Please click here to read the Trustees' letter to stakeholders.

Friday morning started with a wonderful Leavers' Assembly and the Year 6 pupils treated us to some of their favourite memories from their time at South Tawton Primary School. They also sang, danced, laughed and cried for us. We hope they know how much we have enjoyed the last seven years with them and how many happy memories of their enthusiasm and friendship we will keep. They have been such a wonderful group of pupils and will be sorely missed. We wish them every success and happiness as they embark on the next exciting stage of their education and will be hoping to hear of their adventures in the future. 

Last week, we were treated to the most amazing performances of the Y5 and 6 production - The Greatest Showman. The standard of performance was extremely high and received five star reviews from all audiences. Congratulations to all of the pitch-perfect, word-perfect and step-perfect cast as well as to the seamless back-stage crew. It was utterly brilliant!

This year has been filled with so much fun and so many smiles! My over-riding memory is of sunshine and happy faces. Just in the last term we've enjoyed the Jubilee Picnic, the Music Concert, Sports' Day, Year 4&5 Residential, Year 6 Residential, Sports' Festivals, Performances from Years 3&4 and Years 5&6, trips out, visitors in, an Ofsted inspection and a Leavers' Assembly. These have been joyful and wonderful events for our whole community but would not go half as well, or even happen at all, without the tireless enthusiasm, energy and talents of our amazing staff. The South Tawton Primary School staff go over and above their job descriptions and hours every single day and deserve huge praise and thanks for making the school the happy and successful place it is. THANK YOU to the whole team!

Thank you also to all the pupils who make every effort so worthwhile, for your brilliant behaviour and positive attitudes to all of school life. Lastly, thank you to all of our parents and carers who support us so well and have been so very generous with gifts, kind words and thanks. 

Have a wonderful summer break and we look forward to welcoming you all back to school on Wednesday 7th September. There will be a new menu for the Autumn Term which can be viewed here.  Lunch, breakfast club and bus bookings will be available through your school gateway accounts from 5th September. 

We would like to express out enormous thanks to the extremely generous member of our community who enjoyed the music concert so much that she has donated a clavinova to the school. She has asked to remain anonymous, but we'd like her to know just how much we appreciate the gesture and how much the children will enjoy playing it. ​

I would like to say on behalf of the Stakeholder Board, a huge thank you to all Three Hares’ staff, parents and carers and, most of all the pupils, for another wonderful year in our schools. I wish all the Year Six Leavers all the best in their next stage of education.

After 4 years as a governor in the Three Hares Stakeholder Board (and prior to that 4 years as a governor at South Tawton school) it is time for me to step down as governor. It has been an absolute privilege to be a governor and as Chair I have supported the principals with the development of the Three Hares Hub. I must also say a huge thank you to all governors, past and present, with whom I have worked over the last 8 years. I am not going far I am now a Trustee on the DMAT Trust Board and as LSB Link Trustee I will still be involved with the schools and the LSB.
I am very pleased to announce that Mel Holyoak and Liz Davidson are taking on the role of Joint Chairs and I know they will do an amazing job.
Once again, a big thank you to everyone and hope you all have a great summer.
Emma Neath
​Chair of Three Hares LSB

The ever-popular Village Show is back this year! 
Classes include fruit, flower arrangements, cookery and craft plus more.
Also there are the popular children's classes where there will be chance to show off your creative sides. Could make a treasure map or show of your best Lego model. There are classes for 5 and under, 6-10 years and 11-16. So over the summer why not begin your entries. Keep your eyes peeled in all local shops and pubs for the official schedules.

The end of term is galloping towards us now, so we made sure to make the most of the penultimate week. There are more photos and information about all events on the class blog pages, but the most important thing we need to do is to say a big THANK YOU and GOOD LUCK to Miss Chalcraft who had her last teaching day on Friday. We wish Miss Chalcraft and her family every happiness and success in their new lives in El Salvador. Mrs Culverhouse gathered some lovely memories and made them into a video which we showed Miss Chalcraft in assembly on Friday. You can view the video, which showcases some of the wonderful things Miss Chalcraft has done for and with us during her time at South Tawton, by clicking this link. 

​Please could all parents check their School Gateway accounts and pay off outstanding debts before the end  of term?

Breakfast Club Cancellations
Please be aware that we can only refund breakfast club sessions when they are cancelled by 4pm a day in advance of the session. We cannot refund any sessions cancelled on the day as staffing, resources and provisions are put in place based on recorded bookings when the school office closes on the previous day. 

Year 2 have had a wonderful Wild Week of activities and this culminated in a wonderful trip to Exmouth with Year 1 on Friday. We'd like to say a huge thank you to Mike and Rebecca from The Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership and Great Western Railway for facilitating the travel for us and allowing us all the children and staff to travel for free!

I was so delighted and proud to receive the email below from a member of the public who was on the train at the same time as our classes:

Dear Sarah,
We travelled from Okehampton to Exeter by train on Friday. A group of your children were on our journey both on the outward and return trips. I just wanted to say how well organised and  well behaved they were. It was a pleasure to see them all so happy and on an outing, presumably to the beach.

Best wishes

As part of their Wild Week, Year 2 also visited the Eden Project where they met a real-life gardener who happens to be a South Tawton Primary School alumnus (and a Marvin!).

Dear Parents and Carers,
I hope you are well and looking forward to a well-deserved break over the summer holidays. I am hugely proud of the year each and every one of our schools has had and would like to thank you for your ongoing support, which has proven vital in supporting our staff and students throughout.
I am writing to you today to inform you of a change to the cost of the meals which are available to our students. Due to ongoing economic instability and rising production costs, the price of meals will rise from £2.34 to £2.41 per pupil from the start of the next Academic Year in September. (This will not affect children in receipt of Free Schools Meals or Universal Infant free school meals in Years R, 1 and 2)
As a Trust, we have always been firmly committed to providing our students with healthy, nutritious meals, but this has unfortunately become impossible at the current cost.
We entirely appreciate that the current economic climate is difficult for many families. As such, we understand this may cause difficulties for you and your families and would encourage you to discuss this – in confidence – with your class teacher in the first instance if you are concerned.
This is not a decision we have taken lightly, but I hope you can appreciate it is something which is largely out of our hands given the ongoing economic difficulties being faced by everyone.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, and I look forward to seeing you all again come September.
Kind Regards,
Susanne Kiff
Deputy Trust Leader, Dartmoor Multi-Academy Trust

As Year 2 have been out on adventures for most of the week, we haven't yet released the KS1 Sports' Day results. However, as the photo above shows, the KS2 event was won by the Yellow Team. Well done to everyone who took past and made it such a lovely day. 

19/07/2022 - Y5/6 Performance 4pm
20/07/2022 - Y5/6 Performance 2pm and 6pm
22/07/2022 - Y6 Leavers' Assembly
22/07/2022 - Last Day of Term
THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS
05/09/22 - Non Pupil Day
06/09/22 - Non Pupil Day
07/09/22 - First day of the Autumn Term

We hope you all had a wonderful time at the summer fair last Friday, we couldn't have had better weather.

We want to say a HUGE thank you to all the fantastic people who helped make it happen!

To the incredible pupils and parents of South Tawton your generosity and efforts made Friday a great success. From helping plan the event, to supporting us with donations and raffle prizes to lugging tables and running stalls. Thank you all! 

To Year 6 and Mrs Donovan and her family for putting some brilliant games together, thank you! 

To Mrs Everett for a thrilling egg toss! 

To Men in Sheds for their wonderful bbqs, awnings and games. 

There are too many incredible PTA volunteers, parents and teachers, to mention by name! Thank you, thank you, thank you for your burger flipping, raffle ticket selling, tombola turning, nail painting, plant growing, cake baking, book and toy sorting, money counting, glitter painting, drink selling, brilliance!!! It simply wouldn't have happened without you. 

The fair raised a staggering £1543!


....and if you had fun at the fair here's an exciting date for your diary....

Friday 23rd September

Barn Dance @ the Victory Hall, bar, food and dancing.

More information coming soon! ​​

We've had such lovely events this week and I have so many wonderful photos to share with you, that this newsletter will be mainly a gallery of events and smiles!

It was glorious to all be together for a Sport's Day again for the first time since 2019. We are so proud of the children for their efforts and the encouragement they gave to their class and teammates, which made it such a special day. The results will be announced in assembly this week. Thank to all the parents who came and supported and joined their children for a picnic on the field and a special thank you to all staff, but especially to Mrs Everett whose organisation and planning of the day, made it run so smoothly. 

A massive thank you to all the PTA and other helpers who gave us such a spectacular Summer Fair. Well done to Y6 for their beautifully run stalls and games. It was so lovely to have another opportunity to come together as a school community and enjoy each other's company. A special mention is due to Taw River Dairy not only for the delicious and very welcome ice-cream, but also donating the proceeds to the Fair.  We'll let you know the total raised when everything is added up. 

For more pictures and events from the week, please visit the class blog pages. Don't miss Little Beacon's Sports day,  YR butterfly release, Y1/2 OCRA multi-sports event, Y3 Multi-skills festival, Y4's visit to Rosemoor, Y5 Animation and Robot battles and Y6 Explosive Science. 

We'd like to say a huge thank you to all those of you who filled in the Parent View survey as requested by our Ofsted inspector last week. We are delighted that 96% of respondents said that they would recommend the school to other parents and that 95% said that their children are happy at the school. 

Jane Dennis, the inspector, also fed-back to us that an unusually high number of parents took the time not just to fill in the form, but also to write your views about the school. This feedback is confidential between you and the inspection team, so staff do not see it, but we were told there were many messages of support and praise for the school. Thank you all.

Over the two days of inspection, Jane Dennis observed lessons and playtimes, scrutinised pupil’s work, discussed our school priorities and studied some of our policies.  She met with pupils, staff, curriculum leaders, SENDCO, Trust leaders, Trustees and Governors   She fed back her report to the Trust leaders at the end of the second day.  The outcomes remain confidential until the report is published, but we are delighted that her views of the school are in line with our own.

The children all seemed to thoroughly enjoy their transition day on Thursday and are looking forward to September. As a reminder, you can find the term dates fro the 22/23 academic year on our website here.

The staffing for September is as follows:
Little Beacons Mrs Rodde-Aust, Mrs Anderson, Mrs Cooper
YR Mrs Culverhouse, Mrs Bond, Miss Ireland, Mrs Glover
Y1 Miss Rowe, Mrs Bazeley, Mrs Cooper(Mon, Tues), Miss Williams (Weds, Thurs, Fri)
Y2 Mrs Dennis, Mrs Murphy
Y3 Mrs Everett, Mrs Glover (Mon - Thurs) Mrs Woolnough (Friday)
Y4 Mrs Graham/Mr Wilkins, Mrs Woolnough (Monday), Mrs White (Tues- Fri), Mrs Watkins
Y5 Mrs Leslie/Mrs Bonnett, Mrs Watts
Y6 Mrs Donovan, Mrs Budworth, Mrs West

Mrs Dunn and Mrs Snell will continue to provide PPA cover
Miss Bennett SENDCo
Mrs Meardon Administrator
Mrs Elliott Breakfast club leader
Mrs Humphreys, Mrs Foster, Mrs Darken MTAs
Mrs Liversidge Catering Assistant
Mrs Marvin Principal

There will be an opportunity to meet your child's new teacher early in September - date tbc.

Olive: Watching the women's cricket on Monday was an amazing experience. As well as watching the match, I could also get professional tips from the best. We had a perfect view of the cricket pitch from the grandstands; we even got a sneaky peak of some of the England players. There were also some fabulous catches from the home team. 

Matthew: When I arrived at the Taunton ground, the game was almost about to start. The two teams' national anthems were sung by a famous singer; her voice was exquisite. The play started reasonably slowly, with the amount of runs far below the number of balls, but it eventually picked up. When we left, it was roughly 180 for 6; a decent score for South Africa. It was great fun!

AM session: 9:15
Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 children will be in coloured teams and will take part in different sport-based activities. 
Alongside this, the Key Stage 2 field events finals will take place. Heats for the finals will have already taken place in PE lessons, so that all children have a chance to compete in all events. Unfortunately there is simply not enough time for all children to do all the events on the day.

We would like to invite parents to come along and support the children. 

When the sports-based activities are finished, the Key Stage 1 children will complete their flat races, obstacles races and relay races. Key Stage 2 children, who are not competing in field events, will be able to watch the Key Stage 1 races.

Lunch time: 12pm
For the parents who are able to come along, we would like to invite you to bring a picnic so that you can have lunch with your child/children. Everyone will have lunch at the Recreation Ground before the afternoon session begins. 
School dinners will still be available that day, but a bag meal will be provided instead and served at the Recreation Ground. If you would like a pasty for your lunch on Sports' Day, these are available to preorder from the shop.

PM session: 1pm
Key Stage 1 children will return to school.

Key Stage 2 classes will take part in the heats of their flat races which will be followed by a final and then the middle-distance races.
The afternoon will end with the relay races. 

All children will then return to school where they can be collected. Please note that no children will be allowed to be collected from the Recreation Ground.

Coloured t-shirts
As the children will be arranged into teams, we would like the children to wear a t-shirt that matches their team colour (red, blue, green or yellow). If you do not have a t-shirt in your child's team colour, please send them to school in their usual white PE t-shirt. 

If the weather is sunny and hot, please ensure your child has a hat, sun cream and plenty of water with them. If it is cool and showery, please ensure they have a warm layer and coat.

We have recently updated our attendance procedures across Dartmoor Multi-Academy Trust. The link between a child’s attendance at school and improved outcomes and life chances is well documented. We want to help all children and young people to fulfil their potential and get the most out of their education.
In line with our policy and government expectations all schools have the following procedures:
· If a child’s attendance starts to drop the school will speak to the child/parent and discuss the reason for absence and any support needed.
· After 10 sessions of absence, you will receive a first attendance letter (there are 2 sessions in the school day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon).
· After 15 sessions of absence, you will receive a second attendance letter and you will be invited to have a meeting to discuss how we can best support your child to attend school more often. You will also be offered an Early Help meeting.
· If your child’s attendance does not improve you will receive a third attendance letter and the Education Welfare Officer (EWO) will be informed.
Of course, there will be unavoidable absences for illness or medical appointments, but we want to minimise these where possible. Pupils and families will not be penalised for legitimate non-attendance due to Covid 19.
No term time holidays will be authorised unless there are exceptional circumstances. Every day in school counts, even a small drop in attendance can lead to a child missing a significant part of their education.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with school at any time if you have any queries around attendance expectations and procedures.

 Sports Day Thursday 7th July
 
We will be selling refreshments so please bring some cash with you!
If you are able to bake any cakes or bakes for us to sell we’d be very grateful.
We also need volunteers to help us so if you are able to help for any part of the day please email us on [email protected]

​It's here! This Friday it's the Summer Fair!
Don't forget....
To bring cash, the more change the better!!
Friday 8th is a non uniform day with donations of cakes, bottles or plants.
Entries for the Pet competition need to be to Mrs Marvin by Monday 4th July. Include a named photo and £1 entry fee.
We will have a BBQ, delicious treats including candy floss, Taw River Dairy ice creams and cakes, and why not get your nails done or get a tattoo or hair feather?!
New prizes are being added to the raffle all the time, new this week....a family admission to Castle Drogo,  a voucher for The Wellness Room and a child's haircut!!!
There will be entertainment from the fantastic school choir and some really exciting games with great prizes for you to try your hand at thanks to Year 6 and don't forget the egg toss!!!
.... It's not too late to help…….
We still need DONATIONS
If you have any of the following items to donate Please bring them in to the school office where there is a box waiting! Thank you in advance for your generosity.
Bottles
Pre-loved toys and games
Pre-loved books
Cuddly toys
Filled jam jars - Your family may find this one fun – Fill a jam Jar with anything you think would be nice to win – lego, sweets, little toys, hair bands, Playmobil – anything!
Volunteers Needed
We really want to make sure no one is on a stall for too long so the more volunteers the better! If you can help at all, either to set up from 1.30pm, during the fair 3.30pm-5.30pm or to tidy up afterwards we would love to hear from you. Speak to your child's class teacher, message us on facebook or email [email protected].
Thank you to everyone who has already signed up to help make this a really fun afternoon!

A group of 16 children, from years 3, 4 and 6, attended the West Devon Quad Kids Finals, held at Tavistock, today. The children each took part in a sprint, vortex throw, standing long jump and a middle distance run. All the children were brilliant! They show fantastic sportsmanship and were incredibly supportive of each other. Well done to all of you. A big 'thank you' to all the parents who helped with driving, too!