1. education
2. school

Beer C of E Primary School
Mare Lane
Beer, Seaton,
Devon EX12 3NB
Tel and Fax 01297 20077
Headteacher: Mr Martin O’Mahony
Email:[email protected]
www.beer-ce-primary.devon.sch.uk
Chair of Governors: Mrs Jean Smith
Friday 1st May 2015
Dear Parents,
28
I hope you are all looking forward to a relaxing Bank Holiday weekend. Although the weather does not look as
favourable as the last few weekends, there is always so much to do at this time of year in East Devon. Please don’t
forget that this weekend is the Annual Fossil Festival in Lyme Regis with a whole host of activities aimed at
families. Also if you fancy a walk in the showers I believe that the blue bells in Blackberry camp have started to
appear which is an incredible site.
For those competing in the Beer Blazer next Sunday, this weekend may be the last opportunity to squeeze in a
training run. If you are a parent and intending to run please let me know and I will try and find you a T-shirt to wear.
This week I have only seen a few children’s entries and would remind you that we would like as many children as
possible to enter beforehand as this will reduce the queue on the day. Entry forms were given to children last week,
or are available from the school office or on the website – please hand completed forms into the office as soon as
possible. On the day there will be the usual range of refreshments for runners and spectators including bacon rolls,
tea, coffee and a wonderful range of cakes and sweets. If you haven’t signed up to marshall and are intending to do
so, please let me know. Please also remember that at the end of the school day next Friday we will be putting up the
race marquees and would greatly appreciate helpers.
Today, the school has had its first wave of ICT equipment installed. We have a new bank of Ipads for the children to
use across the curriculum. They will work alongside the new laptops which are coming at the end of May and will
be used for research tasks, taking photographs, videos and emailing. They will also come with a range of apps which
will complement the focuses of the new curriculum. Exciting times lay ahead!
As a school we are continually striving to improve, to try to make things the best we can for the children and parents
within their community. As part of this, we regularly seek to gain your opinions on the way we do things. We would
very much appreciate it if you could take a few moments to sit down as a family to discuss and complete this
questionnaire (at the end of the flier), as it can have a direct impact on how we operate. Questions relate to Teaching
and Learning, School Leadership and your perception of the way the school operates within the Ark Federation.
If you wish your views to be included in our school improvement process, please complete the questionnaire and
return it to your child’s class teacher by Friday 22nd May 2015.
Next week I will be in school on Wednesday and Friday.
Thank You Certificates
Congratulations to the following children:
Class 1: Darcy Bucklar Green, Ava Baki and Isabelle Graham for their fantastic Dogger posters, Isabelle
Graham for coming into school with a smile all week, Ella Bond for her beautiful paintings of African animals,
Sammy Grant for lovely neat writing and Ruby Dack and Myia Hiscox for efforts with their handwriting.
Class 2: Tilly Adkin for careful, thoughtful working this week, Luke Flannigan for excellent sentences planning
his story, Eleanor Young for trying so hard with spellings this week, Anthony Parkinson for wonderful fraction
homework, Selby Overington-Ward for perservering when he got things wrong, Charlotte Leslie for a lovely turn
of phrase in her writing and
All of year 1 for brilliant phonic work this week.
Class 3: Hope Redding for thinking carefully about your ‘P’ comment in RE, Daisy Somers for your comparison
between God and a sunflower - your ideas were beautiful, Kaitlyn Flannigan for your response about light as a
symbol and Joshua Priestley for achieving the most rungs.
Class 4: Ben Banfield for excellent problem solving in Maths and super thinking in Literacy, Robert Wolfreys for
working hard on being resourceful and resilient, Adam Carr for his enthusiasm and hard work when thinking about
the class garden area, Sam Dormor for steady research in ICT and being keen to share findings, Kendal Westlake
for consistently modelling our five values so well.
Quad Kids Athletics Festival
On Wednesday 4 boys and 4 girls from year 5 and year 6 represented our school in the Colyton Grammar Athletics
Festival. They completed a variety of running, jumping and throwing activities and gave their all. We are very
proud of them. Congratulations to: Jack Dormor, Sam Dormor, James Doulton, Callum Priestley, Harriet Wigham,
Evie Rodgers, Mollie Wilkins and Darcie Morton. Thank you to the parents that drove and to Mr Simier for
accompanying and encouraging the children.
Year 1 and 2 Beach Trip
All of Year 1 and Year 2 are going to the beach next Friday morning (weather permitting) to look at the human and
physical geography. Reception will be going with Puffins at a later date. Please bring wellies and coats/sun hats on
Friday morning. We will need a few kind parents to help with this activity. Please see Mrs Robertson if you can
help.
Classes 1 and 2 Donkey Sanctuary Trip – Tuesday 12th May
Classes 1 and 2 are going on a trip to the Donkey Sanctuary on Tuesday 12th May as part of their Animal topic. We
would welcome parent helpers on the morning of Tuesday 12th May. If you are able to help, please see Mrs
Timmins.
Reception & Yr 6 Health Screening
Just a reminder to any Reception parents who have not yet returned the consent forms, please could you hand into the
office as soon as possible. The health screening will take place on Tuesday 9th June.
Reception - Animal Toy writing
Reception enjoyed bringing in their animal toys on Tuesday. They wrote invites for their animals and spent the day
writing labels, measuring, weighing and checking their health in the vets.
Reception – Sharing their learning journeys
The reception children loved sharing their learning journeys with their families. Everyone was very impressed with
how much learning and hard work the children have achieved this year. Well done! If anyone would like to come
and chat to Mrs Timmins and look at books, there are 2 sessions next week on Tuesday and Wednesday. If your
child is in reception then please come and sign your name against an available slot.
SOS!!!!!!!!!School Crossing Patrol
We are still looking for somebody who would be able to do the school crossing patrol on Monday mornings. Full
training provided. Please let the school office know if you are able to help out on this day or could volunteer your
services on any other day. Many thanks.
Zumba – Fridays 3.30 – 4.15pm
Johanna’s Zumba classes will now be open to children in Year 3 (in addition to Reception, Years 1 and 2). The cost
is £4 per class with half termly fees payable upon first lesson. Please call into the office for a booking form or
contact Johanna directly on 07739518587 or at [email protected]
Head Lice
It has been brought to my attention again that several children have suffered repeated cases of Head Lice. Please
check your child’s head as soon as possible and once a week thereafter. For further information on head lice see
your pharmacist or visit www.onceaweektakeapeek.com.
Kind regards,
Martin O’Mahony
Coffee Morning and Bring and Buy Sale in support of The Nepal Earthquake – Saturday 2nd May at
St Michael’s Church, Beer. 10am – 12 noon. Please help this cause with donations or any of the following to sell:
cakes, raffle prizes, bric-a-brac, plants, books etc. Please contact Susan Green – 07812 355362 or Carolyn Adkin –
07724 993137 for more information or for them to collect any donations.
Could you be a FoSel?
Seaton Library are looking for people who would like to support their local library by helping to form a Friends of Seaton
Library (FoSeL) group. A Friends Group can support a library in various ways – helping staff to run events, organising a regular
coffee morning in the library, are just a couple of examples of ways other groups support their local libraries. There will be an
initial meeting on Wednesday, 13th May at 7pm in the library where people can find out more over tea and cake.
More details from Seaton Library – call in or phone 21832 during library opening hours, or email [email protected]
Workshop and Drop in Service - For Parent and Carers
We hope to make this an informal discussion group lead by a Parent support Advisor. Each week we will have a common
parenting challenge topic. You are not committing to a course so you can attend one or all sessions and please tell friends.
 Weekly Topics on common parenting challenges.
 Basic strategies for parents.
 Time for discussion and to share ideas and resources
in a safe supportive environment with other parents who are facing similar issues.
 Guest professional advisors
Venue:
Dates :
Time:
Seaton Children’s Centre, Trevelyan Building, Fore Street, Seaton. EX12 2AN
29 April until 24th June for 8 weeks
Wednesday’s from 11am to 1pm
If you are interested in attending our workshops please contact: Gerry Fry (PARENT SUPPORT WORKER FOR AXE
VALLEY LEARNING COMMUNITY) Phone 07712854023
or The Children’s Centre 01297 20542
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
BREAKFAST CLUB W/C 05/04
AFTER SCHOOL CLUB W/C 05/04
Name: ……………............................
Name: …………………………………
£2.60 per session (8am-8.45am)
Tues
Thurs
Fri
Days Required
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Beer C of E Primary School
School Improvement Plan Parent Questionnaire
Dear Parents,
Schools continually strive to improve, to try to make things the best they can for the children and parents within their
community. As part of this, we regularly seek to gain your opinions on the way we do things. We would very much
appreciate it if you could take a few moments to sit down as a family to discuss and complete this questionnaire, as it
can have a direct impact on how we operate.
If you wish your views to be included in our school improvement process, please complete the questionnaire and
return it to your child’s class teacher by Friday 22nd May 2015.
Please Tick
Strongly
Agree
Agree
1
My child likes school.
2
My child is making good progress.
3
Pupils behave well.
4
The school responds well to bullying issues.
5
Teaching is good.
6
I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on.
7
I feel comfortable approaching the school with a question,
problem or complaint.
8
Staff expect my child to work hard and do his or her best.
9
The school is led and managed well.
10
Staff treat my child fairly.
11
The school seeks the views of parents and takes account of
their suggestions.
12
The school provides appropriate homework.
13
Staff encourage my child to become mature and
independent.
14
There is a good range of activities that my child finds
interesting and enjoyable.
15
How often do you visit the school website?
16
How often do you read the school Friday Flier?
Weekly
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
Don’t
Know
Never
How has the federation impacted on you and your child?
If you wish to comment further on these or any other matters you can use the back of this questionnaire. We would
very much appreciate comments on any area of provision that you feel the school might be able to offer that isn’t
currently offered to children or parents/carers (e.g. clubs or music tuition not presently catered for).
Thank you very much for taking the time to complete this questionnaire.
Martin O’Mahony