A Cornish primary school, which takes pride in its friendly and welcoming culture has been recognised as an Investor in People. St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, which employs a team of 33 at its site in Liskeard, has been supported through the Investors in People process by Business Link for Devon and Cornwall. Led by headteacher Sue Green, the school of 270 pupils aged five to 11, and 52 children of nursery age committed to the Investors in People Standard in November 2003. 'We wanted to strengthen the management of the school and to ensure that people knew their roles and responsibilities,' Mrs Green says. 'We also needed to give more support for our support staff by meeting their training needs as well.' In its journey towards recognition, St Martin's has worked with Business Link to bring improvements in many areas of school life. Two new deputy heads, Craig Robertson and Heidi Staff, have been able to broaden their expertise by pursuing the National Professional Qualification for Headship. Lunchtime supervisors have pursued training in behaviour management which has helped to ensure that children have a happy experience within the school. Mrs Green says: 'The Investors in People process has helped us considerably. Attending specialist Business Link workshops has been of particular value, giving us a huge range of resources that we can use in our school. It's been the best management training I've ever had.' In recommending recognition, assessor Joanne Brady noted: 'The school has a very friendly and welcoming culture, which as a visitor, was very quickly apparent. People believe that the school is committed to their development and everyone described training and learning within their roles.'
