6th February 2026
School News
Knightlow CofE Primary School has proudly announced that it has become one of the first primary schools in Warwickshire to achieve Makaton Friendly status – a significant milestone for the whole school community.
Guided by its vision for every child to “let their light shine,” Knightlow is committed to providing a welcoming, nurturing and inclusive environment where everyone feels valued. Over the past two years, staff and pupils have worked together to embed Makaton signs and symbols into everyday school life, helping all children to communicate effectively, make choices and express themselves with confidence.
Makaton is brought to life across the school through a range of exciting initiatives. Each class has two dedicated Makaton Ambassadors who attend weekly meetings to learn new signs, including the popular Sign of the Week, which they model in class and share with families through the school newsletter. The much-loved Makaton Choir, open to pupils and staff, adds an extra layer of fun, offering opportunities to rehearse and perform at school events.
Knightlow is delighted to be recognised as a Makaton Friendly School and looks forward to continuing to work with local schools and the wider community to promote the power of inclusive communication.
The school thanks Mrs Betteridge for all of her hard work, dedication and enthusiasm in leading this initiative in school.
Sheila Mellor, Deputy Headteacher of Dunnington CofE Primary School writes:
“Our new SRP, The Oversley, was officially opened on Friday 30th January by the Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire, Mr Tim Cox. He brought with him three young, female cadets who represented each of the armed forces.
As a Church of England school, we know that our resource provision is another living, breathing example of our Christian Vision ‘Encourage one another and build each other up’ 1, Thessalonians 5: 11. Our vision states that
‘we are determined to create an inclusive culture of learning where all children are challenged in their thinking, discover their talents, achieve to the best of their abilities and become motivated and resilient life-long learners.’
We were pleased to also welcome Rev. Helen Smith from St Lawrence’s church in Bidford on Avon who blessed our new provision.
The Oversley is a key part of our provision for inclusion and we can already see its wide-ranging benefits having a positive impact on our young people and our staff.”
DBE News – Jen Jenkins
Jen Jenkins left the DBE team on 31st January to pursue new challenges and we wish her all the best for the future.
During her time at the DBE Jen’s work has equipped schools to deepen their Christian foundations and develop their understanding of spirituality. She also co-created and launched the new SACRE RE Agreed Syllabus enabling children to understand a wide perspective of world views.
Jen’s upcoming CPD sessions will be delivered by colleague associates and we’ll be in touch with those rescheduled dates and arrangements shortly. In the meantime, if you require any support regarding RE, collective worship or SIAMS do get in touch in the first instance with Joanne Evans joanne.evans@coventrydbe.org
Salt and Light Retreat – Booking Date Extended
For the full Headlines newsletter contact joanne.evans@coventrydbe.org