Welcome To
Regents Park Community Primary School
Believe in Yourself - Anything is Possible!
Dear Parents/ Carers,
Farewell message from Mr Beale
I first announced my plans to take early retirement on 14th February 2025 and at that point Friday 18th July still seemed a long time in the future. All of a sudden, 5 months have gone by in the blink of an eye and this week is my last week as Headteacher of Regents Park Community Primary School.
It’s almost impossible to encapsulate in a few short paragraphs my thoughts and feelings about Regents Park Community Primary School and being its Headteacher for 11 years. My time at Regents Park amounts to nearly a third of my career in education. I started teaching not too far from Regents Park at Bordesley Green Primary School in September 1991 as, what was then called, a probationary teacher at that time. I then moved to Greet Primary School in September 1995 where I stayed until 2008 when I became Deputy Headteacher at what was then Perry Common Junior Infant School, later to become Storywood Primary School. Altogether, I have worked in education for 34 years, of which I have had 11 wonderful years here at Regents Park.
When I first came to Regents Park Community Primary School as Head in May 2014, I was very impressed with the hard work and dedication of the school staff and very happy to meet the wonderful children and families that make up our school community. However, through no fault of anyone at the school at that time, the school was going through a dip in fortunes and it took a couple of years to get things back on track and achieve GOOD in our subsequent Ofsted inspections. Since then, there have been many more challenges, not least the impact that the COVID pandemic had on learning across school.
Thankfully, we are now in a stronger position again, with many of the children who were in EYFS and KS1 at the time of the pandemic having worked their way through school and having caught up! I’m really pleased to say that this year’s outcomes in Year 6 have been outstanding, as is the achievement and progress of children across all key stages in school. This is a testament to the work that all the teaching and support staff do across school and to the support parents show in making sure children are in school every day and are helping their children with learning at home. Long may this continue!
In recent months, I’ve been asked many times what I’ll miss about Regents Park when I retire and of course there are too many things to mention! However, I think what I’ll miss most is seeing and hearing about the progress that children are making in school, whether this is when sitting in a lesson, looking in children’s books, talking to the teachers in our pupil progress meetings, hearing about children’s achievements in Celebration assemblies or when a child brings a book or a piece of work to show me in the office.
Working in a school and in education is not just a job, it’s something that people do in order to have a positive impact on children’s lives and to make a difference – this is why I first became a teacher back in 1991 and I know it’s the same for all the teaching staff and the support staff who work to keep everything running smoothly in school. I’m sure as parents you all appreciate this and will continue to support all the staff in school to do so in the future.
Before I leave Regents Park this week, I’d like to thank all the parents who have said such kind things to me in recent weeks – it has been very much appreciated. I’d like to thank the parents and families who came to the Coffee Afternoon last week and for all the cards and gifts I have been given – it has been very touching.
I’d also like to thank all of the staff for their continued hard work and dedication. Ultimately it is the staff who are responsible for the success of the school and the achievements of the children and I have been very lucky to work with such a wonderful team over the years. I’d particularly like to single out Miss Paddem and thank her for her invaluable support to me over the years. Regents Park has been very lucky to have someone like Miss Paddem working at the school for such a long time who is so passionate and committed to the children and families of Regents Park – for many parents she has not only been responsible for working with their children but also for teaching the parents when they were at school themselves!
Finally, I’d like to thank all the children, those who are presently at Regents Park and those who have left and moved on, for your positivity, smiling faces and all your achievements over the years. You are part of a wonderful community and I hope that, at some time in the future, you all look back at your time at Regents Park with fond memories and feel that, as I said earlier, the school has had a positive impact and made a difference in your journey through education and on into the rest of your lives.
While I do feel very sad to be leaving my position as Headteacher, I am so glad that I am able to pass on the responsibility of this most important of jobs to Mrs Zamir from September and I know that under her leadership Regents Park Community Primary School will continue to go from strength to strength. I wish her and all the members of the school community every success for the future.
Thank you and farewell,
Mr A Beale
Some other quick reminders: