The Working WeekTrust survey on use of school websitesThe Trust are conducting a survey around the use of school websites from the perspective of parents, carers and the wider community and would value your contribution to this survey https://forms.office.com/e/6DQUBr6BBf. Please note the deadline for responses is 23.1.23. After-school clubsAfter school clubs start this week and will run for 3 weeks each side of half term. Bookings can be made through your school gateway accounts. The SnowThank you to you all for your patience and consideration on Tuesday when we needed to have a late start due to the icy conditions. I know many children made the most of the extra hour at home to get out and play in the snow and we managed to find a little time for play at school too! Crazy Hair DayHi I’m Flo, I’m 11 years old and I’m in year 6. I have had long hair for all of my life and it now reaches my waist. I’ve decided to cut all of it off and donate it to the Little Princess Trust. The Trust is a charity that produces real hair wigs for children and young adults who have lost their hair through cancer treatment and other conditions. As well as providing wigs to people, they also support life- saving research and development of less aggressive and less toxic cancer treatments. It costs the charity £550 to make a wig, and as well as donating my hair, I would like to help the charity raise as much of the money needed to make a wig as possible. To raise money, I would like to hold a crazy hair/hat themed day, on Friday 27th January, at the school for a minimum suggested donation of £1 per child. If you would like to donate more, the school would be happy to collect it, every 50p counts. Thank you for your support in helping me raise money for this important cause. If you would like to find out more about this charity you can visit their website at www.littleprincesses.org.uk . Investigative ScienceUpcoming EventsFriday 27th January - Crazy Hair Day (£1 suggested donation but any loose change, pennies or £££ always welcome!) Friday 3rd February - ❤️ Love Yourself Day and PTA disco (Wear something you love, bring a toy you love and a snack you love ❤️ ) Monday 6th February - Friday 10th February - Children's Mental Health Week. Theme - Let's Connect Monday 6th February - Netball match vs Bow Tuesday 7th February - YR trip to Paignton Zoo Thursday 9th February - John Muir Evening for Y5/6 Monday 13th - Friday 17th February - Half term break Tuesday 21st February - Whole school cricket sessions Thursday 23rd February - OCRA futsal sessions Friday 24th February - Y5 Trip to The Eden Project Tuesday 28th February - Y4 Trip to Escot Park Thursday 2nd March - World Book Day (get those costumes ready!) Monday 6th - Friday 31st March - DMAT Festival of Hope Monday 20th March - Pupil reports to parents Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th March - Y3/4 performances (to be confirmed) Monday 3rd April - Friday 14th April - Easter holiday Many calendar and term dates can be found in the calendar at the bottom of our website home page. 2022 23 Term dates can be found here. 2023 24 Term dates can be found here. School UniformWe are delighted to let you know that South Tawton Primary School and Little Beacons Pre-school uniform will very soon be available to buy in person and online from the Schoolwear Direct shop in Okehampton.
More information about the the range and prices can be viewed in the document below or by clicking here. You can also purchase school uniform from Mole Avon in Okehampton and Thomas Moore in Exeter. We have a good selection of pre-loved uniform available on the PTA rail outside the school office at £1.00 per item. PTA NewsThe ever popular school disco is back! Friday 3rd February in the same format as we have done before, £2.50 per child to include a snack and drink. A big thank you in advance to the teachers for staying to make this event happen. Preschool - We will be in touch via email. 3.30pm - 4.30pm Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. 4.45pm - 5.45pm Year 3 and Year 4. 6pm - 7pm - Year 5 and 6. If you are able to help out at one or more of the sessions we would be grateful if you could email us at [email protected] SAINTs SW February half term campsSurvey to assess demand for an after-school clubDear parents, I had had a few enquiries lately about whether there is a possibility of running an after-school club for childcare purposes. This purpose of this questionnaire is to assess the level of demand for such a club to establish whether it is feasible to set one up and employ staff to lead it. There will be a charge for using this club. This is likely to be around £4 per hour. Please help us by answering all of the questions even if you do not think that your children will attend. Please click here to access the survey. Many thanks, Sarah Marvin THANK YOU TO THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE DONE THIS ALREADY! Menu Change Thursday 19th JanuaryThursday 19th January is school Spring Census Day. We will be having a menu change on this day to encourage more children to have school lunches (which increases the funding we receive.) The main menu option will be changed to cheese burger, chips and beans. The vegetarian option is a veggie burger. Jacket potatoes and sandwiches will be available as usual. The desert for this day will be sprinkle cake. If you would like to change your child's booking for this day, please ring or email the school office. ([email protected]) Please help us by booking school lunches for Thursday. Upcoming EventsTuesday 7th February - YR trip to Paignton Zoo Monday 13th - Friday 17th February - Half term break Thursday 2nd March - World Book Day (get those costumes ready!) Monday 20th March - Pupil reports to parents Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th March - Y3/4 performances (to be confirmed) Monday 3rd April - Friday 14th April - Easter holiday Many calendar and term dates can be found in the calendar at the bottom of our website home page. 2022 23 Term dates can be found here. 2023 24 Term dates can be found here. Goodbye Rev PaulYou may already know that Rev Paul will soon be leaving. The letter below gives details about his last service in Chagford, a ‘Bring and Share’ leaving Party there and the various ways friends may contribute to his leaving present. However, members of the school local community are also invited to his last service in South Tawton which will be on Sunday 22nd January at 11.15 with a ‘Bring and Share’ lunch in Church House afterwards. PTA NewsWe want to say how amazed we continue to be by your generosity. Last term you donated an incredible £3000! To everyone who volunteers their time, energy and money, thank you for continuing to give so willingly. We have had some requests for trip monies, books and classroom resources so it is all being put to great use. While it may be hard to recall the glorious weather of last summer at the moment, we are sure it will be back. We are pleased to be supporting the school's Sun Safe initiative by purchasing shelters and gazebos to provide shade for our children when the sunshine finally returns! We had a very productive meeting on Monday, thank you to everyone who was able to attend and for all your hard work that goes on in the background. The role of secretary remains vacant. If you would like to join us, we would love to hear from you. The ever popular Disco is back this term on Friday 3rd February and we will be bringing back Chocolate Bingo towards the end of the term. We will arrange the date for Chocolate bingo asap so you don’t miss this exciting family friendly event. We have rearranged the hotly anticipated Barn Dance for Saturday 13th May at Victory Hall, South Zeal. More details will follow but put this date in your diaries as you won’t want to miss this fun evening of food, drink and dancing with ceilidh by The Dartmoor Pixies. Our next meeting will be held on Monday 20th February at 8pm via Teams. As ever if you have any questions or would like to get involved please don't hesitate to email us at [email protected] Best wishes Hannah and Liz D.I.S.C.O The ever popular school disco is back! Friday 3rd February in the same format as we have done before, £2.50 per child to include a snack and drink. A big thank you in advance to the teachers for staying to make this event happen. Preschool - we will be in touch via email. 3.30pm - 4.30pm Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. 4.45pm - 5.45pm Year 3 and Year 4. 6pm - 7pm Year 5 and 6. If you are able to help out at one or more of the sessions we would be grateful if you could email us at [email protected]
Courses available through the AIM groupWe would like to make you aware, through our partnership with The AIM Group, of 2 fully funded and FREE courses which are available to any adults within our school communities, whether you are a member of staff, a parent/carer/guardian, volunteer, governor etc.
The AIM Group have partnered with the UK's leading colleges to provide a brand new fully funded (free) level 2 qualification, which is the first of its kind! What Is Neuroscience? Neuroscience is the study of the brain and its impact on behaviour. It is an exciting field of research that has huge significance to anyone who supports babies or young children. This qualification is designed to give learners an introduction to the subject and to share with them some of the remarkable insights it has given us in terms of how the infant's brain develops, and how this is affected by a range of external influences. Course Information This is a brand-new qualification, launching in January which will look to provide learners with practical advice on how to promote healthy brain development in the critical first seven years of their life. This course will also support how children develop vital self-regulation skills, such as learning how to deal with emotions such as fear, anger and sadness in the correct way. Typically, a qualification of this level would cost a learner £100's to enrol onto. The only criteria you must meet to be eligible, is: Aged 19 or over on or before 31st August 2022 Have lived in the UK/EU for 3+ years Not already on a Government funded course Ready to complete the course which will be starting from 23rd January If you are interested in undertaking this free online course or would like further information, then please complete the following link. DMAT Schools: Neuroscience in Early Years Qualification Application Link > This will then allow The AIM Group to contact you to discuss and get you started on your chosen course Take care when scrolling for the course and be sure to select either - Neuroscience in Early Years - Level 2 (you will find it right at the bottom of the list) If you have any questions prior to expressing interest, call Chris Greenfield on 0203 900 3091 extension 213 or drop him an email at [email protected] Please Note: This must be applied for before the end of January (to ensure we do not surpass funding capacity)
Are you looking for a flexible, achievable, and manageable way to retake your GCSE English and Maths? This alternative GCSE retake can provide just that. Online classes are designed to develop your confidence and the foundations to progress on to higher level English qualifications. It can also enable you to use your skills in everyday life, both personally and professionally. Functional Skills English Level 2: Eastleigh College: Reading | Writing | Speaking | Listening | Communication Functional Skills Mathematics Level 2: Eastleigh College: Whole Numbers | Fractions | Decimals | Percentages | Using Common Measures | Shape and Space | Handling Information and Data | Solving Mathematical Problems So, what to do if you are interested? Course delivery:
Eligibility Criteria: · Does not have a GCSE C or above already in the chosen subject (example, if you have a B in English, you would not be able to access this) · Over the age of 19 as of 31st August 2022, and have lived in UK for the past three years with a Valid Passport or Driving License · Not currently be enrolled onto any other gov funded course. To register your interest please click this link > DMAT Schools: English and Mathematics Functional Skills Level Two Qualifications Take care when scrolling for the course and be sure to select either - Functional Skills English-Level 2 or Functional Skills Mathematics-Level 2 If you have any questions prior to expressing interest, call Chris Greenfield on 0203 900 3091 extension 213 or drop him an email at [email protected] If you are interested in either the Neuroscience or the Functional Skills courses, please get in touch with Chris Greenfield ASAP as there is limited capacity to access on both of these courses. Happy New Year and welcome back to the start of a new term and 2023. It is wonderful seeing all the children back and hearing stories of their Christmases. Don't forget that you can check the curriculum pages of our website to see what your children will be learning over the next few weeks and rest of the year. You can also keep up with all the news from your child's class by visiting their class blog. Later this week, I will be sending out a questionnaire designed to assess demand for an out-of-hours club to run after school each day - please look out for this and fill it in to let us know if you would use this service. Many families are finding it hard to manage in today's economic climate. Checking if your child is eligible for free school meals is quick and simple and results in an instant decision. You can apply through the Devon Citizen Portal. This is worth doing even if your child is in KS1 and receiving universal infant free school meals, as all eligible children receive additional funding which can help to pay for extracurricular activities and trips. Just a reminder please to ensure that your child has their PE kit in school each day (white t-shirt and black/navy shorts and that all lunches are booked through school gateway before 8am each morning. Attendance![]() With a lot of illness at the end of last term, our whole school attendance is currently below our target of 96%. Please help us and your child by prioritising their attendance. If your child is too unwell to attend school, please email or ring the school office before 9am to let us know. Upcoming EventsWednesday 25th January - Y4 to visit Okehampton College for Technology and Expressive Arts day Tuesday 7th February - YR trip to Paignton Zoo Monday 13th - Friday 17th February - Half term break Thursday 2nd March - World Book Day (get those costumes ready!) Monday 20th March - Pupil reports to parents Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th March - Y3/4 performances (to be confirmed) Monday 3rd April - Friday 14th April - Easter holiday Many calendar and term dates can be found in the calendar at the bottom of our website home page. 2022 23 Term dates can be found here. 2023 24 Term dates can be found here. PTA NewsHappy New Year! Come along to our virtual meeting on Monday 9th January at 8pm. Help us plan some exciting fundraising events for the term ahead! If would like to be sent a link to the meeting please email us at [email protected] Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school on Wednesday 4th January well rested and ready for the Spring Term. The Bethlehem Bake-offRobin HoodStaffing newsYear 5 We shall sadly be saying goodbye to Mrs Sasha Bonnett for a while as she is taking up a secondment post at Exbourne Primary School in September where she will be teaching their Year 5/6 class. I know that Mrs Bonnett will be brilliant in this role and that Exbourne are extremely grateful to her for agreeing to the move. She will be particularly missed by our Y5 class but has promised to stay very closely in touch with us and will visit regularly. Mrs Leslie will return to teaching 5 days a week in January with Miss Watts continuing to support every morning. Year 3 As many of you are aware, Mrs Everett will be going on maternity leave after February half term. We are delighted to let you know that we have successfully recruited to cover her leave and will be welcoming Miss Emily Coleman, who is currently teaching at Chagford Primary School, into Year 3 for the remainder of the spring and summer terms. Miss Coleman is an excellent practitioner and brings a wealth of experience and talents with her. Year 1 I'm sure that you will all wish to join us in congratulating Miss Jennifer Williams on the birth of her beautiful baby girl, Harper. Harper has already visited us here in school for many cuddles and we hope she'll be a frequent visitor. Miss Williams' maternity leave will be covered from January by Miss Chloe Barton who is joining us from Chagford Primary School ChristingleThe Preschool NativityUpcoming EventsTuesday 3rd January - Non Pupil Day
Wednesday 4th January - First day of Spring term Wednesday 25th January - Y4 to visit Okehampton College for Technology and Expressive Arts day Wednesday 8th February - YR trip to Paignton Zoo Monday 13th - Friday 17th February - Half term break Thursday 2nd March - World Book Day (get those costumes ready!) Monday 20th March - Pupil reports to parents Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th March - Y3/4 performances (to be confirmed) Monday 3rd April - Friday 14th April - Easter holiday Many calendar and term dates can be found in the calendar at the bottom of our website home page. 2022 23 Term dates can be found here. 2023 24 Term dates can be found here. Important Information - late opening tomorrowDear parents, In response to the Met Office yellow weather warning and the forecast of temperatures well below freezing tomorrow morning we are putting in place the following steps to enable us to operate safely and in the best interests of staff and families: All DMAT schools will have a late start at 10am. This will allow for roads to clear somewhat and for gritting to take place on site to make paths and playgrounds as safe as possible. Breakfast club will be cancelled, and parents will refunded for this session. South Tawton Primary School will be open at the normal time to enable parents and carers who need to drop earlier (and who are able to safely make the journey) to do this. Please be aware that we may not have very many staff on site at 8:40 as staff will be advised only to drive to school when it is safe to do so. Please help us by not dropping off until 10am wherever possible. Please take great care when driving and walking to school and please share this message widely to ensure that it reaches all of our parents. Best wishes, Sarah Marvin It's been lovely to have a dry cold week and to get the children outside for some outdoor learning. The term seems to be accelerating and it is hard to believe that we only have one week left before we break for Christmas. We'll be making the most of this week though and are very much looking forward to the performances of The Bethlehem Bake-off tomorrow at 2pm and 6pm, our whole school theatre trip on Wednesday, Christmas dinner on Thursday, carols around the Christmas Tree at 3:30 on Thursday, and our Christingle service on Friday morning. Please ensure that your children are in full school uniform on Wednesday so that they are easily identifiable in the theatre. At the time of writing, there are still a number of children who are showing on School Gateway as 'No Booking.' Please log in and check that you have booked a school packed lunch if required or indicated that your child will be bringing a home packed lunch if not. The theatre have contacted us to let us know that the pantomime is a little longer than previously thought. Please note therefore, that we will not be back at school for collection until 5pm. Please do not drive into the village and park any earlier than this as it is imperative that we can drive the 4 coaches down to drop the children off safely. Christmas Dinner and Christmas Jumper DayOn Thursday, we'd love the children to wear their Christmas jumpers or full Christmassy outfits for the day. There is no requirement to wear uniform trousers or skirts with their Christmas jumpers. Again, please ensure that you have recorded whether your child is having a main or vegetarian school dinner, or bringing a home packed lunch. There will be no sandwich or jacket potato option on Thursday and any bookings for these have been removed. There is no charge for the Christmas jumper non-uniform. At 3:30, please join us for some carols around the Christmas tree. Thank you to Mrs Dunn and her team for giving us such a beautifully decorated tree outside the school. HousekeepingIf you need to get a message to you child's teacher during the day, please ring the school administrator rather than emailing the teacher. Teachers very rarely get time to check their emails during the day whilst they are teaching, so your message may be missed until that evening. We've had a few messages recently asking for us to send work home for children who are too unwell to be in school. If your child is unwell, we would much prefer them to concentrate on getting better and will help them to catch up when they are back at school. We will only send work home if your child needs to isolate for any reason but is feeling well. Scarlet FeverAs communicated to you on Friday, we have had two cases of scarlet fever in Y1. We have another suspected case who is receiving antibiotics, but I have not heard of any further cases over the weekend. If your child has any of the symptoms detailed in this letter, please seek medical advice. Upcoming EventsMonday 12th and December 2pm and 6pm - YR and KS1 Xmas play Wednesday 14th December - Whole School trip to Northcott Theatre Thursday 15th December - Christmas Lunch and Christmas Jumper Day Thursday 15th December - Carols Around the Christmas Tree 3:30pm Friday 16th December - Last Day of Autumn Term Tuesday 3rd January - Non Pupil Day Wednesday 4th January - First day of Spring term Many calendar and term dates can be found in the calendar at the bottom of our website home page. 2022 23 Term dates can be found here. 2023 24 Term dates can be found here. Free school mealsAll children in reception, year 1 and year 2 at state schools in England automatically get free school meals. However, parents and guardians are encouraged to apply for free school meals when they enrol their child in school, as this can help their child’s school to attract additional ‘pupil premium‘ funding to support learning. From year 3 onwards, children whose parents are getting any of the following are entitled to free school meals:
How to apply: Apply through the Devon Citizens Portal. This is the quickest and easiest way to apply and will result in you getting an instant decision. Alternatively, call the Education Helpline on 0345 155 1019. Families to receive help to buy food during school holidays Families in Devon on low incomes, whose children receive free school meals, will get support this winter to help them buy food during the school holidays. Once again, we're providing holiday food vouchers for children and young people who are eligible for benefit-related free school meals. If you have children at school and your financial circumstances have changed, your children may be eligible for free school meals. You can find out by applying online through our Devon Citizen's Portal. The deadline for applications, in order to receive free school meal holiday vouchers for the Christmas school holiday, is Friday 16 December, so please apply as soon as possible. Before the end of this term, we'll be sending eligible families free school meal holiday vouchers to cover both the Christmas and February 2023 half-term holidays at the same time. That's to give families more flexibility to prioritise and budget their winter food expenditure themselves. Vouchers can be used at the following supermarkets: Aldi, Iceland, Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsburys, Asda, Waitrose and M&S Food. You can read more in the story on our news page or visit our Free School Meal Holiday Vouchers webpage for more information. Kind regards Melissa Melissa Filby Early Years Locality Manager & HAF Coordinator Devon PTA NewsThe children are singing carols around the tree on Thursday, straight after school. The PTA will be selling hot chocolate, mulled wine, sweet treats and some christmasy bits! If anyone could donate some cakes we would be very grateful and don't forget to bring some money/card to pick-up on Thursday!! Thank you for all your support during 2022 - the PTA couldn't run without your ongoing help! See you all in 2023!! Three Hares Local Stakeholder BoardWith the lead-up to Christmas, we have been quite busy these last couple of weeks, but in a really wonderful and positive way. Our thanks to our three schools for inviting us in over a frantic period in the school year, so we can appreciate the fruits of the children and staff’s labour! I have just returned from North Tawton’s Carol Concert at the school which was utterly joyful! I absolutely loved the mix of music and singing, and particularly loved “Oh come all ye faithful” when they started the chorus quite loudly (when it’s meant to be quite quiet) and I was thinking “Goodness, how are they going to get any louder?” but sure enough, by the third repetition, they were raising the roof! One of the best parts of being a governor is seeing the children being themselves in a safe environment at school, and it was so clear to me how much the kids were enjoying themselves. David Spence, our new governor based in North Tawton, also attended and was able to see the school “in action” (as well as applauding his own children!). Another great part of our role is being recognised by the children… Last week, I was lucky enough to be invited on the joint Chagford / North Tawton Year 6 school trip to the Energy for Waste plant in Devonport, Plymouth, so I spent all day with twelve of the Y6 North Tawton pupils. If you’re a parent of any of those children, I have to say what an absolute delight they were to hang out with. And it was even nicer to be recognised by them today at the school, as they called out to say “Hi!” to me. In the meantime, all of our governors have attended the “Ringfenced Funding” training, which helps us to understand what additional monies the schools receive for Pupil Premium, Sports Premium etc, and how that is spent for the benefit of the children. We are booking meetings with the Principals and Sports Leads for each school early next term to monitor how those funds are being spent in each school, and the impact of those spends. Liz has also managed to visit South Tawton a couple of times, where she was impressed with the great progress Early Years have made with their reading using the Read Write Inc platform, and this was reinforced by one of the children telling her how happy they were that they could “read words now!” We hope to see you at one of the school’s festive events – between us, we are hoping to get to as many as possible. Mel & Liz [email protected] [email protected] Message from SAINTs SouthwestGood news, our extra-curricular clubs for Spring term are now available for parents to book on to.
Please use the links below to book your children into the clubs. Thursday KS2 Football - https://saints-southwest.class4kids.co.uk/info/1244 Friday KS1 Football - https://saints-southwest.class4kids.co.uk/info/1252 Christmas DinnerOur school Christmas dinner will coincide with our Christmas jumper day and will take place on Thursday 15th December. The Christmas menu for this year will be: Turkey (Main) Quorn Roast (Vegetarian) Roast Potatoes Carrots Brussel Sprouts Pigs in Blankets (Main) Yorkshire Pudding Gravy Dessert will be a chocolate sponge cake with buttercream icing topped with sprinkles. There will be no jacket potato or sandwich option for this day. All meals will come with a napkin and cracker. We would love all the children to enjoy a Christmas dinner together. Please book the main or vegetarian options through your school gateway accounts by Thursday 8th December at the latest. If you would like to change an existing choice, please let us know. Please note that I have cancelled all school packed lunch and jacket potato options for that day in order for you to be able to book a main or vegetarian option. Upcoming EventsThursday 8th December - deadline for ordering a Christmas dinner. Monday 12th and December 2pm and 6pm - YR and KS1 Xmas play Wednesday 14th December - Whole School trip to Northcott Theatre Thursday 15th December - Christmas Lunch and Christmas Jumper Day Thursday 15th December - Carols Around the Christmas Tree 3:30pm Friday 16th December - Last Day of Autumn Term Tuesday 3rd January - Non Pupil Day Wednesday 4th January - First day of Spring term Many calendar and term dates can be found in the calendar at the bottom of our website home page. 2022 23 Term dates can be found here. 2023 24 Term dates can be found here. PTA NewsPTA News A huge thank you to everyone who donated to our Bags2school collection and an even bigger thank you to Carolyn at The Kings Arms, for allowing us to use the pub to drop off our donations and for helping lug the bags in to the van! We raised £152 – our best yet!! Thank you also to everyone who helped out on Edwardian evening – it was a very busy evening with a serious Christmasy vibe! We raised approx. £100 selling a variety of Christmas bits and a lucky dip. The wreath making evening was great fun and some beautiful, original wreaths were produced. The evening raised just over £200. A huge thank you to all the people that sold raffle tickets – You have raised a staggering £1,209 and the class who sold the most tickets was…..Year 3!!!! The draws will start on Monday and take place daily – fingers crossed your ticket is drawn! Thank you for all your Christmas card, mug, tea towel and keyring orders. Last date for ordering with guaranteed delivery for Christmas is Monday 12th December – so get your orders in ASAP ! Please feel free to email us at [email protected] if you have any questions or would like to come to our next meeting on January 9th (8pm via Teams). Best wishes, Hannah and Liz PTA 100 club November's 100 club draw was done by Year 6 this week and the winners were: 77 Brian Vernon 79 Kirsty Loader 7 Hannah Thomas Congratulations! We'll be having a double draw for December in the last week of term, so keep your fingers crossed for that one! There are still some numbers left if anyone fancies joining the 100 club and being in with a chance to win. Please contact [email protected] for details. Many thanks for your ongoing support. ‘Autism and Us’ Parent Programme and autism themed workshops (Spring Term 2023)
PLease click the link below for more information. Support from the Communication and Interaction Team - Education and Families (devon.gov.uk) The last week has been really very wet and we are all becoming adept at dodging the showers and getting out to play in any dry moments. Spirits have remained high though and we've managed to teach the full curriculum. A special mention is due to those year 6 pupils who braved the wind and rain and completed their Bikeability this week. The remaining children will finish their training later in the term and we have everything crossed that the weather will be kinder for them. Forward Notice – the school will be closed on 8 May 2023. The DfE has now confirmed that schools should close for the bank holiday on 8 May 2023 to mark King Charles III’s coronation. An additional bank holiday in honour of the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III will take place on Monday 8 May 2023. As this date had previously been announced as the first day of the 2023 key stage 2 (KS2) test week in England, a change to the KS2 test schedule next year will be necessary. Ministers have considered the situation carefully and have decided that KS2 tests will take place in the same week with tests following the usual order but each taking place one day later than originally planned. As such, the new schedule will be:
Trip to the Northcott TheatreWe're very excited to announce that we will be going on a whole school trip to the Northcott Theatre to see Robin Hood on Wednesday 14th December. The PTA have very kindly subsidised this trip and we are asking for parents to pay £12 per child towards the cost of transport and tickets. Please log onto the payments section of your school gateway accounts to make this payment. Families in receipt of pupil premium funding may receive support with this payment if required. Please contact Sarah Marvin if you would like to discuss this, Upcoming EventsMonday 28th November - Flu immunisations Monday 12th and December 2pm and 6pm - YR and KS1 Xmas play Wednesday 14th December - Whole School trip to Northcott Theatre Thursday 15th December - Christmas Lunch and Christmas Jumper Day Thursday 15th December - Carols Around the Christmas Tree Friday 16th December - Last Day of Autumn Term Tuesday 3rd January - Non Pupil Day Wednesday 4th January - First day of Spring term Many calendar and term dates can be found in the calendar at the bottom of our website home page. 2022 23 Term dates can be found here. 2023 24 Term dates can be found here. Attendance This WeekCongratulations to Y6 who has the highest attendance last week at 99%. Whole school attendance was generally a little lower last week and now stands at 95.7% which is a little below our target of 97%.
Three Hares LSB The final member of our current LSB to introduce is Reverend David Spence, who recently moved to North Tawton with his wife, Ellie, and their four children, two of whom attend North Tawton Primary School. David moved here from Witney, near Oxford and is looking forward to doing more work to link the school and the community, through his role in the church and as a governor. David’s specific role is a Foundation Governor and he will work alongside Mel (the other Foundation Governor) to cultivate respect for the spiritual and moral beliefs of the Christian traditions, and champion & monitor the integration of Christian values across all aspects of school life. Whilst Chagford is the only Church of England school, the Three Hares principals are all keen to welcome David into their schools, where he will also bring a fresh pair of eyes to the overall ethos and vision of the schools. This week, James Warner, our Safeguarding Lead, has undertaken safeguarding visits to all three schools. Each visit took about two hours, and included a meeting with the Designated Safeguarding Lead (who is the principal in each of our schools), a sample check of the Single Central Record to ensure its compliance (the SCR is a statutory requirement for all schools, and stores records & details of all staff, volunteers etc, to ensure all appropriate vetting checks have been carried out, and all details are current); a walk around the school to observe safeguarding issues; a chat with some staff to check their understanding of safeguarding; and a talk to a panel of pupils to assess their perspective on safeguarding. James will report back to the LSB at our next meeting in January, although if any urgent issues had arisen, these would be highlighted and dealt with immediately. We would like to thank the principals for inviting us to their various school festive events. A number of us are able to attend different occasions, and are really looking forward to seeing the children and staff getting into the Christmas spirit! Do please say “Hi” to us, if you see us – we are always keen to meet you and it really helps us in our overall objective of gathering stakeholder voice! Mel & Liz [email protected] [email protected] PTA NewsPTA News 25/11 As Christmas marches ever closer there are lots of deadlines to be aware of this week. Bags to School donations need to be dropped to The Kings Arms THIS MONDAY 28th NOVEMBER and at drop off on Tuesday 29th November. Last day for booking your spot at the fantastically festive wreath making evening is MONDAY 28th NOVEMBER, simply email [email protected] to book your place. Raffle Ticket stubbs and money need to be returned to class teachers by THURSDAY 1st DECEMBER. Last date for ordering Christmas Cards and gifts with guaranteed delivery for Christmas is Monday 12th December! Additionally 10% off orders ends Friday 2nd December. Thank you for all your Christmas card, mug, teatowel and keyring orders so far you’ve raised just over £120! If any one is able to help on our stall in The Charter Hall at Edwardian Evening please contact us asap, we are very low on helpers and may have to cancel this event. Please feel free to email us at [email protected] if you have any questions or are able to help at any upcoming events or message us on Facebook. Best wishes Hannah and Liz Bags to School
We have another Bags to School collection on Tuesday 29th November 9am. We accept the following ‘good quality’ items for RE-USE: ● Men’s, Ladies’ and Children’s clothing ● Paired shoes (tied together or elastic band around) ● Handbags ● Hats ● Bags ● Scarves and ties ● Jewellery ● Lingerie ● Socks ● Belts ● Soft toys ● Household linen ● Household curtains ● Household towels ● Household bedding (bed sheets, pillow cases and duvet covers) We DO NOT accept: ● Duvets and blankets ● Pillows and cushions ● Carpets, rugs and mats (including bath, shower and toilet mats) ● Soiled, painted, ripped or wet clothing ● School uniforms with and without logo ● Corporate clothing and workwear ● Textile off cuts, yarns or threaded material The amazingly supportive Kings Arms have said that we can use their phoenix room as a drop off point on Monday 28th November all day and Tuesday 29th November before 9am. If you are able to help on Tuesday morning please get in touch. Have you ordered your school photos yet? A polite reminder that the closing date for free delivery back to school is Tuesday 22nd November 2022. Order through the Tempest website using your unique link or visit www.tempest-orders.co.uk If you need any assistance in ordering your photos, feel free to contact Tempest on 01736 751555 (option 3). Castle Drogo Cross Country Event18 children from years 5 and 6 took part in The Castle Drogo Cross Country event, organised by OCRA. The children gave it their all and were so supportive of each other. The boys narrowly missed the medals and were awarded 4th place, but the girls' A team took 3rd position, and they all received bronze medals! After the run they all took part in some different activities, including dance, which they all seemed to enjoy too! A great morning! Upcoming EventsMonday 28th November - Flu immunisations Monday 12th and Tuesday 13th December - YR and KS1 Xmas play Wednesday 14th December - Whole School trip to Northcott Theatre Thursday 15th December - Christmas Lunch and Christmas Jumper Day Thursday 15th December - Carols Around the Christmas Tree Friday 16th December - Last Day of Autumn Term Tuesday 3rd January - Non Pupil Day Wednesday 4th January - First day of Spring term Many calendar and term dates can be found in the calendar at the bottom of our website home page. 2022 23 Term dates can be found here. 2023 24 Term dates can be found here. Update from the Chairs of the LSBThree Hares LSB It was great to introduce two new governors to our Local Stakeholder Board at our half-termly meeting held yesterday. These meetings follow a set agenda prescribed by the Trust which help keep us focused and ensure we don’t get side-tracked by discussions that may make the meeting overrun… Last night, our meeting lasted about 1½ hours, and we often find that we are joined briefly by children or pets that require our attention, and usually earn a little “aaaah” from the rest of the group! Leonie McGowan was formally appointed on Wednesday this week, which was perfect timing for her first meeting. Lennie is our new SEND Lead Governor, replacing Dr Ben Morris who recently stood down. Lennie has particular expertise in this area, as she has a child with autism, and therefore brings a wealth of knowledge and real-life experience with her. We are very lucky to have her join us. The SEND Lead Governor role takes the lead on monitoring SEND provision (although the LSB retains collective responsibility) and: • is the link between the LSB and the schools (Principals and/or Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo), reporting to the LSB on steps being taken to ensure compliance; • ensures appropriate challenge to leaders so that SEND remains high on the schools’ agendas and that the schools have high aspirations for SEND pupils; • understands how the schools identify who is a SEND pupil, including at points of transition; • familiar with the individual school’s SEND policy; • understands how specific money (e.g. Pupil Premium) is allocated; • discusses with the Principals / SENCo the outcomes of the schools’ monitoring and evaluation of the provision and effectiveness made for pupils with SEND; • understands how the schools approach teaching to SEND pupils and makes reasonable adjustments to ensure SEND pupils access a broad and balanced curriculum; • knows what additional support is available to SEND learners. We agreed as a Board that we will commence our school visits again this half term, and hope to meet some of you at the school gates, or at one of the upcoming events, be that the Remembrance Day Services or Christmas festivals – or anything in between! Mel & Liz [email protected] [email protected] PTA NewsThis week you will have received a book of raffle tickets to sell to family and friends.There are 12 exciting prizes to be won! More tickets are available from the school office. If you are unable to sell your tickets please return them to your class teacher. Don't forget the class who sells the most will win a prize! You can now order products with your child's Christmas art work on, perfect for gifts and cards! The PTA receives 20% of all orders. All orders receive 10% off until Friday 2nd December! It's one week until our bags to school collection. Please drop your donations to The Kings Arms on Monday 28th and at school drop off on Tuesday 29th. We really need volunteers to help on our stall at Edwardian evening, Thursday 1st December. If you are able to help we'd love to hear from you. You can now reserve your spot for our very popular wreath making work shop on Friday 2nd December at 7pm in the school hall. To book your place email [email protected] spaces are filling quickly!! Please feel free to email us at [email protected] if you have any questions or are able to help at any upcoming events or message us on Facebook. Best wishes Hannah and Liz Bags to School We have another Bags to School collection on Tuesday 29th November 9am. We accept the following ‘good quality’ items for RE-USE: ● Men’s, Ladies’ and Children’s clothing ● Paired shoes (tied together or elastic band around) ● Handbags ● Hats ● Bags ● Scarves and ties ● Jewellery ● Lingerie ● Socks ● Belts ● Soft toys ● Household linen ● Household curtains ● Household towels ● Household bedding (bed sheets, pillow cases and duvet covers) We DO NOT accept: ● Duvets and blankets ● Pillows and cushions ● Carpets, rugs and mats (including bath, shower and toilet mats) ● Soiled, painted, ripped or wet clothing ● School uniforms with and without logo ● Corporate clothing and workwear ● Textile off cuts, yarns or threaded material The amazingly supportive Kings Arms have said that we can use their phoenix room as a drop off point on Monday 28th November all day and Tuesday 29th November before 9am. If you are able to help on Tuesday morning please get in touch. 12 Days of Christmas Raffle 12 FANTASTIC PRIZES to be won! We will draw one ticket a day for 12 days leading up to the end of term! Raffle books will be coming home with your child this week! Don't forget to fill the stubbs out clearly with your name and contact number and return these to school by Thursday 1st December. The class who raises the most will receive a prize!! More tickets are available from the school office. On the 12 days of Christmas my PTA gave to me….. Some Guppy’s handmade chocolate shards A Devon Fare fudge gift bag Some delicious Taw River Diary ice cream. A hair and body beauty gift set from KinKind - UPLIFT & SHINE! £15 to spend at The Wellness Room. A gift from the King's Arms. A Merry Go Round voucher Family admission for Waie2Play at the Waie Inn. £20 to spend at the Bearslake Inn - voucher redeemable against food, drink, or accommodation A beautiful sweet pea room diffuser from The Dartmoor Soap Co Jo Downs handmade glass bowl Family ticket to Dingles Fairground including ride tokens!! Join us for a festive evening to make a beautiful Winter Wreath Friday 2nd December at 7pm in the school hall. £25 per wreath to include an expert tutorial! Email [email protected] to book your place and receive further details. Closing date Monday 28th November. Be quick places are limited and this is always a very popular event!!! Household Support FundFamilies on low incomes can get help with food and utility costs via the new round of the Household Support Fund, which Early Help are administering locally. The scheme runs until 31st March 2023. Funds are limited, so when the allocation is used up we will close for applications.
Through this fund, Early Help is able to provide a grant per family to support with: - Food - Supporting for energy and water bills for household purposes - Essential white goods such as a fridge, freezer or cooker - Consideration for petrol for essential journeys The family needs to meet the following criteria: - You are a family (at least 2 people where at least 1 person is either pre-birth or up to 18 years old) - You are experiencing financial hardship - You need financial help to pay utility bills or buy food and essential items linked to food, warmth, and utilities for your family - Not have received financial assistance from another source for the same reason Please note: - Payment will be sent directly to families through BACS (it is essential we have the families bank details) - There will be no food vouchers available in this scheme -Only one application for an award per household within this round (HSF3) of the scheme, that will run from 16 November 2022 to 31st March 2023. Repeat applications are unlikely to be successful. -If a family have previously received hardship funding from Early help applications to HSF1 and 2 they will be considered. However, families who have not previously received funding will be prioritised. |
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