Cheriton Bishop Community Primary School                                                                           

 Snippets from the Classroom and Beyond

 

No W78 June 2009

 

So, here we are at the start of the half-term break and I guess everybody is ready for it. Hopefully it will make the bank holiday weekend a little less frenetic because people do not have to rush home on Monday afternoon. What has been happening over the first half of the term? Well, for one thing, the SATS for Year 6 children are now behind them – that must be a relief! Other normal academic activities have continued unabated as have all the extra-curricular after school clubs. Regrettably, there were only 3 tag rugby training sessions before the Crediton Tag Rugby Tournament. 10 of our children took part. They won 2 games and narrowly lost (by one try only!) 3 games. All things considered, a creditable performance. Still on the sporting front, CB hosted a very successful Small School’s Netball Tournament. 8 teams participated from local schools and the CB A Team came

3rd with Copplestone running out the winners. Well done to all who took part and to those who put in the time organising it. Following on from this, Alex Marshall, Alison Mudge, Katie Grist, Ella Chadney, Ellen Pearce and Georgina Tully took part in Mid Devon’s High 5’s netball trials – netball for primary aged children. They were all selected to represent Mid Devon in this year’s “Devon Games to Inspire”. Well done to all of them. I understand that this event is a great day when children from all over Devon take part in 14 different sports in that one day!

 

The picture on the right tells a story. The gentleman behind the children is from th NSPCC. The writing on the poster that is being held up shows that the school raised £414.00, yes, £414.00 for the NSPCC. That is a quite extraordinary amount for a school of CB’s size to raise. We should take our hats off to all who raised and gave the money. As we all know, the NSPCC is a very, very worthwhile charity.

 

One further achievement is worthy of note, Thomas Barclay passed his Grade One piano exam “with merit”. Well done Thomas!

 

I have to report that the Walk to School Week was a success and there was a notable reduction in the number of cars outside the school. Let’s try and keep this way!

 

I have taken the following article directly from the Head Teacher’s latest Newsletter. I think it is worthy of note. What do you think?

 

“Fair Funding Key Points

The Government distributes funding for schools through local councils and each education authority historically has received different funding.

 

  • Devon currently stands at 148th out 151 education authorities in its level of funding. 
  • This year Devon is receiving £3,842 for every pupil. 
  • The top funded authority in the country – City of London – receives £7,603. 
  • The national average is £4,217. 
  • So every pupil in a Devon school is effectively worth £375 less – every year – than the national average.
  • For a 200 pupil primary school this amounts to £75,000 lost from the budget every year
  • Upwards of 80% of the cost of running a school goes on staff and yet teachers are all on national wage scales not local or regional
  • Schools face similar costs for books, equipment, heat and light wherever they are situated.  Rural schools often face higher costs
  • So why are our children subjected to this type of postcode lottery funding

 

The Government will say that since 1997 education funding in Devon has gone up by £1,000 per pupil.  But that is less than the average increase.  We do not deny that education in Devon has benefited from more funding.  However the Government has also increased funding elsewhere in the country and so where there was a gap between per pupil funding this has only been exacerbated and the problem has become even more acute.”

 

There really does seem to be a major disparity between different areas of the country and different types of environment.

 

The next half of the term looks as though it is going to be very busy. With trips to Dartmoor as part of the “whole school” focus, and Classes 1 and 3 visiting a Roman Catholic Church and a Mosque as part of the RE/ Multi-cultural curriculum. After half term WPC Lisa Crocker, our local police presence, will be working with years 5 and 6 on their cycling proficiency. What with all the many and varied sporting opportunities, I don’t think there will be many with time on their hands! No doubt many of the children will be continuing to work on the raised garden beds raising vegetables as seen in the photo above

 

The Calendar:-

2nd June – Back to School Day

4th June – Class 1 visit to Dartmoor

4th June – Football Tournament – CB

8th June – Class 4 visit to High Moorland Visitor Centre, Princetown

17th June – Walking Bus Guinness World Record attempt through BRAKE

18th June – Area Athletics at QECC

18th June – Life Skills at Blundells – Year 6

9th July – Year 6 Transition Visit to Okehampton College

17th July – Sports Afternoon

21st July – Valedictory Service – St Mary’s Church

21st July – End of Summer Term

3rd September – Autumn Term Begins

 

Following on from the last Snippets, I’m sorry to report that the Yeoford  railway service to Okehampton will not be starting as hoped on 23rd May. Negotiations with network Rail have been protracted with, I suspect, the legal eagles trying to prove their value! In the meantime, Dartmoor Railway is operating a Saturday and Sunday service  Meldon Quarry – Okehampton – Sampford Courtenay and return. Come and join us.

PGR