Dear Parents and Carers,
Day of Action
On Tuesday, KS2 children walked around the village picking up litter to support a tidy up in the community. After school on Wednesday, Imogen, Lily and Paige took up the baton and went to a different part of the village to carry on collecting litter. Well done indeed to you three. Building Community is, as you know, one of the four drivers that underpin the work in HB and the wider trust. The reason we had to go out on a windy, damp day in January is that we were supporting Earth Action North Devon's Day of Action 2026. Despite the conditions, the children were meticulous in the way they scoured the village for even the smallest pieces of litter. When we came back, they sorted the recyclable items from the rubbish and binned it. Excellent work KS2!
Visit from the Diocese of Exeter
It was my pleasure to show Paul Stock from the dioceses education department around the school on Thursday. Paul was keen to see all of the classes and the work the children were engaged in. He asked lots of questions about the school and I hope I was able to impress on him what a great place HB is to Let Your Light Shine. He was particularly impressed with the work children and staff do each year around Vison Week and with our School of Sanctuary work. As I have said before, we are super-fortunate to have Mrs Kennard leading on these and many other aspects of High Bickington as a church school.
Attendance
Having written highly of our / your efforts to raise attendance, we have hit a really nasty patch of illnesses. It is evident that you want your children in school (thank you), yet sometimes they are just too unwell. This week's attendance is: 96.4%
Vision
We talked in Collective Worship on Tuesday about how we can live our vision - something the children do so well. In light of the diocesan visit, I thought I'd remind everyone of the scripture that underpins it (children in Class Four know this off by heart and end the week with it ... something they initiated): 'Live so that they see the good things that you do. Live so that they will praise your Father in Heaven.
Last Week's Review
As promised, here are a few lines from Mr Polak's report on the school last week:
EYFS [children] demonstrate strong behaviour and high levels of engagement. Children are on task and eager to share learning, particularly during Drawing Club ... Staff demonstrate high levels of skill in managing the learning environment.
In Key Stage 1, behaviour remains strong. During PE, pupils explored movement with confidence. Staff effectively model expectations and use timely interventions to clarify tasks when necessary. The school’s inclusive approach is further evidenced by the sensitive management of sensory breaks, which allow pupils to refocus and successfully rejoin the group.
The curriculum for English and history is well-implemented ... High-quality presentation is a consistent feature throughout Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Pupils are provided with structured opportunities to revisit learning at the end of units, using the Speak Like an Expert approach to articulate their knowledge.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Rob Norton
Head of School
