Message from the Headteacher

Dear Parents and Carers

It gives me great pleasure to officially introduce myself as the new Headteacher of Penketh South Primary School and Nursery. I feel extremely honoured and privileged to have been chosen to continue to develop this school and to take it on the next stage of its journey.

My goal as Headteacher is to ensure all children who attend Penketh South are happy and provided with all the necessary opportunities to be the best they can be both socially and academically.

I have been a teacher for 24 years and an experienced senior leader for 14 years as Head of Early Years, Assistant and, latterly, Deputy Headteacher for the last five years at Barrow Hall Primary School. I have led many teams; EYFS and KS1, English, Curriculum, Assessment and Disadvantaged pupils’, as well as managing the school website. Prior to this, I worked for 7 years at Hill View Primary in Runcorn leading Early Years and worked for Halton Authority supporting teachers early in their career.

Personally, my interests lie in sport, outdoor learning – I am a qualified Forest School Leader - and the Arts. Amongst other things, I enjoy travelling to different parts of the world with my husband, walking our dog, photography as well as enjoying being outdoors for physical and mental wellbeing.

At Penketh South, we have a committed and talented staff team, and, of course, lovely children. It is a wonderful place for any new Headteacher to start! It was a pleasure to welcome all the children back into school at the gate this morning and to say “hello” to so many of you.

The needs of our children are always paramount in the life and decision making within a school. I strongly believe in providing our children with exciting, creative and meaningful experiences, which build their confidence and enthusiasm for learning. I think it is crucial to involve our children and their families as partners in their education. I am also keen to continue to build a whole school community which thrives on mutual respect and values positive relationships. I know how vital working in partnership with parents is, in order for children to find school a rewarding experience. As key educators, I feel that it is important that you have a voice and that as a school, we are approachable and allocate time to listen to your concerns, worries or thoughts. 

Very soon I will be inviting parents and carers to a coffee morning to have a chat over a coffee or tea, cake or a biscuit, but in the meantime, I aim to be at the gate most mornings before school. Please do come over and say hello. I look forward to meeting you all in the coming weeks.

Mrs Lawton Headteacher

At Penketh South the children are exceptional - we are very proud of them and everything they do. They are polite, friendly and respectful and have a very positive attitude towards learning.

We ensure that the curriculum we teach is enjoyable, challenging and varied so that the children love coming to school, achieve their best and feel supported in everything they do.

Our school motto is, "Do your best. Be your best." as we help every child to realise that with determined effort and resilience, that they can succeed.  

Our curriculum intent statement summarises our Vision for our school.

• During the children’s journey through Penketh South, we aim to spark their curiosity and fire their enthusiasm.  
• We work with them to take pride in themselves, their achievements and their environment.
• Through being taught to respectfully ask questions, we teach them to show an understanding for equality and diversity and an appreciation for the world around them.
• Providing exceptional opportunities, we aim to develop independent, confident and successful learners who have high aspirations of themselves for the future.
• With encouragement we support our pupils to use their experiences to help them to develop and grow into learners for life, powerful contributors and responsible citizens in an ever changing world.

An important element of our curriculum is our Forest School where children spend time in the outdoors, learning about the environment as well as developing a whole range of interpersonal and problem-solving skills and refining their use of tools.  

We hope you find the information you need on our website but if you do require any further information about what we do or how we do it, please feel free to contact the School Office on 01925 726558 or email [email protected] who will direct you to the best person to help you with your query.  We are also happy to provide paper copies of any doucments you need.  

Also, as we are part of The Challenge Academy Trust, you can find details of how to contact TCAT on the School Information tab.