African Drumming with Dennis

The week before half term was very busy starting with the year 4 children visiting the Egyptian Exhibition in London. Travelling by train and the tube was a great adventure and for some children a whole new experience. Although a little tired, the children were buzzing the next day telling everyone about their experiences and what they had found out.

We were all excited to hear that both our year 5 and 6 Kwik cricket teams got through to the County finals in Newton Abbot. Sport is a strength at Kentisbeare School but, along with swimming, cricket is a passion! I might go along to support.

On Thursday a group of year 3/4 children went to visit our friends at Shaftsbury School in Newham. For some of these children it was their second visit to London this week. They all stayed overnight and had a fantastic time. I'll post some photos soon and I' sure Miss Dudley and Mrs Thompson will put more on the website.

The children that didn't go to London went with Mrs P to a Bio-science Day at Exeter University. They too had a great day being 'mad scientists' and I think the teachers and adult helpers were equally excited.

Also in school Mrs Bastin organised a visit from African drummer, Denis. During the day he worked with different classes; telling stories of his childhood, facts about Africa and Uganda where he was born. He taught them songs and they all played the drums, loudly! Perhaps I should have warned the neighbours.

As you see here is always a lot going on at school.

Another short week after the Royal wedding and I'm still trying to get into a routine- hence missing writing my blog last Sunday.

Last week was very quiet in school with SATs in years 2-6 and our Foundation and year 1 children out of school on day trips. I know the younger children had an enjoyable time but I'm not sure about the rest. The year 6 tests seemed quite hard this year particularly the maths papers but they are all over now for another year. It is such a shame that children and schools are judged on their performance in these tests when so much more, relevant learning goes on which is not celebrated. SATs are just a snapshot of how a child performs on that particular day but teacher ongoing assessments are far more accurate.

I've just come back from The Tiverton Imps Gala where a squad of our children took part. Our children did well and some of them represented school and their swimming club. We bring back to school a trophy for fastest relay and some children won individual medals. We will share our experiences and successes in Assembly tomorrow.

Next week I have lots of meetings after school. Looking at the diary I think there is an equally busy time during school time too. I'll let you know more next week.

Weekend celebrations

I hope you all had a lovely weekend. I know some of you had street parties to celebrate the Royal wedding. I admit I thoroughly enjoyed the whole occasion on the television. Mrs Thompson travelled to London on Thursday night and soaked up the atmosphere on the crowded streets.

After the wedding celebrations Mrs T travelled back to Devon to support our children who 'endured' the Exmoor Challenge on the Saturday. The weather was fine for walking but most of the children found it hard going despite all the practice walks. Their perseverance and determination to complete the 16 miles is worthy of praise. I will post team photos when I get them.

Parent Pay has got off to a great start but I understand that some parents have some concerns about the implementation of our new system.

We’re very proud to be the first primary school in Devon to go live with parent pay and we believe that it will assist us in becoming more efficient in an environment when there are enormous pressures on us to find savings with very little room for manoeuvre.

Although there may be initial teething issues the projected savings on admin time will free up staff for other important tasks. We also believe that it will save time for parents too as the facility is there 24 hours a day.

Any initiative that helps us to become more efficient frees up funds to be spent where they are most on important, on the children.

Many of you will already be familiar with Parent pay as Uffculme have used it for a few years now. For those of you with children starting at Uffculme in the future it will be good practice for you!

Soon we will be setting up the school shop which will make it easier for you to order and pay for uniform and other school merchandise.

Have a good week.

SUMMER TERM BEGINS

Hope you all had an excellent Easter break and are ready for the new term ahead. What fantastic weather we have had and here's hoping it continues well into the next term.


I've spent a lot of time gardening and Spring cleaning. On Good Friday I had the most exhilarating experience- a hot air balloon ride. It was a birthday present from my husband and the day couldn't have been more perfect. I admit I was a little apprehensive about the whole thing but once in the air - wow- it was amazing

Have a good first week back.

Tracey Hailey


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Happy Easter

The end of term was well received by everyone. Both children and staff are in need of a well earned rest. It would be great if the weather stayed as warm and sunny as it has been this last week.

The children who play violin put on an excellent concert for the school and their parents. A big thank you to Sue Rivett who puts in a lot of extra hours to make it happen.

The Spring Fayre and Easter Egg Hunt went smoothly all down to the hard work of the Kentisbeare School Association. £700 was raised towards school resources.

The Easter Service at St. Mary's Church was led by the year 3 children. They did really well and the whole school sang the Easter songs with great enthusiasm. An excellent end to the Spring Term.

The staff and governors of Kentisbeare School wish you all a Happy Easter and look forward to seeing you all on Tuesday 26th April.

Helping to send aid to Japan.

On Thursday we brought in all our loose change and created lines in the playground- 'very artistic'. The final count was £330 towards a Shelterbox to send out to help those who are homeless in Japan. On the Friday the village continued the coin trail and set up a cake stall - adding to the Shelterbox fund. Thank you to all who brought in change and spent the evening baking.

'Place as many coins as you can - we're raising money for Japan'

Next week we have the Easter Egg Hunt and Fayre on Thursday-hope to see you there. Last day of term Friday- Easter Service 11am at St.Mary's Church, Kentisbeare.

I was a little under the weather last week and was pleased when the weekend came. I now feel well rested and ready for the week to come- well Monday anyway!

The weather has been glorious and last week it was great to see the children out in the sunshine enjoying themselves. It seems to have been a very long winter. Let's hope that there is more sunshine to come.

Last week I went to Cullompton Community College for the 'Community Week Celebration Day'. During the previous week all schools in the Culm Valley had taken part and this day brought together a 'Show Case' of all the good work. Colourful displays, dance, music, song and foods to sample, attracted an audience from around the valley. Well done to everyone - especially the children.

I was also kept busy with budget planning last week- the usual story of trying to 'do more and more with less and less money'.

Have a good week.

Community Week went well and we say a big thank you to our visitors who introduced us all to their culture and beliefs. We learnt about Poland, Slovakia and China, speaking a little of the languages .Years 3 and 4 children learnt how to play the Ukulele and entertained each other with what they had learnt. Next week some children will go to Cullompton Community taking with them some of the work and photographs of last week. This is an opportunity for all 16 schools of the Culm Valley to share what they have learnt and celebrate Cultural Diversity.


The weather was great last week and I am pleased that this continued into the weekend. On Saturday I went for a lovely long walk around Killerton and on the Sunday walked along the beach at Teignmouth. Looks like it will be okay next week too- sunny intervals and pleasantly warm.


Our Red Nose Day event, 'Dress in Red or Ready for Bed!' helped to raise over £170 for this worthy charity. Thank you to the school council for organising the event.



Have a good week.

Powderham Castle

The 600 year old home of the Earl of Devon provided the ideal setting for our children to bring their Victorian learning to life.

They made comparisons between lifestyles through interactive sessions and hands-on activities with the resident Housekeeper and Cook in a Victorian Kitchen and Servants Hall.

Last week was busy, busy, busy . The year 5/6 boys got through to the finals in cage Football. I'm still not quite sure what that is! We were overall winners of the Culm Valley Cross Country this season and our running club grows in popularity. I also enjoyed watching the mini Tag Rugby Tournament held at Kentisbeare. The ground was a little 'boggy' but they all seemed to be enjoying themselves. There were plenty of refreshments afterwards and I managed to resist the lovely cakes baked by Kentisbeare parents. Well done to Miss Dudley and Mr Palmer for organising the event and Mr Wright for serving refreshments.

Mr Wright and year 2 spent the day at Powderham Castle and they were quickly put to work in the kitchens re-enacting times gone by. They all looked great in their Victorian costumes and both children and adults had an excellent day.

On Saturday Ms Elenor and Mrs Thompson took keen walkers around the 12 miles of Wimbleball Lake in preparation for the Exmoor Challenge. Lots of parents and staff accompanied the children, although apparently Mr White, Mr Wright and their team managed to get lost! Obviously they were not paying attention. Joking aside, I am very proud of them all as they show such commitment and determination - well done.

This week is Community Week and we will have lots of visitors working with our children. I am looking forward to Monday when music advisor, Ollie Davey will be teaching years 3 and 4 how to play the Ukelele.

Can't wait.

Didn't They Do Well

Becky, Helen and Jake receiving their well deserved award.

Helen receiving award for 'Best Junior Speaker'.
The standard of entries was very high this year and all children at the finals were already regional winners. Well done to Exeter School who came first and all the other finalists.

It was lovely to have a chat with so many parents at our Spring Term Parent Evenings . I also see a lot of parents on a daily basis who offer their time and support listening to children read and ferrying them to and from sporting events.

On Thursday the Foundation and year one children invited parents in for the morning to share their love for stories and celebrate National Book Day. In the afternoon, whole school, assembly the teachers entertained the children with their retelling of The Gruffalo. This was well received by the children and I can't wait to see the photos.

On Friday evening I went along to the Manor Pavillion Theatre in Sidmouth to watch the '3D A Chance to Dance' show. Over the past five weeks our year 5 children have been enjoying and experimenting with the dynamics of Street Dance. For the show they had put together a combination of street dance styles including popping, waving, hip hop, robotics and break dancing. They had the opportunity to work with professional dancer Mandi Wall who came out to Kentisbeare during the five weeks. It was superb. Well done to all the children and of course their teachers. My perfect evening ended with fish and chips from The Premier Cafe in Budleigh Salterton.

On Saturday I went along to the finals of the Rotary Junior Public Speaking Awards. Our year six (who were already winners of their heat) were fantastic, a credit to their parents and the school. Finishing second they came away with certificates so well done Jake, Helen and Becky. Helen also snapped up Best Speaker Award. Photo soon.

So it was quite a busy week. Also; years 3 and 4 had a visit from the Royal Albert Mobile Museum service- reinforcing their learning of Ancient Egypt, some year 4 s went off to play in a rugby tournament at Sandy park and year 1 children had a visit from dance specialist Jo Tasker and some of her university students. Will the latter develop into another show- who knows.

Sunday I spent at home.
An equally busy week ahead but there will still be time for pancakes- Shrove Tuesday is the 8th March.

Exeter Cathedral Celebrations 200th Anniversary

Last weekend was extremely busy as Stephen and I travelled to Hertfordshire. We stayed with his mum .On Saturday we went to see The Levellers at Bedford Corn Exchange which was brilliant. We have seen them countless times and will again no doubt.

On Sunday we went for a long walk around the Knebworth area. Photo is of Knebworth House now more famous worldwide for its rock concerts . It was also the home of Victorian novelist Edward Bulwer Lytton - author of the words "The pen is mightier than the sword".When I worked in Hertfordshire I used to take children on visits frequently but I've never been to a concert there.

On Monday we travelled into London for a meal and to see Les Miserables. Wow it was amazing. If you are planning a visit to London you should put it on your 'must do' list.

Back home now contemplating sowing some seeds and perhaps painting the kitchen walls. The latter I've been planning to do since Christmas but still haven't taken the lid off the tin yet. The sun is coming out as I write this. Its great to see some blue sky at last.Perhaps I'll potter around in the garden instead. Instead of painting that is!

Thank you for all the cards and lovely presents and for making my birthday really special. The basket of flowers was presented to me in Assembly before I disappeared for the rest of the week to attend Headteacher and Learning Community meetings.

The Valentine 's disco was well attended and very much enjoyed by the children. Well done to all the KSA members and staff that made the event such a success. After the disco I was treated to a surprise meal at the Keepers Cottage by some staff and governors. It was an excellent evening all round.

Next week there are lots of trips out. Year 4 are going to visit Sandy Park, Year 5 and 6 will be spending a day in Exeter visiting the cathedral and underground passages as part of their topic work this term. A squad of KS2 children will be representing the school at the Culm Valley Learning Community Swimming Gala at Tiverton. I look forward to going to this and expect I will see some of you there.

Friday is a non-uniform day raising money for the Eco Council. The theme is Eco Warrior so use your imagination!

Have a good week.

My girls enjoying the garden........

and 1 for the pot!
(not really)

On Saturday children and staff braved the weather around Withypool building up for the Exmoor Challenge at the end of April. Meanwhile I was chicken and stayed at home.

Next week starts with a visit from the schools' library service. Nicola (librarian) will be visiting most classes enthusing the children with her passion for books and leaving us lots of new titles for specific year groups.

The year 6 will be visiting Uffculme to do maths with Laurence Eve building on the work he has done with them at Kentisbeare.

The year 5 children have been working with dancer Mandi from Daisy and I'm looking forward to going to the Barnfield Theatre to see them perform along with other talented Devon children and young adults. Look out for the date in future newsletters.

Tuesday is Internet Safety Day and we intend to raise awareness in assemblies and class activities.

I'll be away from school the rest of the week with other headteachers in the Culm Valley attending briefings on future funding, organisation of the local authority and the possible impact on schools.

Have a good week.

Well done everyone.

Sponsorship money has been pouring in from the swimming event. The children involved did so well and all the money raised will be spent on small playground equipment and possibly seating. I think the School Council (co-ordinated by Mrs Ainsworth) are busy deciding how it will be spent and I'll let you know as soon as they tell me!

On Friday the Recycling Bag2school Campaign was a great success. You all managed to hand in 840kg which has raised £420 towards our Eco Projects for this year. The Eco Council will decide how this will be spent. Mrs P has planned another collection before the year ends so hang on to all your cast offs until then.

Thursday and Friday were quite busy for me so I haven't chattered to the staff regarding what's been happening. Perhaps me being away for a few days was the high light of the week!

The Quiz Night was great. Not because my husband wrote it but because it was a great atmosphere. Perhaps we should hold more events like this in the school hall instead of the village hall. After the heating kicked in it was really cosy and the evening ran smoothly. Well done to the KSA and members of the school and village community who came along.

Next KSA event - Valentines Disco- sadly I'll miss that one but Mr White will be there in my place!

It could be Spring

I have enjoyed my walks with the dog this weekend and it feels almost like Spring is here. Of course it's only the end of January and no doubt there will be more sharp frosts and possibly more snow ahead.

The KSA Film Night went well on Friday I was sad to miss it. I think because of its success there will be more similar events booked in the future. I went to a farewell dinner for one of my headteacher colleagues. It was a great evening.

The weekend has been very quiet as my husband is visiting family and friends in Hertfordshire. I have quite enjoyed going out with the dog, pottering around the house and of course having full control of the TV remote.



Have a good week.

A really good turn out for the KSA meeting last week with lots of events planned for this term. The week seemed to go quickly and so too did this weekend hence writing my blog so late on Sunday evening.

On Saturday the sponsored swim was well supported and the children did really well. The children collectively swam over 50 miles, far more than we anticipated. I think some of you underestimated how many lengths your children would do. The School Council will decide on how the money raised will be spent. A big thank you to all the children who took part, all the parents who supported them and my dedicated staff. Also thank you to members of Exmouth Swimming Club who gave up their valuable time to supervise the swimmers and support the event.

On Sunday, together with many others, I attended Evensong at Exeter Cathedral and the installation of Anna Norman-Walker as a Residentiary Canon. Kentisbeare School was very sad to lose the Reverend Anna as she is well loved by the children and staff. I know she will make a valuable contribution in her new role and no doubt we will find opportunities to go and visit her. In fact the year 5 and 6 children are off to Exeter in a few weeks and the Cathedral is number 1 on their list.

Enjoy the week ahead.

The new term begins