Thursday marked my last day at North Tawton after more than 17 years. The staff had planned a lovely day of celebrations. In the morning I was led into the hall where all the staff were assembled and together we watched a short video (thank you Rob!) which included some memorable moments of my time at the school. The video clips were from all the children in the school, the staff, past students (with beards!!), past colleagues and even my dear parents all the way from Birmingham. I was, as you can imagine, completely overwhelmed with love. It was very humbling to see that so many people remembered their time at the school so fondly and had been influenced positively from the experience.

At lunchtime all the children had an outdoor picnic followed by some superb Ska dancing. In the afternoon there were bunting and balloons on the drive (thank you to all the parents involved!) as I did my last gate duty, and Nick Weldon climbed on the bank to say farewell. Afterwards, the staff organised a gathering in the hall (socially distanced of course), with more presents and a wonderful cake. I am looking forward to a short break with the kind donations just as soon as the restrictions are lifted. Thank you to all of you who contributed towards this and for the support you have given me over the years.

The cards, messages and the North Tawton community will remain with me forever and I will keep in touch with you. I am sorry that I did not have a chance to see your extended families, so please pass on my farewells to grandparents and other family members who I have not been able to see recently.

THANK YOU and sorry about the Ska influence!

Mrs Nuthall arrived to join our party and say farewell to us all as she starts her maternity leave. She is keeping very well and was pleased to see all the children and her friends. We wish her all the very best and we can't wait to welcome the new little Nuthall soon.

Click on the image to find out more.

Today we say ‘Goodbye’ to Miss Chauhan. It’s been great to work with her as Head of School. Always enthusiastic and supportive of our fundraising, she has made sure that the money we raise is used to support the school's requirements. Even though recently, we’ve had lockdowns, remote learning and enormous amounts of disruption, Miss Chauhan has held strong, kept a positive outlook, and helped us to keep going with our support for the school. Thank you and best wishes for your new role.

Have a safe and restful Easter break, and we look forward to planning some fundraising events and activities in the new term, working with our new Principal Miss Penny.
 
Keep safe and thank you for your continued support,
 
FONTS Committee
emailfriendsofnorthtawton@gmail.com/ or message FONTS on Dojo

Following on from Monday's announcement, Miss Tara Penny will be taking up her new role after Easter, joining North Tawton School as the new Principal. She took the opportunity to visit our school on Thursday and quickly familiarised herself with the school, the children and the staff. Miss Penny is currently Head of School at Chagford and will continue to work closely with the Three Hares Hub.

The transition will take as long as is needed to ensure all the information is handed over and introductions are made. Miss Penny throughly enjoyed her visit and is due to return later this week to spend more time in our school. The Trust's leadership transformation, although quick, does allow for all leaders to spend time in their new schools.

After 16 years at North Tawton I will be sad to say goodbye, but equally I am very excited about my new role at Black Torrington and Bradford. Thanks for all your kind messages and support. More from me next week!

We are working very hard to improve the attendance rates. ALL absences must be reported to the school office and not messaged to the Dojo. If your child is absent for the following and subsequent days you need to inform the office daily. Once the registers close at 9:05 the admin team follow up all absences that have not been notified.

Please make sure you complete the absence request form if you are attending an appointment during school time. You can find the form on the Parent Information Hub. 
https://www.ntcps.co.uk/parent-information-hub.html

The I ❤️Reading Challenge photos are coming in at a steady rate. Please find your reading space, take a photo and upload it to the messages on Dojo. Mrs Ware is preparing the space in the school hall to display all of the photos. Even Alf the Elf is joining in!

The arrival and departure of the children at the gates is continuing to work very successfully. Thank you all for cooperating and making this process as easy as it can be. 
8:45 gates open
9:05 registers close
9:15 after this time non-attendance will be recorded as authorised or unauthorised absence

Reverend Nick Weldon and Wez Cutler are due to lead three special Easter Assemblies on Wednesday for the children. It will be lovely to see them again back in the school.

Wishing you and your families a lovely weekend
​Thank you
​Miss Chauhan

23rd March 2021  
 
Dear Parents and Carers,
 
I am excited to share some updates with you about changes to our schools’ leadership. As a family of schools, we have enormous wealth in our leadership and now is the time to build on that strength to ensure we provide the best environment for our pupils, staff and schools to grow. 
 
We are at an exciting time in the development of our Trust of schools. Whilst we are rightly proud of all that has been achieved historically, we are ambitious to continue to improve the quality of education that our children receive and deepen and broaden our connection and service to our communities.  
 
It is important to emphasise that with the changes we are announcing, all schools will benefit. We are building a broader model of leadership for our Trust, creating capacity where it is needed, sharing our skills and expertise, and strengthening our structures to help everyone achieve their best to support our Trust aims.  
 
For North Tawton Community Primary school, we are delighted to announce that from the start of the summer term (19th April 2021) Tara Penny will take up the post of Principal. Sunita Chauhan will be moving to Bradford and Black Torrington as Principal. In addition, to underscore the importance of our schools’ leadership in our communities, all our Heads of Schools and Headteachers will be called Principals moving forward.  
 
Our Executive Principals in both our primary and secondary phases will now be enabled to support all schools across our Trust within our Primary and Secondary Leadership Boards, providing strategic direction and support to ensure we can achieve our aims.  
 
Our school leaders have been working together to ensure a smooth transition as they ‘pass the baton’ safely onwards. During the coming weeks, you will see many of our school leaders around and about at school. Please do talk to them and say hello!  
 
We know many of you will have questions and we would like to invite you to a virtual Parents’ Meeting on Wednesday 24th March 6pm. If you would like to attend, please join the Google Meet link. This will be posted on the School Dojo.
 
We will also be sharing more information on our Dojo pages, so please do visit to find out more. 
 
With firm foundations of trust, respect, and cooperation, these changes will enable us to stride forward, to ensure that all can thrive and succeed.  
Thank you for your ongoing support. 
 
Dan Morrow 
Trust Leader and CEO 
​

What a busy Friday we had. The children looked so lovely and joined in to raise money for this cause by wearing something red. Looking so splendid! Thank you for all the extra donations that arrived today and for buying the noses. We completely sold out of all our noses and will count all the donations and announce the total raised. Thank you 🍎

Mr Foreman is making sure that we are all keeping active and has even kitted out the teachers with their own PE kits!
Mr Stronge from SAINTS leads the PE sessions every Thursday and Friday. There was great hilarity when completing the challenges set this week as 'team work' was the theme.

Some classes (Y1, Y2, Y3, Y4) took part in cross-country running led by Okehampton Community and Recreation Association (OCRA). The weather was perfect and all the children completed the challenge. Tokyo here we come! Get ready Y5 and Y6 – your cross-country turn will be soon.

We have given each family a final family challenge to mark the end of lockdown learning. Some eager beavers had made them by Friday evening. This little momento was sent to each family to say well done and congratulations to every child for the hard work and perseverance shown throughout the lockdown period. We have been very impressed with how the children have settled back into the school routines, especially the children in Oak and Chestnut classes, who have had the additional staff changes. Thank you, and enjoy building! It looks very fiddly.
​Welcome to Miss Prince in Oak Class and Mrs Doyle/Mrs Denney in Chestnut Class.

Well done to all the children for settling back to work so quickly. Reading remains very high on the agenda and lockdown has seen an increase in children engaging with books, which is very encouaging news. With the new reading challenge, Mrs Ware is hoping that everyone gets involved to maintain this trend and our love of reading now we are back at school. So get thinking and clicking away to capture your children enjoying reading!

Here's hoping you have a lovely weekend with your family staying safe.
Thank you
Miss Chauhan

We are so pleased to see the children back where they belong. The school opened its doors to all pupils on Monday and it all went very smoothly. I was very pleased to see parents standing socially distanced and wearing face protection. To reduce the congestion further do come alone if you are picking up and don't linger unnecessarily by the gate as it obstructs our view when trying to reunite children with their adults.

We are operating safely in our respective class bubbles. The staff and children were very pleased to see each other and to have face to face conversations in the real school surroundings.

To help the smooth running of the day and to ensure the gates are safely secured please help us by being on time.

8:45 Gates open
9:05 Registers close
3:20 End of the day (slightly earlier for Acorn).

Not only did we welcome back our pupils on Monday but we also welcomed our new starters in the Nursery. Under normal circumstance our new starters are shown around the whole school and have the chance to meet the staff, but these experiences have obviously been limited this year. They all bravely came in on their first day after saying goodbye to parents at the gates and they had a fantastic time in Acorns. We hope to offer a belated welcome meeting just as soon as we can, but well done on preparing your children so well to cope with starting in nursery.

Well done to these worthy winners of the toilet roll competition. Thank you to all those who entered this World Book Day fun activity. Your creative skills were second to none this year! Very impressive and very inventive.

Thank you for preparing and equipping your children so well ready for the return to school. We have learnt much from this challenging period and want to harness and build on these experiences and discoveries. The children have learnt how to face challenges, overcome adversity and have built their resilience. They have approached the return to school with such great positivity. It is such a pleasure to see them (and you!).

Have a wonderful weekend.

​MIss Chauhan

We are hoping to see a return to some of the usual fundraising activities in the Summer Term. Watch this space!  Ideas, thoughts and suggestions are very welcome.
 
Keep safe and thank you for your continued support,
 
FONTS Committee
emailfriendsofnorthtawton@gmail.com/ or message FONTS on Dojo

Lockdown did not stop us! What an absolute treat we had on Thursday. Mrs Ware pointed us all in the right direction and off we went. Children at home were making dens and reading areas – indoors and out. Children dressed up and were able to create art, cook food and read to siblings and pets... all inspired by books and book characters. We listened to stories live and read to each other via a virtual link. It was the best World Book Day judging by the amount of photos that were sent in and uploaded to the work sites. Well done. You all made a tremendous effort to get involved in one way or another and made it such a fun filled day. ​

It was such a pleasure to see so many creative ways to show your love of reading. You read stories, you shared stories and you wrote stories. Absolutely brilliant! 

We are all very excited to see the children return on Monday. I am sure that any initial fears and nerves will soon disappear once the children meet with their friends and settle back into familiar routines with staff in their own classrooms.

We will be working in class bubbles for the whole day with staggered lunch and breaktimes. Children are not allowed to share equipment, so don't forget to provide pencil cases. The rooms will be well ventilated so extra layers under the school uniform would be a good idea until the warmer weather arrives.

​Please make your lunch bookings using the Gateway app. PE kits can be worn to school on the PE days (Thursday and Friday for SAINTS) and as requested by the teachers. We will be making the most of outdoor learning using our beautiful grounds. Please have wellies to hand!

Nursery please see your own class Dojo page for specific times.

Gates open at 8:45 and children must be in class and registered by 9:05. The gates will then be closed to protect those who are on site. If your child is nervous it is best to make the walk up the path with friends, so being on time will really help.

Your prompt arrival and departure is appreciated as the access point needs to be clear to allow for the bus and taxi to safely park.

The children will be escorted out to the gates at 3:20. To avoid congestion and a prolonged wait at the gates please arrive on time, avoid lingering, come alone to collect, wear a mask and remember to socially distance.

Please step forward to identify yourself. It is so difficult for us to recognise you with masks! There will inevitably be a small wait at the end of the day but with your assistance this should be kept to a minimum, and we will be outside in the fresh air which minimises the risk to you.

Please park courteously and safely. Our neighbours in Strawberry Fields also have the right to access their drives without obstruction.

Do not park on the double yellow lines and wherever possible park further away and walk to school. 

No visitors are permitted on the school site without booking. Please make an appointment through the admin office if you wish to do so.

Mrs Nuthall is blooming marvellously well at 32 weeks through her pregnancy. This is a critical time and as per Government guidance Mrs Nuthall will continue her role working safely from home. I am pleased to announce that we successfully appointed Miss Kaydee Prince, who will start her role slightly earlier than planned. She will be meeting and greeting the children on Monday morning ready to start her teaching role in Oak Class. Mrs Day will continue to provide support after having single handedly managing the Critical Workers Club very successfully throughout the lockdown. The children will still remain in contact virtually with Mrs Nuthall until the handover process is completed. Mrs Nuthall will begin her maternity leave after Easter.

Please do return your loaned device in a labelled bag, which will be collected from the classroom. These devices will be added to the school stock once the necessary resets have been done.

I am so pleased to announce the safe arrival of Miss Cooper's baby. We wish her and her partner, Joe, all the very best as they get to enjoy this little bundle of joy.

Miss Ruby will return to her regular day on Friday in Willow Class. Miss Keen and Miss Ruby will teach in Willow Class supported by Mrs Squires and Mrs Jelley. A welcome return following her maternity leave. We are very pleased to have her back.

We are all looking forward to greeting you at the gates, albeit briefly. Have a lovely Sunday with your family enjoying the spring-like sunny weather. Thank you again for all your online teaching efforts!

All good wishes
Miss Chauhan

We are hoping to see a return to some of the usual fundraising activities in the Summer Term. Watch this space!  
Ideas/thoughts/suggestions are very welcome.
 
Keep safe and thank you for your continued support,
 
FONTS Committee
emailfriendsofnorthtawton@gmail.com/ or message FONTS on Dojo

Dear Parents and Carers
The Prime Minister's announcement on Monday laid out the road map to end the current lockdown. All schools are to re-open on MONDAY 8th March. We are currently working hard to make sure everything is in place ready to welcome our children back. We are reviewing the risk assessments and are making sure the building and resources are ready to go. The children will remain in their class bubbles at all times, including break times and lunch times (which will be staggered). With the exception of staff, no adults will be allowed on the school site. More details about the slightly amended pick-up and drop-off arrangements will be posted on the school Dojo. 

Please do check that uniforms still fit! Every child will need their own pencil case (not ACORN or OAK) filled with a set of their own resources to avoid sharing resources at school. The class teachers will post this as necessary on the class Dojo pages.

Thank you to everyone who has successfully managed to log in using their children's new Google accounts and passwords. This was introduced to all children and has made it possible to join live meet sessions safely. Even after the lockdown has ended we hope to continue using this valuable learning platform. The technology is improving and changing at an alarming rate but we have been extremely pleased with the remote learning provision across the school. So much so, that we will be using this method to enhance our in school teaching and learning provision.
 
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we transferred over to the new system. As with most things, there will always be glitches. Please do get in touch if you are experiencing problems. The IT support within the Trust will also be helping us.

Wishing you and your families a lovely weekend. Spring feels like it is finally here. I hope you can get out to enjoy the sunshine.
Keep safe
​Miss Chauhan

Thank you so much to everyone who took part in our first virtual balloon race. 110 ‘FONTS’ balloons took part and just over £260 was raised for the school. Congratulations to Jayne Webber, owner of the balloon that travelled furthest – an impressive 1007.02 km!!
 
With the easing of lockdown restrictions underway, and hopefully continuing, we are hoping to see a return to some of the usual fundraising activities in the Summer Term. Watch this space!
 
If you have any questions – please contact us. 
Keep safe and thank you for your continued support,
 
FONTS Committee
email friendsofnorthtawton@gmail.com / or message FONTS on Dojo

Do you like The Masked Singer? If you do, it finishes this weekend, so we have created our own fun version.

​The Masked Adult. Many of the adults from school have donned their masks and disguised themselves, watch the intro and then try to guess which adult is which - the names of all of the adults who have taken part are on the last slide of the Powerpoint. Beware, some of the adults have made it quite tricky.   Click on the button below to load the Powerpoint.

Good luck
Mr F

Dear Parents and Carers
We have reached the end of the first half-term in lockdown which also marks the half way point of the year! Huge congratulations to all the children supported by the adults at home. We understand and appreciate that the situation is far from desirable but we are all managing to cope and support each other through it.

I would like to say a big thank you to our staff members, who have been doing an amazing job in difficult circumstances. I am sure that you will join me in wishing them all a restful break with their familes.

Don't forget to have a go at spotting the Masked Adults. A bit of fun from Mr Foreman! Good Luck!

Please see the links below to access the Trust and Three Hares updates.

Miss Chauhan

https://ecoracing.co/user/page/1349
 
We hope it will be a lot of fun! You can colour and customise your balloon, and watch it during the race (seven days). 
Prizes are:
Eco Racing – 1st £500 cash, 2nd iPad and next 10 £10 book tokens (EcoRacing prizes for all participants)
FONTS – 1st £30 cash
If you have any questions please contact us. 
Keep safe and thank you for your continued support,
 
FONTS Committee
email friendsofnorthtawton@gmail.com / or message FONTS on Dojo

 Dear Parents and Carers
Congratulations!
Over the past five weeks, your continued efforts  have been nothing short of amazing. Thank you for  fully supporting the school and your children with their learning.  The remote learning programme is going very well using both the School Dojo or Google Classroom platforms. The  level of engagement is good, and the quality of the work is improving. Our KS2 children in particular are improving their redrafting skills, and the teachers are using Google Classroom to live meet with the children, individually or in small groups to focus in on these skills. Miss Ruby has returned, in a part-time capacity, to run the 'Catch-Up' programme with Mrs Ware. A most welcome return for Miss Ruby who has been thrown in at the deep end! She is very quickly becoming familiar with the Google Classroom platform and was able to meet virtually with small groups of children. Although in its infancy, this has worked really well. Welcome back Miss Ruby – it's great to have you back on our team.

We will continue to adapt and review our position and the teachers have made further adjustments in response to the recent survey. We are always willing to listen and will do our best to accommodate your suggestions. Please do get in touch with us if you need our help. As time progresses, needs may change as your home and personal circumstances change (see below!).
​The school is here to support however we can.

In order that no child is left unsupported or disadvantaged, the school has recently acquired more devices to ease the burden placed on you at home. If you are struggling to manage your work whilst sharing devices and/or tablets with your children then please do get in touch. We will quickly assist making sure that you have access to additional devices to ensure that all children are being fully supported under the current circumstances.

Throughout the week the work in PSHE focussed on activities that allowed the children to express themselves and show how they are feeling. The children were given the opportunity to end this week by dressing up for the day. Many children took part at school and at home and it was wonderful to see the many ways in which they did this. I was particularly privileged to be invited to a dance show and I was superbly entertained. 

Thursday 11th February 10:00am
Please do join us using the invite link on the School Dojo page. The aim of this session will be to share the information on the Vision and Values for the school and the Trust. Your input is invaluable so please put it in your diary and virtually meet with Mrs Underwood, Executive Headteacher,  Mel Holyoak, Vice Chair of Governors and Emma Neath, Chair of Governors.

Don't forget every skip, step, hop and jump count towards this journey to visit the Olympic venues across the world. Do log on and and register your kilometres. Can you believe we have already managed a distance totalling 30,863km! Simply an amazing distance. Well done everyone!

Wishing you a lovely, fun filled weekend.
​Miss Chauhan

Thank you so much to everyone who’s taken part so far in the Virtual Balloon Race. It’s not too late to buy balloons for yourself or as a gift. The balloons will be launched on 14th February 2021.