Welcome to William Gilbert School from our headteacher Mrs Helen Britten
William Gilbert Endowed C of E Primary School and Nursery is a very special place to learn, grow and achieve.
We want our children to become creative, independent, and confident young people able to forge their own future and have a positive influence on the wider world.
We hope that our website will give you a taste of the life and learning at our school; an exceptional school in which Christian values and ethos permeate and underpin all that we are and do. William Gilbert School is proud to be a Church of England Primary School and part of the Derby Diocese Multi Academy Trust.
We are a thriving community of over 240 children, aged between 4 and 11, plus a 26 place Nursery. The normal catchment area is the Ecclesiastical area which covers mainly the village of Duffield, but pupils are welcome from outside the area if a place is available.
Our vision for excellence at William Gilbert Primary School is a safe and healthy learning environment where everyone is happy, motivated, challenged and with a thirst for learning. We aim to equip young learners with the confidence, skills, attitudes, and qualities to thrive within a Christian setting as encapsulated in John 10:10, “I have come in order that you might have life – life in all its fullness.”
Staff, supported by governors, work hard to deliver a rich and challenging curriculum; to prepare children for their future education and to help them acquire the skills and enthusiasm needed to pursue learning for the rest of their lives.
Our Christian values ensure that our children have a sound understanding of the respect and kindness needed to get along with everyone in and around our community. We take our responsibility to promote community cohesion seriously and foster a respect for diversity and individual rights. We provide opportunities for pupils to explore their own culture and have a clear understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that shape modern Britain.
Close partnership between home and school is a recipe for a child’s success and this website is just one link in this important relationship. Our strong supportive culture is due to the real sense of partnership between home and school.
From their very first school experience, our children benefit from a highly dedicated team of teachers, support staff and governors who strive tirelessly to provide a caring and supportive environment which enables all our pupils to flourish. I am extremely proud to lead a team committed to achieving high standards and providing the very best opportunities for the children in our care. We very much believe that happy learners make successful learners. Every child is special, and we celebrate their unique strengths and abilities.
Latest News
View allWe have lots of exciting raffle prizes for you to win in support of our much loved school. A fantastic range of prizes are up for grabs - most of which have been kindly donated by our wonderful community. Still time to buy tickets! Many thanks PTA
Artist of the Month – October 2024. This month the artist is Wassily Kandinsky. Closing date for entries is Tuesday 5th November (First day of the new term). Congratulations to the winners for our final event of the academic year in September inspired by Banksy. The winners were EYFS – Myla Hughes, KS1 – Guy Morris (Year 1) and KS2 – Max Huener (Year 3) and Hannah Macdonald (Year 4)
Black & White Ball Raffle If you would like to buy raffle tickets please use the link below. Many thanks
Reminder - Christmas Card/Gift Designs Following on from the letter sent home on the 17th September with an A3 sheet of paper from Cauliflower Cards. To maximise the donation towards our PTA charity and ultimately the school, the deadline for payments and design return is:- MONDAY 7th OCTOBER. The design can be completed on an A4 piece of paper and stuck onto the A3 instruction sheet. The instructions on the A3 sheet must be followed and payment made before bringing the design back into the class teacher or school office. This is a fundraiser that has the potential to raise in excess of £500 for our children and if you can help by creating a design and purchasing cards/gifts. Please contact the school office if you require a new template.
I am delighted to share our recent achievement. Rob Bounds, Senior Transport Officer at Derbyshire County Council, visited school this afternoon to present us with our Modeshift STARS certificate for achieving a ‘Very Good Travel Plan’. This award acknowledges all the hard work and support from the whole school community with increased levels of walking, scooting, cycling and other forms of sustainable travel to and from school. Representatives of our school ECO Committee and regular active travellers were very proud to receive this certificate on behalf of the whole school. Thank you. Mrs Britten
We are so impressed by all the active travel this week during Travel Wise Week. Tomorrow’s event - if you wish to join in - is the ‘Lucky Lock’. Scoot or cycle to school and park it safely in the scooter pod or cycle racks and you may find at the end of the day your scooter or bike has the ‘lucky lock’ attached. Teachers will be on hand at the end of the day to release the lock and award a little spot prize.
William Gilbert Black & White Ball on Saturday 19th October Final week to purchase tickets if you would like to attend. Plea for ball auction prizes, ideally tickets or experiences. This event is being run to raise vital funds needed by the school so please help if you can. Please contact your PTA rep for more information, thanks
Lovely to see so many children walking, scooting, and cycling to school today. They will have received a raffle ticket to enter the prize draw for travelling actively to school. Today, your child should have been given a ‘TravelWise’ Travel Trail sheet like this one. Your child could use it to spot things on their journey to or from school tomorrow. If they choose to complete it, they can return it to school clearly marked with their name and class. They will receive a raffle ticket to enter the draw. Tickets drawn at random on Friday 20th September. Thank you. Mrs Britten
Latest events
View allWednesday 16th October – Y1 Reading and Curriculum Meeting
A warm welcome to all Y1 parents at 2:45pm to meet in the school hall with Mrs Reed and Mrs Kibble to share key updates and routines within Y1. The meeting will finish in time for the end of the school day.
Y1 Reading & Curriculum Meeting
October 16th, 2024Thursday 17th October – Maths Whizz Information meeting for parents KS2
Our Education Success Partner, Andy Clay will be in school from 2.55pm-3.25pm on Thursday 17th October to present information to KS2 parents. This session will include new updates and information about the benefits of a Maths Whizz parent account.
You are warmly invited to attend.
Maths Whizz Presentation - KS2 Parents
October 17th, 2024
Travel Smart Week 21st – 25th October
The October 2024 campaign is being supported by the Derby and Derbyshire Road Safety Partnership. Pupils, parents and carers will be encouraged to follow the SMILERS ways to wellbeing for a Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics themed week of safer, active, environmentally friendly and wise ways to Travel Smart on the school journey during the week 21 to 25 October 2024.
Each day of Travel Smart week will have a SMILERS wellbeing focus alongside an art activity and a science, technology, engineering or mathematics idea to help pupils discover how to make a healthier and safer school journey which is good for them and the world around us!
Letter to follow with all the details of how to take part.
Travel Smart Week
October 21st, 2024
