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Your browser does not support viewing inline PDFs. Click here to view the PDF. Dear North Tawton Friends and Families, It’s been another busy and exciting term of learning at North Tawton! The year is certainly rushing by! Healthy Snacks We are promoting healthy choices at school. A reminder that children are welcome to bring a snack for morning break, this should be a healthy snack such as a breakfast bar or fruit, not chocolate or crisps. Bottles should contain water only, not juice or fizzy drinks. If you child has specific dietary requirements, please discuss this with your class teachers. Thank you. Nutritional Advice Are your children fussy eaters? Are you not sure about appropriate portion sizes? Here is some excellent advice and guidance we have had recommended to share with you. Eating well early years — First Steps Nutrition Trust The Eatwell Guide - NHS (www.nhs.uk) ![]() Tin Can Collection Don’t forget to save your tin cans for charity! Mike is here on Thursday mornings. The cans will be recycled, and the money obtained will be given to the charity Families in Greif, a very worthy cause. Help for grieving children & families | Families in Grief Attendance Update
Attendance frequently asked questions/comments and answers: Why am I getting messages and letters from the school? It is the Department of Education/Ofsted that dictate attendance below 95% is poor and that below 90% is ‘persistent absenteeism’. The reasons for this have been made clear before; good attendance is vital for the success of pupils and their wellbeing. Our own school data, as well as that issued nationally, makes clear that poor attendance results in poorer outcomes for children. The Law Children must attend school under the Education Act 1989 (revised). Poor attendance at school can result in one or more of the following:
They are only children; does it really matter? The fact is that children who attend school for less than 95% of the time underperform significantly and have ominously reduced lifetime opportunities. It is not good enough to send your child to a good school or be graded a ‘Good School’ if absenteeism impacts on achievement. Schools with poor attendance and diminished outcomes do not remain ‘Good’. But my child has been ill and I have told you this? Absence is absence, and impacts on a child’s learning and wellbeing, regardless of the reason. This is clear in the actions taken under national policy. Whilst we understand that there are times when absence has been a result of specific unavoidable illness, this does not negate the fact that the child has been impacted by it, or that the policy applies to all. A child, who is absent due to intermittent illness, has missed the same amount of time as a child who has been absent as a result of a parent’s failure to bring them to school for unauthorised reasons. Under policy and in reality, absence through illness has the same impact as absence for any other reason and as such is included in your child’s absence figures. This is a national requirement. So, are you saying you want me to bring my child into school when they are ill? No. But we do ask parents to consider carefully if absence is really necessary. We are not medical practitioners and cannot make decisions on behalf of health professionals, or indeed parents – the decision is ultimately yours. This guidance from the NHS goes into more detail Is my child too ill for school? - NHS (www.nhs.uk) My child always attends school, yet you say that there are ‘unauthorised absences’, how can this be? If your child arrives late, beyond the close of register, the late mark is converted to an unauthorised absence. Again, this is a national requirement, not the school’s. This is done because too much time in school has been missed. Arrive late and children may be considered absent; arrive persistently late, and it is easy to fall below the expectation. I have received a letter re my child’s absence. What can I do? · The first step is to attend the meeting and work with the school. This will be your chance to seek support if there are underlying reasons for the absences. We can point you in the right direction, signpost and make suggestions. We need to work together as a team to see if there is anything we can do to help. · Recognise that there is an issue and do all you can to reverse any absence trends. This may be easier said than done, but it cannot be ignored for your child’s sake. It is never too late. · Act promptly if you receive notices and/or attendance letters. It is our duty as a school to address poor attendance and we are held accountable by the local authority and Department of Education. Their current guidance and expectations will become statutory in September 2024, you can familiarise yourself with it here. We would like to thank all parents and families who ensure their children attend in line with expectations and look forward to working with you all to maximise children’s attendance. Term Time Holidays Term time holidays are not authorised, and a fine may be issued. I, the school, and DMAT do not benefit from these fines, they are collected by the authority. Class News To find out what we have been leaning in each class, please click on the links to our latest class blogs: Sycamore Class Hazel Class Ash Class Willow Class Beech Class Chestnut Class Oak Class Acorn Class School Trips and Residentials School trips and residentials offer numerous benefits for students, enhancing their educational experience and personal development. Here are some key benefits: Educational Benefits 1. Experiential Learning: School trips and residentials provide hands-on learning experiences that can make theoretical concepts more tangible and memorable. 2. Real-World Application: Visiting museums, historical sites, and scientific institutions allows students to see the real-world application of what they learn in the classroom. 3. Enhanced Understanding: Immersive experiences can deepen students' understanding of subjects such as history, geography, science, and art. Personal Development 1. Independence: Residential trips, in particular, encourage students to develop independence and self-reliance by spending time away from home. 2. Confidence: Trying new activities and facing challenges in a supportive environment helps boost students' self-confidence. 3. Teamwork and Social Skills: Group activities during trips require collaboration, improving students' ability to work in teams and enhancing their social skills. Social and Emotional Benefits 1. Building Relationships: Shared experiences on school trips can strengthen bonds between students and between students and teachers, fostering a sense of community. 2. Cultural Awareness: Exposure to different cultures and environments broadens students' perspectives, fostering empathy and global awareness. 3. Stress Reduction: Being in new and stimulating environments can be a refreshing break from the routine, reducing stress and promoting mental well-being. Long-Term Benefits 1. Memories and Inspiration: Positive experiences on trips can leave lasting memories and inspire future learning and career aspirations. 2. Motivation: Engaging trips can rekindle students' interest in their studies and motivate them to achieve academically. 3. Life Skills: Skills such as navigation, budgeting, and planning gained during trips are valuable life skills that benefit students beyond their school years. Incorporating school trips and residentials into the educational curriculum provides a holistic approach to learning, contributing significantly to students' academic, personal, and social development. So far this year, Reception and Nursery have been to Rosemoor, Year 1 and 5 to the zoo, Reception to the aquarium and Y4 to Escot. Next term Y6 are off to Normandy and Finch Foundry. We are very grateful to FONTS supporting the cost of trips so we don’t have to ask parents to contribute as much as the actual costs. Wishing everyone a very happy half term break Tara Penny and the Staff Team Dear North Tawton Friends and Families, North Tawton Park If you use the park in North Tawton, you will know it is a wonderful space, but some of the play equipment is in urgent need of repair. The Town Council have secured some funding to address this and have asked me to be in the working party to decide how this money is spent. Please share your views so I can represent them in our next meeting. North Tawton Park Consultation ![]() Tin Can Collection Mike would like to continue the tin can collection after the Easter holidays. Please bring along your cola, soda / pop, beer and cocktail cans to school on Thursday morning where he will be at the gate. The cans will be recycled, and the money obtained will be given to the charity Families in Greif, a very worthy cause. Help for grieving children & families | Families in Grief Attendance Each week we monitor attendance. We are calculating attendance across the school houses and House Captains announce the percentages in Friday assembly. We are aiming for 97% + so we still have a way to go. This term our school attendance has been 93% Please click on the links to our latest class blogs: Sycamore Class Hazel Class Ash Class Willow Class Beech Class Chestnut Class Oak Class Acorn Class Staff training Have you ever wondered what staff do on INSET days and in staff meetings? This term, we have been focused on working together to improve standards in maths and writing. The whole primary teacher group have come together for twilight sessions to implement new ways to teach maths and writing, and we have worked across our DMAT schools to moderate writing standards across the Trust. Our staff team have had training regarding Inclusion – specifically introducing the Zones of Regulation and learning how to support pupils who have experienced adverse childhood experiences and trauma. On our INSET day Thursday, all staff are involved in reviewing our work and our next steps. Foundry staff will be working in phases, Early Years, KS1 and KS2 to plan for the term ahead. Our SEND team will meet together, and we have practitioners from each school training in an intervention called Lego Therapy. Next term we will continue to build on these areas and the work we have started in our Foundry Hub regarding equality, diversity and inclusion. Our staff who teach our Read Write Inc phonics programme have regular training, observation and opportunities to share best practice throughout the year. ![]() Wishing you a gentle Easter Tara Penny Principal Dear North Tawton Friends and Families, Happy Red Nose Day! Did you know that Comic Relief launched Red Nose Day in 1988? I was at college! My friends and I told jokes and did face painting in our local shopping centre. Comic Relief encourages schools and community groups to plan events, dress up, and complete challenges to raise money for children facing poverty in the UK and across the world. This year, the event has focused on supporting those in need during the current living crisis, focusing on issues such as lack of food and homelessness. Thank you for encouraging your children to wear red today and for the contributions to our cake sale! Miss Collins and Miss Wallis will collect up the money and let us know how much we have made for the charity. In the afternoon, we all met in the hall for a fun treat – we watched Mr Bean and told jokes. Lots of TV shows and personalities support the cause. There will be programmes on TV from 7pm on BBC1 tonight. International Women’s Day In assembly, we learnt why we still need to address gender equality. While many aspects of women rights have been addressed, there is still a long way to go in this country and across the globe to ensure that women and girls, men and boys are all treated fairly. We spoke about the need for 50% representation in sport, law making, politics, business and all positions of influence. Lunch Times This week we have been reviewing our lunch time systems. It is important that all of our children feel safe and included in all aspects of the school day. The dinner hall can be noisy, and finding a seat can be overwhelming and uncomfortable for many of our pupils. We have been looking at ways to ensure the systems run smoothly and efficiently, and that the noise and bustle is reduced. We do instruct children where to sit ‘filling up tables’ so that children are not saving seats and making others feel uncomfortable when they are looking for somewhere to sit. We trialled sitting in mixed age groups, houses and have settled on a system where we line up in a way to aid our kitchen staff to distribute food quickly and tables are filled up in order. Games outside have also been an area we have been addressing. Younger children have not always looked after play equipment and put it away at the end of sessions. We now have a new storage space and system for distribution and collection of equipment. Older children are much better at looking after equipment, but there have been issues with football games being perceived as unfair. I was really impressed that a group of Y6 pupils took up my request to form a problem-solving group, giving up part of their lunch time to help find solutions to the organisation of football. We have a system we tried today and it worked better. Children need to stick to their team (no mid game transfers!) and one team wear bibs so it is clear to everyone who is on which team. It is important to us that we take in to consideration all of our children’s needs and we appreciate your support while we try new systems. Coats The weather is improving – however, children still need a coat every day! Today several children did not have waterproof coats. We are hardy North Tawtoners and like to be out in all weathers, so please make sure your children are dressed appropriately. Attendance Each week we monitor attendance. We are calculating attendance across the school houses and House Captains announce the percentages in Friday assembly. Tin Can Collection Next week is the last week of our tin can collection. Pease bring along your cans for this worthy cause. We need your cola, soda, beer and cocktail cans! Please bring them to school on a Thursday where there will be a box at the gate. The cans will be recycled, and the money obtained given to the charity Families in Greif. Help for grieving children & families | Families in Grief Flowers Thanks to FONTS for donating plants to the school, the Y4 class and our Wildlife Champions have been busy planting this week. Do look at the planting in the Memorial Garden and the top of the carpark. For photos and information about class learning, please click here for our blogs:
Sycamore Class Hazel Class Ash Class Willow Class Beech Class Chestnut Class Oak Class Acorn Class Wishing you all a lovely weekend, Tara Penny Principal Dear North Tawton Friends and Families, As we welcome March and (hopefully) fewer rainy days, it has been lovely to see the daffodils growing. I am hoping the bulbs we planted last year will begin to show soon. If you would like to volunteer to do some weeding in our memorial garden, we would be very grateful! SEND Support I am delighted to announce that we have a new Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Teacher - Juliet Boyce. She will be working with Adam Newland and her counterpart Liz Davidson (who is SEND teacher at Chagford and South Tawton) to support us to deliver the best provision for our SEND pupils across the Foundry Hub. She has been working at North Tawton as a teacher and music specialist for several years so knows our children well. She will be introducing herself to parents of children with SEND needs over the coming weeks. Parent Meetings Thank you for coming to parent meetings last week. We value our open communication and wish to remind you that you do not need to wait for a meeting to talk about your children’s needs and progress. The beginning and end of the day are appropriate for short messages, but for discussions with me, or a class teacher please let us know so we can arrange a mutually convenient time. World Book Day Don’t forget its World Book Day on Thursday! I look forward to seeing the children dress up, please know that this is not compulsory. If your chid would rather not dress up, they are welcome to come in school uniform. There will be a Great Book Give Away from 8.30 – 9.00 in the hall. Please come in to the hall and help yourselves to some quality used books. If you have any books to donate, please being in before Thursday and they will be included. We will open this to children in the morning. Mothers and Others Plant sale Our wonderful FONTS group have arranged a plant sale for Friday after school to coincide with Mother’s Day weekend. Plants are £2 a pot, children going home on the bus or Y6 going home alone can bring money to school on the day and class teachers will keep safe for them. Courage Our theme this term is Courage. As it was Chinese New Year in the half term holiday, we started the term with an active performance of the Chinese Great Race, a traditional story to explain the Chinese zodiac. The Jade Emperor summoned thirteen animals to meet at the shore to compete in a race across the river. Ox gave Rat and Cat a lift. Rat pushed cat into the water jumped off Ox and won! Tiger swam steadily across the river, Rabbit found stepping stones and bound across. Dragon stopped to help others and then flew across the river, Snake hitched a lift around Horse’s feet, then slithered in before horse. Goat, Monkey and Rooster made a raft together. Dog played in the water before making it to the shore and Pig stopped for a meal and a sleep and then swam across coming in 12th. Cat came in last, bedraggled and exhausted, and didn’t get a year named after them. We had fun performing the story and then thought about the following: Should Rat have had a year named after them? Is it fair that there is not a year named Year of the Cat? Who showed courage? Is courage the same as winning? Were there winners? Is it courageous to cheat? Who needed to show more courage? Over the following weeks, we will be exploring courage, looking to the Bible for stories and inspiration and finding for examples in history and current news to think about what courage means and how we can show this in our day to day lives. Attendance Each week we monitor attendance. This week we looked at attendance across the school houses and House Captains announced the percentages in Assembly on Friday. Creedy 91% Dart 88% Taw 96% Okement 83% Well done to Taw House. We are aiming for 97% +. With a week of colds and bugs doing the rounds, 96% is very good. Tin Can Collection Youcan be a Twocan Toucan Too! We are collecting aluminium cans for the charity Families in Greif. Mike Clark, President of the Rotary Club explained to the children in assembly that the cans will be recycled, and the money obtained given to this worthy charity. We need your cola, soda, beer and cocktail cans! Please bring them to school on a Thursday where there will be a collection at the gate. For more details about this charity, please click on the link Help for grieving children & families | Families in Grief Equality, Diversity and Inclusion In the half term holiday, I attended the Diversity and Inclusion drop in coffee morning at the community centre in North Tawton. This was a great opportunity to talk about the good work we are doing at school to support our children to learn about diversity and to prepare them for the wider world. I met with representatives from the police, Plymouth and Devon Racal Equality Council and local people who share an interest in learning more and networking about including others in our community. I look forward to this group building members and momentum. ![]() Prayer Book Rebellion I met with Marion Pratt and David Botting Page last week to find out about The Prayer Book Rebellion, a local historic event. They have a whole programme of exciting events to mark the 475th anniversary. We have planned some events in school to find out more about Tudor times and learn about this historic event. There will be lots of local events for families to get involved in too. More details to follow! Find out what has been happening in classes by following our class blogs: Sycamore Class Hazel Class Ash Class Willow Class Beech Class Chestnut Class Oak Class Acorn Class With very best wishes for the week ahead,
Tara Penny Principal Dear North Tawton Friends and Families, As always we have had a busy half term of sports and art, maths and reading, design and technology, music and writing. Find out more about our learning in our class blogs: Sycamore Class Hazel Class Ash Class Willow Class Beech Class Chestnut Class Oak Class Acorn Class The Valentine's Disco is in full swing! KS2 pupils are at home perfecting their looks and practising their dance moves ready for their disco later. Thank you to FONTS for organising this with OkeGlow. Attendance Last week our Reception class had the highest attendance with 96% Well done Oak Class This week it was Year 2 with a very impressive 98% Well done Beech Class. We still have much lower attendance as a whole school than the average across our Trust schools. Please can all families support us in making sure attendance is of highest priority next term. Rewards Children are praised for their work, effort and attitude throughout the day. Our staff give thumbs up, give stickers and say well done. Each week we celebrate our learners of the week, these are children chosen because over the week they have been consistently working hard. The receive a certificate in Friday assembly. Our collaborative house points earned for effort and good deeds. We have a song and out Y6 house captains reveal the winners. This week, I have celebrated with three children who have earned 50 Dojo points for their individual hard work, which means a prize from my box of treats! Ultimately, we want children to achieve for the pleasure of achievement and not rewards, so we work towards this as they progress through the school. Parking Thank you to the families who are not dropping their children outside the school anymore. We all appreciate you making the walk to keep our children safe. For the few parents who occasionally drop children, please be aware that other parents complain to me regularly about this. Please make every effort to ensure we never have an accident outside our school. Made Well Madewell in Hatherleigh have some lovely activities for children next week, and all year round. Do pop in! Wishing all of our families a very happy half term.
Tara Penny Principal |
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