Category: General
…that we really should share
If all the World were…
If all the World were anguish
I would use a golden ticket of happiness that leads you to a place of joy.
If all the World were miseries
I would create a vibrant photo of peace that takes you on an exciting adventure of memories.
If all the World were grief
I would wear a pair of exquisite roller skates that make you feel like you are floating in black space.
If all the World were pain
I would read a unique book of memories that gives dreams you will never forget.
If all the World were despair
I would squeeze a teddy bear of amazement that hits you with joy.
L (aged 8)
What a week and did we relax? No we didn’t! Please read the class bulletins later in this newsletter to find out what has been going on in each class that include: a trip to a castle; a day of fun at the Wake Park; a sports festival at ARC; swimming at Skern lodge and rugby, cricket and football in school to name but a few.
For information on summer cricket camps being held at Bideford Cricket Club please click here and for family adventurous activities in this area please click here.
School holidays are typically a time of increased technology and internet use by children. Please check the parental controls you have in place and talk to your children about the importance of online safety, notably: not sharing personal information online; communicating with people they know and letting you know if something has happened that has made them feel unsafe or uncomfortable. For a parent guide on a new app proving popular amongst children, W App, please click here.
Please remember that the first day back for children is Tuesday 5th September and have a lovely summer everybody. The very best of luck to everyone moving on to a new school and we look forward to welcoming everybody else, including those new to the school, in September for another busy school year.
From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff (more…)
As one parent quite rightly pointed out to me this week, ‘…that’ll learn you for saying manning the school fair bouncy castle for two hours is more stressful than any Ofsted inspection’ I can now confirm it to be true, because Ofsted visited us Tuesday and Wednesday! Whilst we can not share the actual outcome just yet (due to Ofsted’s internal validation system required for every inspection), what we can share is that we are very happy with the outcome that reflects all the hard work of the staff and children. As soon as the report is officially available we will share it with you – likely to be in September. Thank you to those who completed the survey and/or spoke to the inspectors.
Well done to all year 6 pupils and all the staff across the whole school who have taught them for their end of Key Stage 2 SATs results. We received them on Tuesday and they are the best results the school has ever received and the best I have seen in over twenty years of teaching.
Two very funny and two well acted performances of I’m an 11 Year Old Get Me Out of Here by year 6 to the whole school and their parents. Fabulous crowd participation and I’ve never seen grown men so terrified as they were dragged onto the stage by the pupils to take part in ‘trials’!
Today many children are participating in our school site Bioblitz. This entails identifying the range of biodiversity on our site so we can track over time how it is changing as a result of what we are doing in our various eco activities within our school grounds. The pond continues to take shape with it now extended and fully lined and the decking is nearly complete. Big thanks to Lucy, Jon, Alex, year 6 and everyone else involved.
Dadfest, 22-24th September, is a dads and children only weekend with numerous activities included (eg bush craft, archery, fishing, circus skills and much more). For more information click here and for information about the Appledore Library summer reading challenge please click here.
To avoid disappointment, it is very important that current year 5 parents understand the application process for secondary schools and you an explanation is available by clicking here. The window for applying opens at the start of September and closes at the end of October.
As summer approaches, please click here for some useful online safety advice to show your children.
Wishing you all a super weekend
From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff (more…)
A HUGE thank you to the pond volunteers (Reggie, Stanley, Jon, Cassie and Lucy) who came in this weekend to continue with the renovation of the pond. This week the area was cleared and the base built for the pond dipping platform.
We welcome Hannah Walters as our new manager for our out of hours club (AOOSC). Miss Davies, a qualified teacher known to our current Turtles and Dolphins in her current role as teaching assistant, will be half of a job share in the nursery element of our Foundation Stage Unit with Miss Olliffe who is reducing her hours from September.
Whilst all of their unions have called for strike action, once again, and despite the likelihood of them agreeing with the reasons for the strike action, all our teachers have taken the decision not to strike. I thank the teachers for putting the immediate needs of the children first to ensure our school remains open so there is no disruption to any child’s learning.
End of year reports for Turtles and Dolphins have been distributed for all children. If you have not received your report please let the school office know on admin@appledoreprimary.co.uk. Reports for Years 1 -6 were made available in your child’s Google Classroom. Please click here for a guide on how to access it if your child does not remember how to access their Google Classroom. If you have specific questions about your child’s report please email admin@appledoreprimary.co.uk to arrange a conversation with their class teacher.
The recording of the online safety workshop for parents by Devon CC safeguarding team is available to view by clicking here. It is a very helpful guide to support parents with ensuring their child’s activity online is safe and is available to view until 5pm on Friday 21st July.
This summer, ARC (Atlantic Racquets Centre, Bideford) are offering a brand new Multi Sport Holiday Camp. This will be running Monday-Friday every week of the school holidays. The Camp will run 9am-4pm, with a late pick up option 4pm-6pm. There will be a variety of sports and games played throughout the day. To book, please visit www.
Mrs McMorine, deputy headteacher and attendance lead, has produced this month’s attendance bulletin that is available here. please do all you can to ensure your child attends school – even one day missed has an impact on your child’s learning due to the sequential nature of a school’s curriculum.
For current year 4 and 5 pupils Park School are holding an Open Evening on Thursday 21st September and their Open Days run from 25th September to 29th September. Parents can book on their website here –The Park Community School Open Events 2023.
Thank you to Friends of Appledore School (FOAS) for organising today’s summer fair.
Wishing you all a good weekend
From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff (more…)
We have booked a live online safety parent workshop on Monday 3rd July at 5pm delivered by Devon County Council Safeguarding Team. You can log in from your own device by clicking here or view it in our school hall on a big screen. It will last for approximately one and a half hours and we have deliberately scheduled it just before the summer holidays when children typically spend more time online.
We continue to strive for our attendance target of at least 96% that would keep us in line with national averages and government expectations. Please click here to find out about our current attendance levels and please do all you can to ensure your child only misses school for exceptional circumstances or if they are too ill to come to school. Because of the sequential nature of every unit of learning in each subject missing even one day immediately disadvantages the children.
Police and online safeguarding bodies are advising parents to be wary of the Y99 communication app that is being used as a tool for grooming young children. This week the Designated Safeguarding Lead (headteacher) and Learning Mentor attended the termly local authority safeguarding forum for updates and all staff safeguarding training this week was correct LGBTQ+ terminology.
Staff news – AOOSC manager Becky is leaving on Monday 26th June and we wish her every success with her new venture. From September Reception (Dolphins) – 6 class teachers and class teaching assistants is as follows: Reception: Mrs Bannister and Mrs Ley; Year 1 Mrs Wilkins and Mrs Monroe; Year 2 Mrs Stanbury, Mrs Stephens and Mrs Halloway; Year 3 Miss Wetz and Mrs Hughes-Whiffing; Year 4 Miss Ellis and Miss Child; Year 5 Mrs McMorine and Mrs L Evans and Mrs S Evans and Year 6 Mrs Mitchell, Mrs Evans and Mrs Carstairs. We are currently finalising staffing for Nursery/Turtles and will communicate this to you asap.
Wishing you all a lovely weekend
From Jeremy Cooper and all of the children and staff (more…)
A super week full of activities the children have embraced with their typically exuberance, even in this heat! Please read this posting in full to find out what has been happening in and around all the classes, including: looking after a dragon egg; drawing pictograms; composing music using the pentatonic scale; tag rugby; Northam Burrows visit; a walk to The Lookout to support writing; play rehearsals and much, much more…
This week we returned to our pre Covid restrictions drop off and pick up routines and thank you for supporting us with this.
Dates for the diary:
- We have booked a live online safety parent workshop on Monday 3rd July at 5pm delivered by Devon County Council Safeguarding Team. You can log in from your own device by clicking here or joining us in our school hall on a big screen. It will last for approximately one and a half hours and we have deliberately scheduled it just before the summer holidays when children typically spend more time online.
Please click here for dates of free family fun activities with the Northam Burrows rangers on and around the beach and burrows over the summer holiday
Have a great weekend
From Jeremy Cooper and all of the children and staff (more…)
To all parents and carers
Due to a couple of minor accidents and near misses on school premises and disruption to children’s learning and teachers preparing for lessons, please can those responsible for before school drop off and after school collection be familiar with the small changes made and follow the arrangements detailed below.
Drop Off
All pupils from nursery (Turtles) to year 6 wait on the bottom playground until the bell rings at 8.50am. Please ensure your children do not climb on or under the pirate ship or run around the playground or other areas of the school – the reason for the accidents and near misses.
If your child is old enough to wait unsupervised by you, please ensure they are aware of their responsibility to behave safely and how to do so. If they are unable to wait safely, or are being dropped off too early, please be aware that we will contact you asking that you supervise them or book them into our breakfast club. Please note that from September access to the school site, other than those attending ASOOC, is not to be before 8.40am.
All children are the responsibility of their parents or carers until school opens at 8.50am.
When the bell rings:
- years 1 and 2 children and adults please continue to enter the school building up the steps from the playground and, to ease congestion, exit out of the main school door at reception
- years 3 to 6 children go their classrooms independently, unless you need to speak to their class teacher
- nursery and reception age children and parents please wait on the bottom When the bell rings, please wait until the older children have left the play ground and then proceed to wait outside the Foundation Stage Unit. Please keep your children close to you and ensure they do not run around or climb the banks when queuing to drop off
Pick Up
- if your child is nursery or reception, please wait on the bottom playground to until 3.25pm before proceeding to wait outside the Foundation Stage Unit
- year 1 children are collected at 3.30pm from the front door alongside the school office
- if your child is in years 2 to 6, please wait on the bottom playground and they will meet you there. Access to the bottom playground will be from around 3.20pm
As with before school, please ensure your children do not play on the pirate ship and the gym equipment outside the huts or in the woodland.
Thank you for helping us with the safety and smooth running of the school.
Yours faithfully
Jeremy Cooper
Welcome back everybody and what a half term of weather it was!
Previous drop off and pick up routines had to change due to Covid. It is now time to make small changes to return to those routines to minimise disruption and to ensure safety. Please click here for a letter detailing routines to resume on Monday. Please ensure that all of those involved in the dropping of and picking up of your children are aware the routines. Due to children being dropped off at school too early and left unsupervised too early, we are giving notice now, to enable you to plan accordingly, that entry to the school site will not be permitted before 8.40am from September.
A zebra crossing to make a safer connection between Anchor Park and Appledore School has been proposed and consultation is underway. To have your say on improving the safety of our children and residents please add your comments to the Devon County Council consultation available by clicking here
For details of a summer holiday football club running throughout the summer in Barnstaple please click here
This week staff have received updated safeguarding training on harmful sexual behaviours.
Date for the diary: We have booked a live online safety parent workshop on Monday 3rd July at 5pm delivered by Devon County Council Safeguarding Team. You can log in from your own device by clicking here or joining us in our school hall on a big screen. It will last for approximately one and a half hours and we have deliberately scheduled it just before the summer holidays when children typically spend more time online.
Wishing you all a super weekend
From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff
Th weather was neither too hot or too cold, nor too wet or too dry, for a thoroughly enjoyable sports day. Thank you for your attendance and support, Friends of Appledore for the refreshments, staff for organising it so well and the children for being such good sports. Well done to Arctic for winning on the day!
And well done James for winning a Pupil Nature Award at the North Devon Biosphere Pledge for Nature awards night on Monday. James’s prize was a bat box.
This week staff have relieved safeguarding training on online safety. We are aware our pupils are speaking more frequently about online influencers – please click here for a short online guide for parents on influencers – and some promote inappropriate views and material for young children.
Dates for the diary
- Carnival queen disco is Friday 25th May 6-8pm at the social club and entry is free
- Please remember that term starts again on Tuesday 6th June
- Live virtual parent workshop on online safety scheduled for you all on Monday 3rd July at 5pm with login details to follow nearer the time
Have a lovely half term everybody
From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff (more…)
The lines are marked on the field, equipment all checked and ready to go and the sound of race practice rings out – it’s time again for sports day. Please click here for the arrangements and we hope to see as many of you as possible.
Please click here for information on football trials for girls in years 4, 5 & 6 for Plymouth Argyle or email Joshua.chalk@pafc.co.uk
For safeguarding reasons we ask all visitors to our school site, inside and outside, to either hand in or turn off and store away their mobile phones. When you are on school site waiting at drop off or to collect your child please do not use your mobile phone or have it visible to comply with safeguarding requirements. Thank you.
Fingers crossed please for the weather on Tuesday and we hope you all have a lovely weekend!
From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff (more…)
We are looking forward to Sports Day on Tuesday 23rd May. These are plans for the day and please be aware changes may be required before the day or during the day in response to unforeseen circumstances. Please note the change to previous correspondence is the shortening of the lunchbreak by fifteen minutes.
School will open at the normal time and parents can take their places on the field once their child has gone into their classroom.
Latest news – Friend of Appledore School (formerly known as the PTA) will be selling bacon rolls (+ vegetarian option currently under discussion) in the morning for parents and cream teas in the afternoons. Hot and cold drinks also available.
9.30am -11.30am: races for children in Years 1-6 will take place and parents and carers of children in these year groups are very welcome to attend. Please sit behind the roped off area. After these races all children will then go back to class for a short period of time.
12pm-12.45pm Parents and carers are invited to stay to picnic with their children from reception and years 1-6 on the field. Children in years 1&2 can be collected from their classrooms, children in Reception from the Foundation Stage Unit and children in years 3-6 will come out to meet their parents.
Please stay on the field and do not enter the wooded area.
Children in Reception and years 1&2 that do not have parents attending will eat a school dinner in the hall as per usual. Children in years 3-6 who do not have parents attending will eat their packed lunch on the playground.
12.45pm: the children are called back to class for the register
1.15pm the activities for all children from Reception to year 6 will start. Children will be placed into house teams and will take part in a number of different activities. You are welcome to move around with your child’s team and support them in their activities.
Please can children in years 1-6 come to school wearing their PE kit. If possible they can wear a t-shirt in the colour of their house instead of their usual white PE shirt. Children in Reception to wear a house colour t-shirt if possible (please see notice board outside FSU for which house/colour) and trainers. Children will also need sun hats, sun cream applied and a named water bottle.
When the afternoon activities have finished (no later than 2.30pm) all children will return to their classroom and parents and carers can collect them to take home.
Best wishes
Appledore School
A busy week that included year 6 pupils taking their Key Stage 2 SATs tests. They demonstrated resilience – fuelled by a bacon bap each morning – and showcased all their hard work to prepare themselves. Well done year 6 and a big thank you to the governors and past and present staff who volunteered their time this week to support the children.
Telegram app is proving to be a popular alternative to the likes of WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger; indeed, in some countries, it’s overtaken that pair to become the most-used instant messaging app. Telegram’s encryption, sadly, all too often encourages the app’s use as a conduit for extremist political material and illegal sexual content. Please click ask your children which messaging apps they use and if Telegram is one (it has a 17+ age advisory) and click here for a guide with tips on a number of potential Telegram risks including a lack of age verification, inappropriate content and cyber-bullying.
DIARY DATES
- Sports Day is Tuesday 23rd May (weather permitting!). Please click here for the details and here for a poster by the children. Please be aware that changes to this plan could be required and potentially at short notice – hopefully not though!
- We have booked a live online safety parent workshop on Monday 3rd July at 5pm delivered by Devon County Council Safeguarding Team. You can log in from your own device by clicking here or joining us in our school hall on a big screen. It will last for approximately one and a half hours and we have deliberately scheduled it just before the summer holidays when children typically spend more time online.
AROUND THE CLASSES
Wishing you all super weekend
From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff (more…)
A sea of red, white and blue and many crowns and tiaras too! A super day to bring in the coronation bank holiday weekend.
Please take a look at the diary dates, including an online safety workshop we have booked for parents, and what has been going on in each class by scrolling down or clicking ‘more’.
Have a lovely weekend from
Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff
Diary Dates
- Sarah Weston is hosting a meeting Friday 5th May @3.30pm in the hall for anyone who would like to volunteer for the parade dressed as characters in the theme of Matilda and/or for decorating the float.
- Castle Hill Creatives Art & Crafts Spring Fair which will take place on Saturday 13th May 2023 from 10 am until 4 pm at Castle Hill Community Center in Great Torrington, EX38 8AA
- Sports Day is Tuesday 23rd May (weather permitting!). Please click here for the details and here for a poster by the children. Please be aware that changes to this plan could be required and potentially at short notice – hopefully not though!
- We have booked a live online safety parent workshop on Monday 3rd July at 5pm delivered by Devon County Council Safeguarding Team you will be able to access live virtually from your own device or here on a big screen. It will last for approximately one and a half hours and we have deliberately scheduled it just before the summer holidays when children typically spend more time online. You will be able access it remotely on https://devoneducationservices.clickmeeting.com/online-safety-appledore-primary-school-3-7-2023-17-00-18-30/49bf193566f1628d720162006454bcb8 or clicking here We will remind you nearer the time.
