News
A typical busy week that has included the start of Xmas performances! Please read the full post to find out what that entails…
Please remember to vote for our science resources fundraising project with your blue tokens at Tesco in Bideford and Westward Ho!
Please remember that Kingsley Avenue is a private road owned by the residents and parking on the road is not permitted. This week there have been numerous parent cars driving into Kingsley Avenue and near misses have endangered the safety of children entering school. We have free parking permits for Odun Road car park: please ask the school office should you need one.
Next week raffle tickets for a soft toy Pudsey Bear (about 2 feet tall) will go on sale for £1 a strip. House captains will visit each class throughout the week to sell tickets and all proceeds will go to Children in Need.
A few diary dates:
- Wear Spots or stripes for Children in Need 17th November for a £1 donation
- Click here for a meet Santa invite at Holy Trinity Church on 25th November
- Christmas fair 3.30-5pm, Friday 8th December, bottom playground
- Christmas service for years 3-6 Friday 15th December, 2pm, St Mary’s church.
Wishing you all a super weekend.
From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff
Welcome back after a day hunkering down to keep safe from storm Ciaran and after half term. A busy first week back and please read the Around the Classes section to learn what has been happening in each class this week.
All next week year 6s will be going round the classrooms selling remembrance poppies and bracelets for a donation. Suggested donation £1.
Diary Dates:
- Wear Spots or stripes for Children in Need 17th November
- Christmas fair 3.30-5pm, Friday 8th December, bottom playground
- Christmas service for years 3-6 afternoon of Friday 15th December. Time tbc
Wishing you all a super weekend.
From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff (more…)
School will be open as per usual Friday 3rd November. When I attended the school site first thing on Thursday it was clear closing was the safest and correct thing to do under the circumstances.
Thank you for your understanding and we look forward to welcoming you all back.
Kind regards
Jeremy Cooper
A very busy week of various school trips, awayday firsts for some classes, and reminders of some trips the first week after half term included later in this post. A big thank you to staff for making these happen and for all the additional (unpaid!) hours they entail and for the additional non school staff volunteers too. Please read the Around the Classes section of this post to find out more.
If you are on prepayment meters for your energy you may be entitled to receive fuel vouchers from Citizen’s Advice. Please click here for more information or call 01237 879156
Hosts are still required in North Devon and Torridge for displaced Ukrainians. If you have space and are interested, please click here for more information.
Diary Dates:
- School photos on the 3rd of November. Individual photos will be taken and siblings can come in from 8-9 for a family photo that includes children not at the school, children that are at school together will have their photo taken during the day so do not need to come in early
- Christmas fair 3.30-5pm, Friday 8th December, bottom playground
Wishing you all a super half term
From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff (more…)
Tickets are still available for the Halloween Discos tonight. Please contact the office before 4.30pm to get one.
Our House captains have launched our House Photography Competition once again and the theme this year is Rebuilding. The theme can be interpreted however you like and entries will also be submitted to the Rotary Club Young Photographer competition. Entries by 1st November emailed to admin@appledoreprimary.co.uk or a printed version handed in to the office.
Any donations of dried or tinned food and fruit and veg as part of our harvest can be left with the school office staff and we will arrange for it to be used by Harbour Bideford. Harbour Bideford support homelessness in the Bideford area.
We have been contacted by a local Toy Bank charity that helps families finding it difficult to pay for Christmas presents for their children. If you would like more information please contact jeremy.cooper@appledoreprimary.co.uk We are familiar with this charity before and please be reassured that all enquiries are treated respectfully and with discretion.
We are exploring the possibility of providing cooked lunches for children in years 3,4,5&6. If you have not already completed the survey helping us to understand the demand and viability of providing this service, please click here to do so. Thank you.
Around 50% of children will experience sleep problems. Please click here for information and a helpline for support.
Wishing you all a super weekend and please read on to find out what has been happening in each class.
Diary Dates
- Halloween disco 5-6pm reception and years 1&2, 6.30-7.30pm years 3-6 Friday 13th October. Tickets £3 STILL AVAILABLE from the school office
- Christmas fair 3.30-5pm, Friday 8th December, bottom playground
- Tuesday 24th October, 2,30-4pm at Round House Halloween crafting aimed at 5-8 year olds. Please click here for more information.
- Open to all parents, carers and grandparents is a baby and toddler group at St Mary’s church hall, Appledore, every Monday morning 10am-12pm. Please click here for more information.
From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff (more…)
Whole school attendance is above our 96% aspiration and thank you for ensuring your child is in good attendance habits. Please click here for the latest school attendance letter for more detail.
Please click here to find out about events at Instow Village Hall including a Bake Off competition, Adult Halloween Disco and an Instow Memories Evening.
Our visiting music tuition teacher has availability for keyboard, guitar, clarinet, ukulele or recorder lessons. Lessons are 20 minutes and cost £45 per half term. Please contact Jane on 07938840193 if interested.
Diary Dates
- Dolphins and Turtles Harvest Festival, 2.30pm, Tuesday 17th October, our school hall. Relatives welcome.
- Year 1&2 Harvest Festival, 2.30pm, Friday 20th October, our school hall. Relatives welcome.
- Year 3-6 Harvest Festival, 2pm, Tuesday 10th October, St Mary’s Church. Relatives of year 3-6 children welcome
- FOAS AGM 7pm, Wednesday 11th October, school art studio
- Halloween disco 5-6pm reception and years 1&2, 6.30-7.30pm years 3-6 Friday 13th October. Tickets £3 on sale in the playground next week.
- Christmas fair 3.30-5pm, Friday 8th December, bottom playground
AROUND THE CLASSES
Wishing you all an enjoyable and unusually warm weekend!
From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff
The programme of races has begun, but it’s not to late to enter for the remaining races. Please click here to find out how to enter and please contact the school if you want to borrow a school running vest. Well done to those who have already run.
Another busy week draws to a close and a week that has included visiting authors from the book festival, a trip to find out about sustainability in supermarket, lots of rehearsing for harvest festivals and a surprise visit from a theatre group. Please read the full post to find out what has been happening in all the classes.
Please ensure your children have a PE kit in school. Unfortunately, a significant number of children do not have their kit at school. A large proportion of those without a PE kit are in years 5 and 6
Holiday club is running at school over the October half term and places are available. It will be running Monday to Friday and full days, half days and breakfast and late pickups available. Please contact www.abreathoffreshair.
Diary Dates
- Dolphins and Turtles Harvest Festival, 2.30pm, Tuesday 17th October, our school hall
- Year 1&2 Harvest Festival, 2.30pm, Friday 20th October, our school hall
- Year 3-6 Harvest Festival, 2pm, Tuesday 10th October, St Mary’s Church. Relatives of year 3-6 children welcome
- FOAS AGM 7pm, Wednesday 11th October, school art studio
- Halloween disco 5-6pm reception and years 1&2, 6.30-7.30pm years 3-6 Friday 13th October. Tickets £3 on sale in the playground next week.
- Christmas fair 3.30-5pm, Friday 8th December, bottom playground
AROUND THE CLASSES
Wishing you all a super weekend
From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff (more…)
The North Devon Cross Country League races are fast approaching. These very well organised races are open to children and adults of all abilities and are a great way for your children to burn off any excess energy (particularly if that is needed at the weekend!). They certainly appeal to those who enjoy mud. More information can be found by clicking here. Please be aware that registration for the first race is now and if you want to register as running under Appledore School please let school know and you can borrow one of our running vests.
Thank you to Book Relief UK for a substantial money donation to help us with the continual restocking of our library. Thank you to those of you who donated clothes that resulted in us raising over £200.
Please click here for a QR code with very helpful parent guides for many aspects of internet safety.
Diary Dates
- Get your crabbing buckets at the ready! Appledore pirates crabbing competition in association with Appledore Book Festival returns this Saturday 23rd September !! Team registration opens at 11am from the Pirates gazebo on The Quay The competition will run from 11:30am -12:30pm, teams can be any size BUT must use NO MORE than 4 STANDARD lines (no nets allowed!!) and an entry fee of £5 per team is required Crabbing for the competition will only be permitted from the quayside, not the slipway or steps and remember it’s size that counts! We’re looking for the team with the 3 BIGGEST crabs NOT the most caught with a special bonus prize for the biggest overall crab caught The Appledore Pirates will be marshalling the Quayside to ensure that it is a fair event for all. Everyone welcome
- Year 1&2 Harvest Festival, 2.30pm, Friday 20th October, our school hall
- Year 3-6 Harvest Festival, 2pm, Tuesday 10th October, St Mary’s Church. Relatives of year 3-6 children welcome
- Parents Evenings are being organised, so please keep an eye out for communication from school on how and when to book
Wishing you all a super weekend
Best wishes
From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff (more…)
The first full week back is often a tiring one for the children, so hopefully they (and you!) will all have a good night’s sleep. But the prize for the most tired is likely to go to year 6 and their accompanying staff who return from their week long residential trip today. Well done year 6 and thank you to the staff who volunteer to work significantly longer hours during a residential.
Promoting and achieving good attendance habits is vital for children and the NHS has provided a helpful guide if you are unsure if you child is too ill for school. Please click here for the link to information and if you are unsure please call school. Pease be reassured if you do send your child and they turn out to be too unwell or deteriorate we will call you. Please inform us of any changes to your contact details.
Appledore Book Festival is hosting a free family fun day on Saturday 16th September. For more information click here.
There is now a gazebo in the car park for you to leave bags of used and no longer needed clothes.
For information about a Free Kids tennis Party at ARC (Atlantic Racquet Centre), Bideford on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th September please click here.
Wishing you all a super weekend and as per usual please read on to find out what has been going on in each class this week.
From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff (more…)
Welcome back everyone and welcome to Appledore School all our new families! A very busy week and the children have settled very well (and dealt with the weather very well too!)
Thank you to FOAS (Friends of Appledore School) for the amazing Matilda themed float at Appledore Carnival that won the cup. If you are interested in becoming involved with FOAS and helping to raise money for the school, please contact the school office on admin@appledoreprimary.co.uk and we will forward your details to the committee.
Please click here to view term dates for this year and for the 2024-2025 academic year. An email was sent out yesterday with an attachment detailing what each class will be learning this term. Additional copies are available here Overview Dolphins, Overview Year 1, Overview Year 2, Overview Year 3, Overview Year 4, Overview Year 5 and Overview Year 6.
Please keep an eye out for a gazebo in the school car park where you can leave bags of clothes you no longer need. A company collects these and then gives money to FOAS based on the weight of clothes collected. I believe last year this raised over £250 for the school, so please donate if you can. last day for donating is 9am Tuesday 19th September. For more information please click here.
FOAS has also arranged collecting used printer ink cartridges and there is a box on the front desk in the main building for these.
On he bottom playground is a rail of second hand school clothes for you. Please help yourself and if you have any to donate to the rail please drop them into the office. Small donations for any clothes you take are welcome, but of course are not a necessity.
Bideford Rugby Club are hosting an Open Day for children to come and try out the game, even if they have never tried it before! They are looking for primary school from Year 2 to Year 6 to try out some games run by our Club Coaches and this is an ideal time for them to come along and see what it is all about. It’s all free and they also have 3 free trial training sessions too! For more information please click here
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend
From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff
PS – Please read on or click more to find out what has been happening in each class this week (more…)
…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.
