“Our son, Samuel, joined Year 5 at King’s Ely Junior in September 2022. We live in Ely, so we already knew a number of children who went to King’s and whose parents had told us about school life. We were still a bit unsure about how easy it would be for him to start at Junior School “half-way through” though, and as the start of term approached, Samuel also had a few wobbles. But we (and he) should not have been concerned because he has been made very welcome by both staff and children alike. He has made some good friends during the short time he has been at King’s, and has been invited to various activities with these friends outside school.
“In terms of the preparation for Samuel’s start, we were very impressed with the information we received from the school and, in particular, with the way that it was prioritised so that we were not overwhelmed with lots of things to read and to do in one go. From Samuel’s perspective, his start at the school was very well managed and helped to give him the confidence that he could settle into his new environment.
“Now that Samuel has settled in, we remain very pleased with how everything is going. Correspondence from teachers is always timely, and we get the strong feeling that Samuel’s teachers are committed to his (and the other children’s) well-being. Samuel himself has enjoyed being stretched academically, and at the various sports he has been doing, and he also likes getting involved in extra-curricular activities, such as charitable fundraising at the Christmas Fayre. He (and we) appreciate that effort and excellence are rewarded. He also loves the school meals, and as his confidence has grown during his first term, he has positively decided to try out new dishes rather than stick to his old favourites. As his mother, I have also always found the parental networks very supportive and helpful, with everyone happy to help share advice and information.
“Overall, we feel that King’s Ely is giving, and will continue to give Samuel a rounded education, and a chance to try out a wide variety of activities, many of which I enjoy reading about on the school’s Facebook page. The decision to enrol Samuel at King’s Ely is one we are pleased we made since the day he started.”