As we approach the end of another successful academic year, I would like to take this opportunity to inform you about several staffing changes that will be taking place at Sunny Bank Primary School.
Firstly, we will be saying goodbye to our Assistant Headteacher, Mrs Johnson, who will be leaving Sunny Bank to take up a position as Deputy Headteacher at another primary school. Mrs Johnson has been a valued member of our school community for many years and will be greatly missed by children, families and colleagues alike. As many of you know, she led the school for the majority of the 2024–2025 academic year and has played a pivotal role in many of the positive developments and improvements we have seen at Sunny Bank. We are extremely grateful for her dedication and commitment and wish her every success in her new role.
We will also be saying farewell to Mrs Hales, who has secured a promotion to the role of Assistant Headteacher at one of our Trust schools. Throughout her time at Sunny Bank, Mrs Hales has worked tirelessly to support our pupils and staff. She has led Year 6 with great success, helping pupils achieve outcomes in line with or above national averages. In addition, she has driven improvements in Literacy across the school and played an important role in supporting the development of new teachers. We congratulate her on this well-deserved promotion.
In addition, we say a fond farewell to Mrs Willing, who will be moving to another of our Trust schools, where she will take on a leadership role across Key Stage 1. Mrs Willing has made a significant contribution to Sunny Bank over the last few years, particularly through her leadership of early reading and phonics. Her work has helped many of our younger pupils make excellent progress in these essential skills. Alongside this, she has led Mathematics and Science across the school and has been instrumental in supporting our annual Science Fair entries. We thank her for all she has done and wish her every success in her new position.
Finally, we are saying goodbye to Miss Hales, who is currently on maternity leave and has made the decision not to return to Sunny Bank following the birth of her baby. We would like to thank her for her contribution to the school and send our very best wishes to her and her family for the future.
While it is always difficult to say goodbye to valued members of staff, we are delighted to be welcoming several new colleagues to Sunny Bank.
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Mrs Sukonik, an experienced Assistant Headteacher who has recently moved to Kent. Mrs Sukonik previously worked in a one-form entry primary school in London and brings a wealth of experience to our leadership team. She has already visited the school and will continue to spend time with us throughout this term as she prepares to join us formally in September.
We have also already welcomed Mrs Odumosu, an experienced Key Stage 2 teacher, to our teaching team. She is already building positive relationships with the children and making a wonderful start within our school community.
We are pleased to announce that Miss Cunningham will be remaining at Sunny Bank next year after deciding that she enjoys being part of our school community so much that she does not want to leave!
This week we have also welcomed Miss Collier, an experienced teacher from one of our other Trust schools. She is settling in well and is already getting to know the children and families.
Finally, I know that many families will be delighted to hear that Miss Shepherd will be returning to Sunny Bank in September to rejoin our teaching team.
We recognise that staffing changes can be significant for children and families. However, I am confident that these appointments will ensure we continue to build on the many strengths of our school while maintaining the high-quality education and support that our pupils deserve.
We will shortly be sharing information about class arrangements and staffing for the new academic year, so please keep an eye out for this important communication.
On behalf of everyone at Sunny Bank Primary School, I would like to thank our departing colleagues for their hard work, dedication and commitment to our children and families and to warmly welcome those who are joining us.
Yours sincerely,
Miss Nicole Hyett
Head of School