial teacher training lead Gemma Firmin.
The centre offers places for up to 33 graduates who are aiming to teach children between the ages of five and 11.
However, the pair are looking to grow these numbers.
Ms Firmin, who also trained at the centre in 2007, said: “We are really excited to have Rob on board as part of the team. He has a lot of knowledge and skills that he can bring and he knows how we can drive things forward.”
Mr Goffee said: “I will be working with Gemma to make sure that High Force Education is working effectively and that we are getting as many trainees in as we can. I think expansion of training is what we really want to see.
“I know how much I enjoyed it when I trained on the School Centred Initial Teacher Training. I am passionate that the students have the same experience as I did.
“The headteacher role here is not just about looking after the children, it is about looking after the trainees too and I am excited about that.”
