Welcome from our Headteacher

My journey with The Mary Bassett Lower School started in the Autumn of 2009 when I looked around the school as a prospective parent. I was looking for a school for my first child; a school that came somewhere close to the highest hopes and ideals that my own educational experience had inspired me to form. 

I am pleased to say that I was wholly convinced that I had found my dream school! A school with an expert team of staff who were united to achieve the same vision - to make learning fun, relevant and effective. A school where staff didn't 'work', but instead used their growing expertise to help nurture children and invest in their futures. A school where children didn't simply 'work' but where they learned to grow confidence in their own abilities and understand that success often involves taking risks.

The Mary Bassett Lower School is an exciting place where there is an established culture of learning for pleasure and practical curiosity. Everyone in our community is learning every day. The children learn through the lessons and life experiences we give them, the staff learn from and with the children. We celebrate the achievements of children in many ways but more importantly we encourage and foster a love for the learning process itself. We aim to build the capacity of learners and to support them to see that their own potential is not limited. Helping children to make progress in line with expectations is a great honour, but inspiring them to be ambitious for their future is our true purpose.

Our school is named after Mary Bassett who dedicated much of her life to improving the lives of others. The school acknowledges the influence of 'Service to Others' as a contributing factor to its unique nature. The school has a long history in the town and has seen many changes. The school benefits from it central location with the town and a quirky site layout, providing us with many special outdoor spaces. 

I feel enormously privileged to be able to help direct the school into its next phase of development. I also feel a great responsibility to ensure that the school's well-established ethos and educational values continue to benefit local children and their families for many more years to come. 

Kristian Hewitt  BA(Hons), PGCE (Cantab.), NPQH, FRSA 

Headteacher