Dear Parents and Carers, 
Thank you for your response to the change in parking rules outside the school. It has made the environment much safer for the children arriving at and leaving school.
Reflections on the Spring term
The Spring term is always a very satisfying one for teachers and school leaders. Routines and systems are established in the Autumn term, and then the children hit the ground running in Spring and make significant progress. This term has been no different at Beaford, and it has been a pleasure to look through the children’s books and see how they are developing.
This year, our approach to writing has been an area of focus. Ms Cannon has used her English expertise to refine the writing scheme we use and make it more bespoke to Beaford children. Our pupils are incredibly independent and creative, and we have adapted the scheme to give them more freedom and ownership over their writing, encouraging them to write for pleasure. Writing for pleasure is a key message across the school, and Reception have begun their ‘drawing club’ sessions, which instil this from an early age.
More recently, we have introduced handwriting lines in our English books to support letter formation. This has already led to a noticeable improvement in the quality of the children’s handwriting, and we will continue this approach moving forward.
This term, we have also welcomed several new staff members to the school, and they have settled in marvellously. I would like to thank them for their efforts, as well as the established staff for supporting them in their new roles. I am looking forward to making the most of the additional skills and experience they bring in the Summer term.
This week
We have had a Spring clean around the school in preparation for the Summer term. The oldest part of the building has been cleared out so it can be used as an intervention and SEN space. Zenna and the OPAL team have carried out a thorough sort of the equipment to ensure we can make the most of the (hopefully) sunnier weather. Teachers and TAs have also been busy organising shared areas, the PE cupboard and classrooms to maximise learning opportunities for the children.
We have a skip arriving at the beginning of next term to help us dispose of unwanted items. Unfortunately, the only place it can be positioned is at the entrance to the car park. This means staff will need to park in the village, and Hedgehogs and Ladybirds parents will need to take extra care when navigating around it at drop-off and collection times.
New wraparound care staff
After Easter, we are pleased to welcome some new members to our wraparound care team. Hayley Bond will be running breakfast club three times a week. Hayley has experience working in village primary schools and is looking forward to joining Beaford and providing the children with a positive start to their day.
Grace Rogers will also be joining us to support the after-school club on Thursdays. Grace is currently studying at Exeter College and has a passion for working with children. She will be with us until the end of the year, helping to deliver these sessions.
Thank you for your support this term and for helping to make Beaford Primary a wonderful place for our children.
George Myers
Head of School
