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North Tawton Parent Forum
Friday 8th November 2024 1 Welcome and Introductions Tara Penny, Principal welcomed all. As small group but great to have two parents who are new to the school attending as well as some who have attended many meetings previously, including representation from Friends of North Tawton FONTS. Two parents emailed apologies and asked for sports fixtures to be raised (later in minutes) Tara explained Anande James role as parent advocate. 2 Our Trust Three Main Aims Tara explained the three aims of the Trust for the year ahead. All staff are working toward these broad aims in very specific ways. Raise attainment - All children prepared for the next year of education with the skills and knowledge they need Eradicate gaps - Equitable provision and outcomes for our most underserved young people Drive belonging - All young people, staff, and communities feel connected, heard and valued 3 Analysis Some specifics we are focusing on at North Tawton raise attainment and eradicate gaps which parents can support at home:
Class teachers will provide advice on how to support at home in upcoming parent meetings. 4 Attendance Children do get ill, and of course we don’t want them here unwell, however we do have below average attendance levels for our Trust and national average. We track and support individual children and families where attendance is becoming a concern. We also monitor groups of pupils by demographic including SEND as nationally, these pupils tend to miss more school than others. Our motto is “If they are well enough, send them in!” We will always send children home if we are worried about their health. Holidays are unauthorised. Parents asked if work can be provided for children so they can catch up on missed work if off ill. Tara explained the challenges for staff to provide this on the specific day, but said she would raise with the staff team. Some parents said they use the White Rose (maths) links given to support 5 Split / Mixed Classes After a lot of parent unrest at the end of the year, parents attending, and ones Tara has spoken to over this half term, report class mixing has been smooth and have no concerns. Parents appreciated the class meetings early in the year and are reassured. Tara agreed that for 2025/6, parents and pupils will know the class structures and teachers in the as soon as possible for effective transition. Year 6 being a small unmixed class has been received well and parents appreciate the class having bespoke curriculum. Parents asked if this will be the case next year of if current Y4 Y5 mix will move together. Tara said she would consider this depending on pupil numbers and staffing, but agreed again that the decision will be made and communicated more timely. 6 Wrap around Care Tara has tried to organise wrap around care, but not enough families signed up to make it financially viable for the company to set up. The Trust has secured funding for breakfast club and afterschool clubs so we are going to offer again. Details to follow… 7 Parents and Community Friends of North Tawton (FONTS) have lots planned, but need help! All parents are members. Please follow FONTS on Facebook and attend their meetings. The work they do for the school is so appreciated They fund trips for classes, equipment such as our sound system and staging, books for our library, musical instruments and even small things like crackers for Christmas lunch. 8 Thoughts, Ideas, Questions Parents raised concern that there have not been any sports fixtures this year. Tara said she would follow this up. We currently don’t have a sports lead. Dojo is well received by most parents as main form of communication and for reminders. Mixed views on school having a Facebook page as not all parents use Facebook. Actions
We will be addressing these as a school team. Thank you again for your attendance and support of our school Comments are closed.
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