Claverley C of E School have done well in two recent inspections and there's a lot to celebrate as the Chair of Govenors will agree. But the Chair is also the local Vicar Garry Ward, and due to poor health he is having to step down from both those positions, today was his last assembly with the school.
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00:00so we're here at claveley c of e primary school and introduce yourself madam oh i'm joe darrow
00:05i'm the head teacher of claveley joe you've um you've had a couple of inspections recently and
00:10done rather well just fill us in on what those were so we had our syams inspection back in
00:17january which is our church inspection and within seven days we had our ofsted inspection too
00:24that fear that makes head teachers tremble the word ofsted but you you did well you were happy
00:30yeah yes we did we were really delighted that both sets of inspectors recognized uh what a great
00:37school we have how our vision is well lived out our children and staff are happy and we're well
00:44supported by our governing body and all other stakeholders too well speaking of the governing
00:48body who's your chair of governors then our governor is reverend gary ward it is at the minute but not
00:55for long is it he's um sadly stepping down isn't he he is it's it's quite a sad time for us all this
01:01week uh because it's all his his last assembly with us today his very last assembly very last
01:08assembly and he's uh he's a character isn't he i've met him a couple of times on jobs and um i'm sure
01:13the kids uh i won't forget gary they certainly won't um i think you could ask any one of them
01:19in our school and they all absolutely love going down to church they love the worship that he delivers
01:24in school and he's made an amazing impact on on all of our children and and staff yeah and it's i
01:31guess nice for gary to be leaving with those two reports that he's he's played a part in that kind of
01:37you know that that coming leaving on a high as we say absolutely i mean he's worked really really
01:42hard um being wonderful he stepped in as chair of governors and uh has done the job remarkably well
01:49so you'll be you'll be sad to see him go i'll take it yeah definitely do you know who's replacing him
01:54have you met the new one we don't at the moment we've uh we've yet to to get someone to stand in
01:59as the chair and we're hoping someone will step up at the next meeting cool well thank you and
02:04congratulations on your um on your recent reports gary ward hasn't quite got the same ring has it
02:13gary go on come back a little bit into the corner let's get you in the shade a bit and we're here
02:17as we've just chatted to the head teacher gary you're the um the vicar at the local church i am
02:23yes i've been here for 14 years 14 wonderful years thoroughly enjoyed it you're stepping down
02:28what's going on we we can't we can't lose a gary ward like no i know unfortunately i don't want to
02:33go but uh health has forced me to retire yeah um yeah it's it's time to go he does make us all happy
02:41i've seen that some of your things you've written georgia he brings us together he does bring us joy
02:51i'll come back to you great
02:57he comes to our worship doesn't he well let's have a look at the next slide
03:04but uh it's a it's a difficult thing to do yeah we were having a little chat off camera you kind of
03:16like you say you you don't particularly want to go do you you know what i mean yeah it's just things
03:21it's a physical job isn't it you're here there and everywhere and you're finding it's getting a
03:26little bit much it's a physical and it's a mental job and i've got parkinson's so that affects both of
03:31those yeah it makes it very difficult to do and and i can't do it as effectively as i would like to
03:37so yeah i think it's time to to take a break now and and retire so do you know who he'll be replacing
03:44you yet or is that a process doesn't start until i go so i won't know anything about that until
03:50they announce it and i'll find out like everybody else so you've had some good times here at clavely
03:55yeah oh loads yeah i've loved it here uh like i say if it wasn't for retirement i wouldn't be going
04:01anywhere i'd stay yeah and i love the school here um the community it's just a great place to be as
04:08a vicar it's just great place to be as somebody living in a nice rural community it is in it it's
04:14a real nice kind of vibe you know it's got that proper community feel it's been a brilliant 14 years
04:20and like i say we're sorry to go but uh yeah
04:23the ultimate retirement activity
04:46so you're not moving a million miles away you'll just be down the road in bridge north do you think
05:04you'll maybe be popping back for a brew here now and again if possible we're moving to bridge north
05:08um but my daughter still lives here and my grandson so we'll we'll still be popping back
05:13yeah and no doubt we'll be roped in to do the school run because both my grandchildren are here
05:17at school so uh yeah so we will be backing around so people will see us but uh we won't be an
05:24integral part of the community as we have been obviously yeah and um how do you feel about gary
05:30he's moving on he's a great character he's a colorful character isn't he yeah he's very bright and
05:35wonderful and we're really sad that he's going on yeah yeah yeah he's very fun is he yeah i'm i'm
05:42gathering that i mean how many vicars drive around on a mobility scoot with a batman number
05:45place yeah yeah is that what you guys call it the batman bill yeah we call it the batmobile
05:50yeah yeah so we see do you see much of him then does he do regular assemblies and stuff here
05:55he does like twice a time maybe he does do quite regular and whenever we hear it's assembly we
06:01all roar and it's amazing with gary yeah yeah cool so you'll be sad to see him go then
06:07last last assembly today yeah yeah last assembly and you're a colorful character gary let's just
06:13delve into you a little bit so do you come from a a family of um religious kind of service people
06:20no not at all not at all my my mom and dad they go to funerals and weddings and that'd be about it
06:26i never went to church as a child and it was when i went my wife she was uh she went to church and
06:33that's how i came to faith through her really okay um while we were sort of preparing to get married
06:38so i didn't get confirmed until i was 21 yeah um so uh and i wasn't ordained until i was nearly 35 so
06:46no it's been a it's been a slower process and where was your first role as a vicar then
06:51uh in wensfield i was security wensfield yeah and then i was team vicar in wordsley
06:57yeah and then i like i say i've been here for 14 years now yeah fair do's and um does your faith
07:03kind of help when you're you're battling something like parkinson does that play a part in
07:08in kind of dealing with that and it does yeah it really does and and i don't see it as an affliction
07:15i see it as a different kind of ministry uh i meet lots of different people through parkinson's
07:20connections and it's added to things in a sort of sense of where i am how i feel uh my theology
07:29my relationship with god all that has sort of changed because of that and it's changed for the
07:35better so yeah it's been it's been a in in many ways it it's a pain don't get me wrong yeah it's
07:41been a positive experience as well well gary on behalf of um everyone that's ever met you i mean
07:47i've had the pleasure of meeting you a few times on different jobs you've always been so welcoming
07:51so friendly and so great to work with so um all the best for the future thank you
07:55thank you