Pottery Primary School, Belper

Pauline met with staff at Pottery Primary School in Belper to talk about the issues that affect them in their job as teachers.

Pauline met a number of staff who all had a lot of concerns about teaching at the Pottery Primary School. One big issue was the number of the children who attended the school that could have taken free school meals but their parents didn’t claim for them. So much extra school funding is reliant on the number of children taking up the free school meals that the school is missing out on funding they could really do with to help the children achieve higher standards.

They are clearly hard working staff who stay behind trying to catch up with a lot of admin before going home where they continue to work, marking books and planning lessons.

As with all schools Pauline has visited the staff have issues regarding testing and OFSTED inspections.

Pauline told them that she was trying to organise for Michael Gove MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families to come to Mid Derbyshire to listen to the concerns of staff in schools at an open meeting later in the year.