Wallace and Gromit at Portway!

A huge well done to Steve and Hannah from Highgrove Church for dressing up as Wallace and Gromit for a prize giving at Portway School on Monday morning. Inevitably, photos were taken and are below!

Academic Review Day

Here are some photos from Highgrove Church's involvement in the Academic Review Day on Wednesday 21 November.

Every parent and child (over 400 local people) was greeted at the door by someone from Highgrove…


…was registered by the registration team…


…and then served with drinks and cakes and friendly chat by Highgrove volunteers.


17 Highgrove volunteers took part in serving over 500 teas/coffees and hundreds of cakes throughout the whole day and evening (some for the whole 12 hours!)


…and always with a SMILE!



The parents loved it, the school management really appreciated the welcome the parents had received, and the staff felt very blessed by the service.

A massive

Thank You!

to all of you who gave up time on the day or to help with cakes.

Pray for Portway: Monday 15 October

Hi all,

Just a quick note to say the first Pray for Portway event of this academic year will take place on Monday 15th October 2007 at the school. It starts at 7.30pm. Anyone is welcome to come along to this to hear more about the needs of the school and to pray together.

If you'd like to know more, please contact Ed Marsh by emailing info@highgrove.org.uk.

Portway in the news

You may be interested to read this article about Portway School that was in the local press this week. You might like to consider leaving a comment at the bottom of the article to share your views.

Please pray about...

...the content of the following article which appeared on the BBC news website today concerning potential redundancies at four schools in Bristol, including Portway.

Click here for the article

The next prayer event

Pray for Portway
Monday 12 March
7.30pm - 9pm

Come and join together with the local churches to pray for Portway with an imminent further OFSTED inspection.

Portway School Buffet

Just a line to thank everyone who helped towards the wonderful cakes & food at the Portway school buffet. The staff were very appreciative of all the work involved. Please see below photos of some of the food:

Georgina

Pray for Portway, Monday 6 November

Just a quick reminder that the next Pray for Portway event is taking place at Portway School on Monday 6 November starting at 7.30pm.

Come and hear about the progress of the school since the start of the academic year and be part of praying into some of the specific areas so that we can see yet more answers to prayer!

NEW Portway School website

The new website for Portway Community School is now up! Check it out at http://www.portway.bristol.sch.uk/.

It looks really good, with useful information and a link to the latest OFSTED reports as well as a message from David Hebden, the Headteacher.

2006/07 Pray for Portway dates

Do note down the following dates in your diary for the 'Pray for Portway' prayer events and 'Cakes for Portway':

Pray for Portway - Autumn term
Monday 6 November, 7.30pm

Pray for Portway - Spring term
Monday 12 March, 7.30pm

Cakes!
4 Oct 2006, 7 Dec 2006, 25 Jan 2007, 8 Feb 2007, 8 Mar 2007, 17 May 2007, 12 Jul 2007

Update from Georgina

Dear Churches,

Over the past 18 months, the local churches have had an increasing involvement with Portway school, and we feel that we are establishing a unique network of support for Portway. The school is incredibly encouraged by the commitment of local churches to pray and offer practical support. In an article in the evening post May 2006 David Hebden the new Head teacher was quoted as saying “he was astonished to find dozens of people from local churches, who meet regularly in the school, and were praying for it to overcome its difficulties”. We have seen some amazing answers to prayer, namely the appointment of an inspiring, motivated and skilled head teacher who has led the school out of special measures. We have also had some great opportunities to demonstrate the love of Jesus in the school.

Over the past year we have held termly prayer meetings for the school, provided cakes for the staff on parents evening, 1:1 mentoring for pupils with difficulties, assisted with group work, offered accommodation for teachers, provided admin support, all of which have been greatly appreciated. We will continue to expand our ministry as God guides us.

Last term I was appointed a member of the Interim Executive Board for the school. (Since 1 September 2002 LEAs, with the approval of the Secretary of State, have been able to replace the governing body of a school causing concern with an interim executive board). My main role on the board is to represent the community. Therefore I would like to make myself available to be able to discuss any issues you have concerning the school and surrounding community that I may be able to address with the IEB. I would be grateful if you could inform your congregations of my role and invitation for discussions.

Furthermore I would like to form a group with representatives from each church that could meet occasionally to discuss the role of the local churches in the school and various contributions we make to the school. This could be a forum for discussing issues that could be addressed by the IEB. I have invited a representative from each church to talk further about this at a meeting in early September.

I want to take this opportunity once again to thank everyone for their support, and look forward to see how God leads us together in this ministry.

Georgina Doutre - pray4portway@hotmail.co.uk

Letter from Ofsted Inspection Team

David Hebden, the headmaster of Portway, provided www.shire.org.uk with a copy of the letter sent to pupils from the Ofsted Inspection Team following the decision to bring the school out of Special Measures. Read it here.

Thanks!

Thanks to all who baked cakes for the staff the week before last. Your efforts were much appreciated and the cakes much eaten and enjoyed!

Cakes for Portway - 21 June

On a regular basis, we have been making cakes to take into Portway school to bless the staff there. This is very much appreciated and is a big blessing to the staff.

The next Cakes for Portway is on 21 June. If you would like to bake a cake for the team to take in, please email Georgina.

Portway in the news!

2006 has brought about some exciting changes and success for Portway School. Ofsted have said that Portway no longer requires Special Measures and have been given a Notice of Improvement. Ofsted 'have confidence in the schools capacity to make lasting improvements'. Mr Hebden (the new Head) has been said to have 'brought fresh hope to the school and has focused, with great success, on the most urgent issues'. The report mentions significant improvements in behaviour and the management of challenging behaviour by staff.

In recent days, the turnaround at Portway has been in the local press. In the article, Mr Hebden acknowledges the impact of the Pray for Portway events:

...And he was astonished to find dozens of people from local churches, who meet regularly in the school, were praying for it to overcome some of its difficulties. "I'm not a religious person myself, but that was amazing," he said.