1. education
2. school

Decoy Community Primary School
Deer Park Road, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 1DH
Tel: (01626) 353282
Headteacher: Mrs. Gill O’Neill
[email protected]
January 2015
Dear Parents and Carers
Happy New Year! Here at Decoy we have begun the year looking closely at our work, following OFSTED’s
visit last term. I would like to thank you all for the support and good wishes you have offered us over the
past few weeks – all the staff really appreciate it. We are all working hard to ensure that we meet the
challenges that have been set and feel sure that we can do this quickly and effectively with your support.
Post OFSTED meeting for Parents
I would like to begin by inviting you to a meeting, at 6pm on Wednesday 21st January, so that we can talk to
you about the actions we have taken following OFSTED. In particular, the report asked us to improve the
way we ensure that all children make progress in writing. We have spent the past few weeks thoroughly
reviewing our work and listening to advice on how we can move things forward and we would like to talk to
you about the changes we are making. I look forward to presenting our action plan, and answering any
questions you may have.
Curriculum evening
Last term we ran an evening for parents to talk about learning to learn, and how we teach calculation
strategies in maths. We would now like to invite you to a meeting to discuss teaching in English – something
we always planned to do! This meeting will be held at 6.30pm on Wednesday 25th February. It would be
great to see you there!
Staffing Changes
At the end of last term, we said goodbye to Gemma Wright. Gemma began her work at Decoy as a class
teacher and took over as SENCO (Special Needs Co-ordinator) a couple of years ago. She will be greatly
missed, particularly by the children and families she worked so closely with. We have appointed a new
SENCO, who will be joining us after half term. He is called Robin Scott and has been working as a SENCO
at Chulmleigh Academy Trust. Robin will come into school whenever he can in the next few weeks, so that
he can hit the ground running when he joins us in February.
Vicky Stables will be leaving us at the end of January, to begin her maternity leave. We have appointed
Helena Thomsett to teach in Year 2 while Vicky is away. Helena has made a great start with her new class,
meaning that Vicky is free to support our SEN children for the next few weeks. Vicky is also working with
us on the Post OFSTED action plan, helping us to make rapid progress towards meeting the targets set.
I would like to send my very best wishes to Vicky. We can’t wait to see the baby!
PTA
Our Parent Teacher Association are meeting next Thursday, 22nd January, to plan events for this term. This
will include weekly cake stalls, the quiz and curry night, Easter Fayre and the ever popular, Decoy’s Got
Talent. Last term, the money raised was spent on some i pads which will be used by our reception children.
Thank you so much for your support.
Travel to school
As always, we ask you to take care and consideration as you bring your children to school. Deer Park Road
is particularly difficult to park in, and we ask that, whenever possible, you park in Decoy Park and walk
across with our Lollipop lady, Linda.
We have been notified by Galliford Try, that the road between Buckland Athletic Football Club and the
junction of Priory Road will be closed for 4 months, as part of the work to build the new South Devon Link
Road. There will be some temporary parking restrictions on Keyberry Road as part of this work. I have
attached a ‘Questions and Answers’ sheet with this letter, provided by Galliford Try. This work will
inevitably cause some disruptions to the school run, but I hope these will be kept to a minimum.
School Dinners.
Please can you help us. This Thursday 15th January is Census day. Devon County are collecting information
about the numbers of children who have dinner on that day as part of the Universal Infant Free School Meal
provision. We are asking for all Reception, Y1 and Y2 children to have school dinner on that day so that we
are given all the funding we need to cover the cost of this. The kitchen are having a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party
on that day, so we are sure your children will have fun as well as having a delicious and nutritious meal!
Safety at Home Talk
Andy Gould from the Community Fire Safety Team will be attending Parent and Toddler Group on
Wednesday 28.01.2015 from 1.30-2.30 to promote home and fire safety. We would like to invite any parents
who have a child in nursery or reception to join Toddler group for some great advice. The meeting will take
place in the Community Room.
Attendance
Thank you for your continued support with ensuring that your children are in school as much as possible. At
the moment our levels of attendance are better than ever. Thank you so much for trying so hard to book
family holidays outside of term time. The evidence shows that this can have a real impact on pupil progress.
Dates for the Term
Please scroll down to the bottom of this letter for dates for this term.
Yours Sincerely
Gill O’Neill
Decoy Community Primary School
Deer Park Road, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 1DH
Tel: (01626) 353282
Headteacher: Mrs. Gill O’Neill
[email protected]
Dates for the Term
Date
Event
08/01/15 Year 4 swimming – each Thursday for 6 weeks
07/01/15 Toddler Group – each Wednesday afternoon from 1pm to
3pm
21/01/15 Post OFSTED meeting for parents
22/01/15 PTA committee meeting
30/01/15 PTA quiz and Curry Night – The Jolly Farmer. 7pm (Tickets
on sale now)
02/02/15 Y3 presentation to parents – The Egyptians. After School
06/02/15 Wear it. Beat it. Fund raising day for the British Heart
Foundation
09/02/15 Parents’ Evening
10/02/15 Parents’ Evening
16/02/15 HALF TERM this week
25/02/15 Curriculum Evening – Teaching English
26/02/15 Y5 swimming – each Thursday for 5 weeks
05/03/15 World Book Day
13/03/15 Comic Relief – Fund raising day
20/03/15 Easter Fayre
27/03/15 Last Day of Term