Congratulations to our Michelle – The UK’s Top Year 3 Mathlete!
#BlackLivesMatter
Black Lives Matter in Lewisham
A message form Pinaki Ghoshal, Lewisham’s Executive Director for Children and Young People and Angela Scattergood, Director of Education.
The Mayor of Lewisham, Damien Egan has published a statement on behalf of Lewisham Council in response to the killing of George Floyd in the United States. You can read the full statement here: https://lewisham.gov.uk/articles/news/black-lives-matter-in-lewisham
We believe that our schools and settings are key to tackling racism and other forms of discrimination. We will support all Lewisham schools and settings in their commitment to standing against racism and injustice, alongside and in solidarity with the local and global Black community.
Grinling Gibbons Primary School has always been a warm and welcoming place for everyone; we believe it always will be. Three of our core values are tolerance, equality and respect – they are in our DNA. We are always here for you, regardless of your race, sexuality, gender, religion or anything else which makes you, you.
Today and every other day, all of us at Grinling Gibbons stand as one with our black pupils, staff, parents and the entire BAME community in condemning racism. #BlackLivesMatter
Tackling Race Inequality in Education
Our children and young people are our future. We want them all to succeed, to achieve all that they can, and to seize the opportunities available to them in the modern economy, and the world city that is London.
If you are self-isolating and are unable to go to the shops, you can refer yourself for help from Lewisham Local Authority. Please use the link below to find out more:

Aspirational, Brave, Compassionate, Determined, and Enlightened are the anchors of our life at Grinling Gibbons Primary School
A message from our Head of School
I would like to take this opportunity to warmly welcome you to our website, where you will find information about our school and be able to see our children’s learning. We use our website to showcase the wide range of experiences that we offer our learners.
I am extremely proud to be the Head of School at Grinling Gibbons Primary School. I oversee the day-to-day running of the school, where among other important jobs, I ensure that safeguarding our children is one of the school’s key priorities.
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This is a special place, where individual talents can be spotted and nurtured; where all children learn together, experience success and reach their full potential; and where the foundations are laid for a life-long journey of discovery and exploration.
Please take the opportunity to visit us and experience the inspiring and positive atmosphere of our school. Just call the office to make an appointment – I would be delighted to show you around.
Dean Gordon – Head of School
A message from our Executive Head
My name is Mickey Kelly and I am very proud to lead both Lucas Vale and Grinling Gibbons schools in the relaunched Federation- the Phoenix Federation. The Federation is named after a courageous and outspoken local community activist Mrs Sybil Phoenix OBE. Mrs Phoenix cared for many children in Lewisham and fought tenaciously for justice particularly for the black community this area.
I have worked for many years in Rotherhithe as a school leader for Redriff and Galleywall schools. I am a National Leader of Education, and I was privileged to lead Redriff from special measures to outstanding. I also have founded Galleywall Free School and the City of London Multi Academy Trust. Galleywall is now also judged to be outstanding. Over the years I have worked in significant number of London schools facing difficulty. Our school, Lucas Vale has the potential to be truly great, the children and the parents are second to none.
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It is our aspiration that all our children leave this school with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in their lives. We want them to be leaders in our world, and to lead with moral purpose and resilience in all the uncertainty we will face. We cannot predict the future and what it holds for us all but, in partnership with you, we will prepare these children to lead it to a better fairer place
Mickey Kelly MBE NLE
The Phoenix Federation
In our partnership we inspire all children to have a lifelong love of learning, allowing everyone to thrive in a rapidly changing landscape whilst celebrating the richness and diversity of the world we live in. We all believe in the power of learning.
In our Federation we always expect all children to be provided with high-quality learning experiences that lead to consistently high levels of pupil achievement.
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Teachers share a common understanding achieved through discussion, consideration of practice, the sharing of information and whole school planning of important issues. Teachers are reflective and self-critical. Teachers’ individuality is valued but some autonomy must be sacrificed for coherence, consistency and shared standards in school life.
The Phoenix Federation is a place for learning where:
- children can achieve
- learning is for life
- people are respected
- partnership is valued
Latest News
Our Michelle is the UK’s top Year 3 Mathlete
Grinling Gibbons' very own eight-year-old mathematician Michelle from Deptford, East London, has been crowned the "top mathlete" in the UK Year 3 category of this year's World Maths Day Global Challenge. World Maths Day Global Challenge is...
Early Years Playground
We are proud to show you, our new playground for Early Years
Steel Pan Band
What a lovely way to spend the Sunday afternoon at the Blackheath Kite Festival ! With pupils, staff and parents from @Ggibbonsps at the Blackheath Kite Festival. #phoenixfederation
Innovative Learning Experiences
Here at Grinling Gibbons, learning is never limited to just taking place in the classroom. We want our children to experience learning across a variety of contexts, and in different ways, so that they fully engage with their learning at all times. This is why we try, wherever possible, to plan for and provide an enriched context to all our learning.
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We also have regular themed topics across the school so that our children learn collaboratively with children in different year groups, and wherever possible, we invite in visitors and experts who can really help to make the learning come alive, whether that’s the fire service who come to visit EYFS to support with their topic ‘People who help us’, or survivors from WW2 who escaped from Nazi Germany on the Kindertransport who come in and share their experiences with Year 6.

Great progress is being made within the school in all aspects from teaching to results and from behaviour to manners. It is a real joy to see Grinling Gibbons succeeding in all the areas we asked them to improve upon.
Ofsted January 2017
