Welcome to my Headteacher's Blog

Welcome!

Firstly, let me start by wishing you all a Happy New year! I hope you had a wonderful break over the Christmas period and are settling back into normal routines now that we are back at school once again. 

I would also like to thank you for so many kind words and warm wishes at the start of this new term. I feel very privileged to be leading the school through this transitory period and I am truly blessed to be aided by hardworking, kind pupils, inspiring, dedicated staff and passionately supportive parents.

The children have bounced back into school full of excitement and energy. Whilst Christmas already seems a dim and distant memory, the children have powered through the first full week. I am sure the tantalising sight of the new play equipment has helped to maintain their energy levels - I know how desperate they all are to start using it. We have a safety inspection booked in next week, so it shouldn’t be too much longer! Can I take this opportunity though to thank the TSF (Trull School Fundraisers) and all of you who support it so fantastically for all of your time, fundraising and contributions. We know how difficult it would be for us to have replaced our old equipment without your generosity and help; the children will benefit hugely from it and it is something which is used and loved every single day. Please make sure you take the time to read through the TSF Newsletter as it details some of what they do and how you can become involved. 

I know the children have settled well back into the school routine - this week they enjoyed an exciting assembly in Church and Yew Class have been very animated as the auditions for their summer term class performance have begun. Oak Class have been for their first swimming lesson of the year - they were thrilled to finally get their turn in the pool! 
Next week is already looking like a busy one in school. Good luck to our Girls’ Football Team as they compete in the Somerset County Football Finals next Friday!

Thank you and farewell!

It is amazing how quickly a term can go! I have now reached the end of my time here at Trull and I just want to thank the whole of Trull Church of England VA Primary School and the whole of Trull Community for their continuous support and encouragement over the years whilst I have been Headteacher.

The encouragement, belief and support in our children has been a source of motivation for myself and my staff together with the warmth and camaraderie, helping to make Trull School a place where everyone feels welcome, valued and part of a larger family. This sense of belonging in the community is an invaluable gift which brings me to the African phrase of Ubuntu, “I am because we are.”

I have always been incredibly proud to be the Headteacher of Trull Church of England VA Primary School as well as part of such a supportive and caring community. As a school, we are committed to continuing to provide an exceptional educational experience for our children.

I know the school will continue to go from strength to strength, developing and nurturing the children, allowing them to thrive and achieve their potential. I will deeply miss everything about Trull – most notably the children and people with whom I have shared many conversations and laughs over the years. A heartfelt thank you to you all.

I hope you all have the most magical Christmas and here's to 2024 and new beginnings! 

AUTUMN TERM 2023

A very warm welcome back to the new school year! It has been wonderful to see and hear all the happy children chatting and playing with their friends and welcoming all our new pupils to Trull School. Sadly this is my last term here however I am making the most of every minute with all the children, staff and the whole community.

This term is always a very busy one settling into new routines and expectations but one where new beginnings happen and new friendships are formed. 

We have been incredibly lucky to have received a letter from the King, see photograph below, which arrived at the very end of last term, thanking us all for the kind messages and letters that we sent upon his Coronation. 

Please do get in touch if there is ever anything we can help you with.

Summer Term 2023

This has been a busy term so far with two bank holidays to fit in and also the Coronation of King Charles III to celebrate. The King is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and as a Church of England Primary school we were proud to celebrate the special occasion in school, a time to come together and have some fun. We held a 'Coronation Bake off' which prompted the most amazing cakes to come into school- there is so much talent in Trull! The children have also written wonderful letters to congratulate our new King on his Coronation and we have some pieces we are putting in a time capsule to mark the occasion. 

Just before Easter the children from Trull joined other local schools in putting on an amazing Community Concert, once again, we were so incredibly proud of how smart they all looked and how well they sang and played their instruments. 

The Year 6 SATS took place this week and we are incredibly proud of all the children,  they tackled the papers with complete determination and showed resilience when faced with harder questions. They thoroughly enjoyed their obstacle course treat on Friday afternoon! I am sure they will all be having a good rest this weekend! 

Spring Term 2023

The spring term is always one of hope, I feel. A time when you look forward and it is generally calm. In a school, it is the one term that is the least interrupted by other events such as Nativities for example and the children all really progress well in this term. There is also the realisation that daylight is more extensive than it had been previously and each day seems to get longer and you begin to see new signs of life, Spring is on its way!

It has been a busy start to the year though, we have had a film crew in from ITV, celebrating the amazing initiative that one of our Year 3 pupils, Annie has set up, her Book Buddies! Every child in reception was lucky to receive a bag containing a pre-loved teddy, a sketchbook, a reading book and some colour pencils and they follow her list of activities to try with their own Book Buddies- it has been a huge success helping children develop that love of reading which is so important.

Our thoughts and Prayers go out to the Royal Family and everyone who now mourns the loss of our Queen Elizabeth II. We were lucky and priviliged to receive a letter from Her Majesty on Wednesday, the day before she died, sent from Balmoral Castle.

Gracious God, we give thanks
for the life of your servant Queen Elizabeth,
for her faith and her dedication to duty.
Bless our nation as we mourn her death
and may her example continue to inspire us;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

AUTUMN TERM 2022

WELCOME BACK! 

What a wonderful start to the Autumn term. It has been so wonderful to see so many happy, smiling children (and parents) coming through the school gates today, they all look so smart and so grown up.

A very warm welcome to all of our new children too. The new reception children were amazing today, they were so happy and they loved being in their fantastic, newly renovated classroom. I think the rest of the school now have toilet envy, as Ash Class toilets are so lovely and modern! We also welcome back Mrs Bottomley from her Maternity leave and wish Mrs Churchill all the best in her new school.

Here's to a wonderful positive term ahead, there is a real buzz in the air and a feeling of normality returning once again which is so lovely.

Summer Term 2022

It is hard to believe we are nearly at the end of another half term. It has been so incredibly busy but also, as I reflect back over the weeks, it is lovely to see and experience a sense of normality again- whatever that may be now! 

Our Year 5 children have been on a residential, which was very successful. They had an amazing time and learned new skills as well as experienced incredible night walks and camping. Our Year 6 children are really looking forward to their residential later this term! 

This term our Year 6 children and our Year 2 children completed their SATs tests. The children were all absolutely amazing and so positive, taking it all in their stride and doing their very best which is commendable seeing as the last full year of uninterrupted education, for our Year 6 pupils, was when they were in Year 3 and our Year 2 children have yet to experience a full uninterrupted year!

The Year 6 children are now in the throes of rehearsals for their end of term production which we are excited about- they auditioned for their roles and can be heard going over their lines during playtimes and lunchtimes. It will be sad to see them leave us, especially as I feel we have all been on such a challenging and 'different' journey together.

Resilience in learning is key and our new curriculum is definitely enhancing this aspect. In Design and Technology, the children are now much more akin to sharing and designating roles as well as embracing things going wrong which they are learning from. This is wonderful to see and the end result of their designs are amazing to see too.

In the week after half term, Trull School will be enjoying festivities to celebrate the Queens Platinum Jubilee. What an amazing event to be part of and something that will go down in History. We have so many activities planned including a whole school Tea Party celebration on the 8th of June! Fingers crossed the weather is kind to us! We will share a host of photographs on our Website as we go.

Christmas at Trull 2021

Christmas this year was once again one that had to be planned meticulously in order to keep everyone safe. We have however learned from last year and were blessed in that we did not have any positive cases in the lead up to Christmas. We were able to thankfully hold all our Nativities as individual classes and parents were able to come and watch which was so very emotional in itself. We also recorded the Nativities so that grandparents could watch too. For Key Stage 2 we held Carols around the Christmas tree outside where the Choir and Orchestra both performed brilliantly. It was so lovely seeing everyone together outside once more.

Father Christmas made an appearance this year, all socially distanced and in a well ventilated Log Cabin in our Forest School area. The excitement on the children's faces was worth the 14 page risk assessment that accompanied the events! Christmas Dinner ended the festivities at Trull, again very well received and enjoyed by all.

We managed a virtual Christmas Fair and raffle this year as well as setting some small activities for the children to do which raised an impressive £3,200! We were absolutely staggered with this and are so grateful to our Trull School Fundraisers for all their efforts getting this sorted.

Here's hoping 2022 is a good year for you all wherever you may be! May it be filled with peace, happiness, laughter and many, many smiles.  

Autumn Term 2021

A very warm welcome to you all as we start the new term, I do hope you all had a wonderful summer break of some sort and are all set for a busy year ahead. I would like to extend an especially warm welcome to all of our new reception children, new children and new staff in the school. It is lovely to welcome everyone and see their smiles as they come through the gates in the morning. We are so incredibly lucky to have such wonderful weather for the start of term and it has been wonderful to see the children interact with each other once again and the older children having a chance to help the younger ones. 

Hearing sweet singing in assembly, the dulcet tones of the choir, together with the orchestra striking up their opening chords has been quite emotional for all. Fingers crossed we can continue with all the learning in school as we are now doing, whilst continuing to remain safe. 

Summer term 2021

Our return to school on March 8^th was met with huge excitement, excitement to see everyone once again and to continue with the learning that had been continuous throughout the pandemic so far. Once again, new friendships had been formed both within the Key worker groups of children in school, but also with all those children who were at home learning. The return on the 8^th therefore was one which needed careful consideration for the emotional and social development of the children as well as for their academic progress.

Throughout the term we have striven to create a learning experience that has been reflective, appropriate, progressive, challenging and of course fun. There have been many opportunities for the children to use all their skills in all areas, such as with the Indian dance sessions during Cultural Diversity week, or by playing the Samba drums and percussion instruments in music week or attending French club, so enhancing skills in all areas. Visitors who came to our school all commented on just how well behaved the children all were which was so lovely to hear. 

The Year 4 children also showed off their brass skills/tunes by playing to all the parents as background accompaniment music as they collected their children at the end of the school day. Sadly, many events that would have had whole school parental participation have just not been feasible once again this year, especially as COVID numbers rise in the area again.

Our website however shows a wealth of events, videos and photographs, highlighting all we are still doing despite all the restrictions. It has not been easy to arrange, and many hours were spent on risk assessments and ensuring everyone’s safety was the utmost priority, but we have done our very best for the children and families and made some lasting memories for the children. 

March 2021

Well what a year this has started out as! We were all full of hope for 2021 however no sooner had we all arrived back in school on the 4th January, we were all put into lockdown once again. This lockdown however has been quite different to the last one. The pressures on people were higher and the organisation of everything was also different. Due to high numbers of Key Worker children, every member of staff was in and they all did an amazing job of teaching online as well as in the class. We have been so incredibly lucky to have received such wonderful messages and comments from our parents throughout, which were all gathered and a special book was made for all the staff. We were all incredibly touched by the kindness shown.

We are all back again now as one big school family, and hearing the laughter and all the talk that is happening is just wonderful. That and the music playing once again throughout the school with Brass, Piano, Woodwind and Guitar lessons all taking place once more, are a good sign that we are all on that road to recovery. 

We know that there are now things to work on importantly that reintegration socially and all the emotional wellbeing work as well as the academic, but we are all happy to be a 'Proper School' once more.

Happy New Year 2021!

A very warm welcome back to everyone. It its hard to believe we have been back for just over a week now... it definitely seems like much longer as so much has happened in such a short space of time! 

Last Monday everyone was back in, both staff and children and it was so lovely seeing and speaking to the children about their Christmas and all the wonderful things that they received and did at home. There was so much laughter which sadly then disappeared on Tuesday when we entered the next Lockdown.  Obviously the Key Worker children and vulnerable children are in and they still laugh and chat but it is not the same. The teachers have been absolutely amazing adapting so quickly to a new way of working and learning all sorts of tricks with the technology they are using. They also miss their full class but are managing to connect with them all, be they in school or at home.

Parents, you are also super heroes in my book. You are doing such an amazing job with your children at home, tackling all the home learning and supporting your child/ren with the work that has been set each day. I know it is really tough especially for those who are working full time at home as well as doing all the home learning, so a huge well done to all of you and thank you. As ever, do get in touch if there is ever anything we can do to support you or help you. 

NOVEMBER

Well we made it to half term which was a massive achievement for all! Everyone really needed the break and chance to reset again for the next half term which is really busy with Christmas activities, something that will be done but in a different way this year. As a Head, my biggest concern at the moment is the wellbeing of everyone. The Staff, Children and the Parents alike. I know that this is now a difficult time once again, especially for those whose businesses have been affected and cannot open in the second lockdown. Our thoughts are with those suffering the consequences. I also know a lot of our Parents are on the Front line as such and that is hard going, as the pace has definitely increased with regard to COVID-19 and the increase in cases in the South West now. 

Hot dinners are now being served in school, what a challenge that was to organise but it is working and the children are enjoying the hot food once again. Tomorrow we look forward to all standing, 2m apart, in the playground to respect the 2 minute silence for Armistice Day. We are really lucky that Glyn, our visiting Brass teacher, will be playing The Last Post to mark the end of the silence.

 I do hope that you are all keeping well and safe too. 

SEPTEMBER 2020

A very warm welcome back to the start of the new school year and once again a huge welcome to all of our new children to the school. I do hope you have managed to have a break of some sort over the Summer. I would like to thank all our parents for being so positive with their children as they stepped back into school and faced all the new routines that have to be in place. We very nearly had 100% attendance and aside from a quarantine situation and one holiday, all children returned on Thursday which was brilliant. I know just how anxious some parents were about this return, so thank you for being so brave! 

It has been so lovely seeing and hearing all the happy voices around the school once more and the children in each class I visited, from a distance, were all very engrossed and enthusiastic about all they had done and were doing.

Over the Summer the school has undergone various ‘makeovers’ all done by members of the school staff or husbands, so as not to incur any extra costs to the school. The office is now newly painted as is the practical area. You may have noticed the steps up to the office and we have a new school sign on the wall above the bicycles.  The bench outside by the office steps has been taken apart, revarnished and painted. The three sheds out by Oak class and Yew class have all had a make-over and now look brighter as if they are beach huts. The little picket fence near the pool room, mirrors those colours too. The long wooden fence by the community centre has also been painted as have all the outside railings and one gate. It all certainly brightens up the school and gives it a fresh feel ready for our new start this term.  

Good Friday 2020

As Good Friday arrives, the most important day in the Church’s calendar, we never envisaged being in the situation we are in, on this beautiful Easter weekend. Somehow the good weather makes everything that much more manageable and accepting and I hope you are all making the most of it in your gardens or out on your hour of exercise!

As a Church school I feel it is prudent to give you just a few words to contemplate if you so wish, either on your own or as a family.

Have a read of Psalm 23 (a Psalm of St David)

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

  He makes me lie down in green pastures;

he leads me beside still waters;

  he restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,

   I fear no evil;

for you are with me;

   your rod and your staff-

they comfort me.

You prepare the table before me

   in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

   my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

   all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the lord my whole life long.

David, the author of this Psalm, wrote many songs and prayers as a way to express his feelings to God about the things that happened to him - good things, difficult things, things he was thankful for, struggles he faced. He also wrote about how aware he was that God was with him in every situation. In Psalm 23, David describes God as a shepherd. Shepherds are like guides who give love, care always, and never leave their flock. He also describes being with God is like the feeling of lying down in a quiet green meadow or like walking by a quiet creek. Spending time with God, as David did, can help us to feel calm and safe when times are troubling, frustrating, and even a bit scary. When we begin to worry, we can tell God all of our feelings and emotions like David did, no matter what life brings. When we start feeling nervous or afraid, we can think of David’s words in Psalm 23 and remember God is like our shepherd, guiding us and with us always.

Have a wonderful Easter weekend and stay safe.

April 4th 2020 

April sunshine is such a welcome distraction in these uncertain times. Even though you cannot travel to beauty spots or visit families and friends etc, it is worth just stepping outside, feel the sunshine and warmth on your face and stop and listen, listen to the sounds that the silence all around now brings, sounds that previously were always missed in the hustle and bustle of our daily, fast paced lives.

This time of year brings such beauty with it in nature, the blossoms on the trees, the flowers blooming and birds in nests! Whilst driving into school the other day, I could see seagulls circling around and the bizarre thought of how their life must have also changed sprung to mind… with less cars on the roads, less animals are being killed - which will be great for the hedgehog population but with no Mc Donald’s/KFC /ALL other fast food shops open, there is less rubbish and scraps lying around on the ground for them to scavenge on… odd how your mind works with the realisation the consequences this virus is having which are just so far reaching in all walks of life…

 I have uploaded an activity below which is a list of 60+ virtual tours you can go on in your own home, travel the world and see all sorts of amazing things from The Son Doong Cave in Vietnam to Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany to the amazing Solar System …  Enjoy your tour and let me know how you get on and which was your most interesting place to visit!

I have also uploaded some more photos from last week in school, the children and staff were incredibly busy writing letters to the NHS staff, digging a pond, weeding the raised beds, painting and decorating the windows in the hall, picking and cooking rhubarb crumble and making tracks for the scooters!

MARCH 2020

Wow… since my last Blog, so much has happened and we now find ourselves in a completely different world! The past month has just been bizarre and so full on waiting for daily updates from central government and then quickly responding to changes/rules and alerting all stakeholders of the new routines and plans.

I do hope that everyone is well and safe at the moment. This is a daily changing story and one that will go down in History. As the Headteacher, I have been keeping a daily log of events and letters etc and have taken photographs too to add to the school archives.

Only a few weeks ago we were all planning key family events and Easter services etc now, we wait and see what each day brings.

Do check out Willow class’ Easter service though, despite not being able to carry on with this in the Church as per normal, the teachers have recorded the children and put a radio show together instead! Wonderful to hear! Do stay safe everyone.

January 2020

Welcome back and a very Happy New Year to everyone! 

This term may be one of the shorter ones but it is also one of the busiest too! The good thing is that the days are getting longer and Spring is just around the corner. 

The school has been de-glittered and returned to normal after all the wonderful festivities of last term.

May this year bring much joy and health to everyone.

Christmas 

Such a wonderful time of the year.... but it can also be one of the busiest and tiring too!

The children have worked so hard and performed really well in all the Nativities and the Carol services, I do feel this marks the start of Christmas and the festive season.

      Sadly our 'Window Wanderland' event had to be cancelled due to the inclement weather but I do hope everyone has an opportunity over the holiday to have a wander around the village and admire the beautiful windows festooned with sparkling and beautiful trees! Thank you to everyone who took the time to participate and decorate them.

     We were so grateful to Stuart Berry for the large Christmas tree that stood outside this year in the playground, it looks so magical in the evenings all lit up together with the icicles hanging  by the office, the children have just loved seeing it light up the playground each evening and morning and will often be seen to be just quietly standing looking and admiring it's majesty. 

    One more day to go.... so I would just like to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and here's to the New Year, 2020! May it bring you much laughter and happiness. 

Outdoor learning

It is so lovely seeing all the children completely enthralled whilst out in our outdoor learning area. The activities they have participated in help develop the 'Whole Child' and make sure that all our school values and indeed, all values, are embedded. The children learn to be resilient and independent learners as well as develop all their social skills like communication, negotiation and diplomacy. The children flourish when outside and they have become far more respectful of the environment as a whole and have learned a whole host of new skills too. We are incredibly lucky to have this facility for the children.

Busy, Busy, Busy...

Well we are now well into the Autumn Term 2019 and the children have adapted well to their new classes, teachers, routines and expectations. I have had the absolute pleasure of joining in with all the classes, in various different subjects and what fun I have had! From French to Forest School and RE to maths and English it has been such an exciting time. Our children certainly have a wealth of experiences which all help set them up to achieve great things. We have heard from some of our ex-pupils who have gone on to succeed in so many different areas and it all starts here at Trull School and at home with our wonderful parents. 

September  2019

A very warm welcome back to the Autumn term and an especially warm welcome to everyone who is new and is starting with us, both staff and pupils and parents.

We are really looking forward to welcoming you all to our school and hearing all about the wonderful things the children have been up to over the holiday- their postcards are amazing, thank you for sending them in.

We would like to welcome Miss Stead and Miss Grammer to Year 5. Miss Grammer will be working every morning teaching maths and English and Miss Stead will be in a job sharing role together with Mrs Atkins working at the end of the week.

There have been some renovations in school over the holiday and Willow class now have a fantastic new window (thank you Mr Jeffcote) allowing for much needed air to circulate more freely in what was a very hot classroom, as well as provide more natural light! We also have new secure doors outside Maple and Oak class which look really smart.

This is going to be a busy year ahead and one that will be exciting and challenging for all. I am looking forward to seeing all the children back in school again on Wednesday after our two staff development days and to welcoming the new reception children over the next couple of weeks.

June 2019

This term is always one that goes so incredibly quickly with so many exciting events happening in it. The children and teachers have all been incredibly busy doing a wealth of different activities that have inspired and enthused the children no end.

The Year 2 and Year 6 children conducted themselves brilliantly throughout their SATs back in May, many not being fazed by them at all, but equally doing their very best. As we keep on reminding them, the SATs are just one snapshot of them as children, we know just how brilliant they all are without tests having to prove it!

Our whole school topic last half term on the theme of ‘Trull Time Travellers,’ really got the children enthused to learn all about the history of Trull and their school. It is really important for the children to know and understand how things have changed in their locality and their school and comparing it to their lives now. After holding the Victorian day in Ash and Beech class, the children now really appreciate their teachers a bit more! Our final exhibition which was open to the whole community and to the parents, was well attended and well received and really showcased all the hard work that had occurred throughout the school.

I am a very proud Headteacher of this school and each day I see and hear the children laughing and enjoying what they are doing which is how it should be. After all, if they are happy in what they are doing, they will learn and will be the best they can be, which just so happens to be our whole school topic as they finish this year off.

Art Exhibition 28.3.19

Today Mrs Wintrip organised a very special Art Exhibition in the hall. It was an accumulation of many weeks of hard work done by all the children and it was wonderful to see the finished art pieces all displayed beautifully. It also highlighted the progression of skills and techniques throughout the school and the children just loved seeing their work up on display.  The parents were invited in to see their work after school today and the comments were incredibly positive all round.  

Busy times...

How lovely it is to hear the sound of laughter and excitement as I go around the school. Over the last few weeks there have been such wonderful things happening in all the classes, giving the children a wealth of experiences and so many different opportunities whilst developing a depth and breadth to their learning. We have had a visiting Roman soldier in, our Choir sang to everyone at Taunton Winterfest, 'Avtar'-an Indian dance group came in to perform with the children, we went to Queens to see an amazing play and we have had a theatre company in to present Robin Hood to all of the children which they thoroughly enjoyed. 

It is so good to be able to offer the children all of this and we are indebted to our wonderful TSF who work so hard raising the funds for us so that we are able to participate with it all. 

Remembrance

Trull Church of England VA Primary School has been commemorating Remembrance day and the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. Parents, Teachers, families, friends and the community have all been knitting over 400 poppies for us and these are all displayed all over the perimeter fence at the front of the school. The children have also been bringing in photographs of people they would like to remember and these, together with poppies that the children have made, are all displayed in the hall.

Our School Council have also been making a commemorative garden for Remembrance and have planted a variety of bulbs as well as some Rosemary, which is known for remembrance.

Year 6 Camping experience

Storm Callum did not deter our Year 6 children from camping out in the school field! They had an amazing time, working as teams and having lots of fun...in the rain!

Macmillan Coffee/Tea morning and afternoon!

A huge well done to all the Year 6 children who organised, planned and delivered a most spectacular event for the year 6 and reception parents to enjoy, in aid of Macmillan Caner research. This all started as an English topic for the children, to encourage writing for a purpose. The children took on the task incredibly well and produced writing of a very high standard as a result. This was their 'Fantastic Finish' to their topic and it certainly lived up to it's name!

The children were also taught the life skill of how to serve customers, take orders and then check that the customer was satisfied with their order. The response we had from all who visited was so incredibly positive. The children were incredibly polite and attentive and managed to raise an amazing total of £876!! We are all incredibly proud of them all. As one parent wrote... 

"All  the children we spoke with (and we spoke with many) were so polite and courteous. They showed such maturity and their organisation skills were so impressive. (There are some very established restaurants that could lean a lot from what I saw today)"

It is always so lovely to hear such positive feedback from our parents and it was so lovely to see just how much the event was appreciated. Thank you to all those who came and joined in.

September 2018

Welcome back to a new Autumn Term and another exciting year ahead. It has already been incredibly busy and what is so lovely is that the children are all so full of enthusiasm and keen to do their very best! They are all so proud of how they look too, especially the new reception children who are quick to tell me all about their new uniform and new shoes and coats etc. Thank you to our parents for making sure they are all here looking so smart.

This year there are a few new things happening, one being that we now have a new Vicar- Andy Wadsworth. We are looking forward to welcoming him to Trull School and sharing stories and experiences with him soon. The school itself has had a bit of a makeover and a huge thank you to our parents too for helping Debbie and myself paint a couple of classrooms and corridors this Summer- we are so incredibly grateful for your time and the children love their new smart classes. We are looking forward to the new Hall doors and windows that will be installed soon! 

We would also like to welcome Mr Mackie to the staff team, he will be working with Mrs Atkins and Mrs Cerullo in Year 5- on our Team building day he proved that he has such a wealth of knowledge especially with all the mind games we had to do! 

As a school we have reviewed our curriculum and have made changes to it to ensure that it is exciting and of interest to the children. We are now working on the same topic titles throughout the school and there will be more chances for parents to come in and see the work the children have done. This will make their learning much more real, as it will tie subject areas together and give the children the chance to see what aspects of learning relate to each other and give learning a purpose too. Individual class plans regarding their curriculum will be on their class pages on the Website in due course.

Later this year we will be looking at the history of Trull School itself culminating in a village exhibition. So much has changed here in this school and it will be good for the children to acquire a really good knowledge of their own school and traditions of the past!

We are also very lucky to have Mandarin lessons in year 6 now, thank you to The Castle School for this. I have heard that the children were incredibly enthusiastic and were keen to teach the Cricket Coach how to count up to 10 after their first lesson last Friday!  We now have such a multitude of languages available at Trull from Spanish, French, German and now Mandarin too! What a multilingual school we are! 

So, a lot of exciting things on the horizon as we set off on our journey through this next academic year, lets hope it is a successful year too! 

June 2018

The last Half term of this academic year has arrived and what a busy time it has been already.

The children are all working incredibly hard and making the most of the warmer weather making little bug houses all around the field and generally enjoying the outside and getting prepared for our up-coming Sports Day!

Having reviewed our Creative Curriculum, KS1 started their Journey topic with a flight to Egypt, Nigeria, Sweden and Japan! Each class has also been allocated one of the World Cup groups and they will be studying their countries and all the traditions associated with them, helping to build up their knowledge of the world in which they live.

Year 6 ventured off on their residential and are having an amazing time so far. This is such a brilliant opportunity for children to spend some time away from their Parents so building upon their independence, social skills and resilience.  With the vast array of activities they will participate in, they will also develop key skills in communication, teamwork and confidence, as well as create many special memories to take forward to their secondary schools.

May 2018

As we approach the Bank Holiday Weekend, I just want to say how proud I am as a Headteacher of all the children at this school.

Last night we participated in the Community Concert at Castle School performing in the Orchestra, the Choir and as Year 6 - Yew Class. It was a very long and late night for the children but they did such an amazing job in all areas. Parents who were sat near me and were from other schools, were commenting on how smart our children looked and how well they did. So an enormous well done to all involved, a great evening!

This week also saw great achievements in Rounders, our Yr 4's winning all their matches so a huge well done to you all too!

On Wednesday we managed to clock up 4000 minutes of exercise out on our new Inspired playground, thanks goes to our Year 6 Sports leaders who were brilliant at organising all the children. In the afternoon, the whole school then finished the Marathon for Matt Campbell who sadly passed away in the London Marathon. The children were superstars and took part in the event with great pride and enthusiasm especially after watching the  video of Martin Doyle who started the whole idea of finishing the marathon for Matt and hearing him talking to them all and wishing them well. What a busy but rewarding couple of weeks! We are all looking forward to the Bank Holiday and a 3 day weekend! 

Welcome back to the Summer Term 2018!

Three days into the term and so much has been going on around the school already. Two of our children are eagerly awaiting to see if their 500 word stories they wrote for BBC Radio 2 make it into the finals having been selected over Easter to go through to the next round. They will hear in May sometime- fingers crossed for Elsa Whitworth and Holly Davies!

On the Sunday before we returned we had 'Inspired Playgrounds' come and put down some very bright and colourful markings on our playground. Today Ben Kirk returned for the day and he has been training up our sports leaders in Year 6 who have then gone on to train each class in how to use the new markings and do all sorts of activities, which the children have loved.

Year 5 have been out in the Forest School area making waterproof dens, Bows and Arrows and Mandalas. The children were all thoroughly engrossed in all of the activities and co-operated beautifully with each other. 

Our Netball team have also done us proud...they are now the Taunton Champions and are going on to Millfield on Friday to see if they can become County Champions! Well done the  Netball team and good luck for Friday! a brilliant accomplishment! 

Happy Easter!

What a busy term this has been and one that has been very eventful too. So many exciting things have gone on and the children have been totally absorbed in it all. From Romans, Karate and Zoo pets to robotics, Bollywood dancing and television auditions to name just a few. We are so lucky to have such wonderful teachers, children and families in our school providing all sorts of opportunities and experiences. 

I do hope you all have a really special Easter holiday and lets hope we start to see some signs of Spring!

See you all again on Monday 9th April, the start of the Summer Term.

Monday 19th March

Due to many factors this morning, and after consultation with our Chair of Governors and other heads in the area, we have reluctantly decided to close the school. Coaches are not running, Heathfield is closed- they provide the children's hot dinners, the site, car park and surrounding areas are all icy and covered in snow and some staff cannot get in either. 

I know this snow is now a real nuisance but hopefully this will be the last bit!

Keep warm and safe today and see you all tomorrow. 

Sorry if this decision has caused you any issues this morning- it was a tough call!

First day of Spring  1.3.18

Well, considering it is now the first day of Spring we as a school are closed due to snow!

At 5.30am this morning there was not even a hint of snow… making the decision on whether or not to open really hard! However upon careful consultation with Secondary Heads, our Chair of Governors and other Primary Heads as well as careful monitoring of the Met Office’s now updated, Red Warning, we all took the decision to close. Our first duty of care is to the safety and wellbeing of all members of our school community.

I really hope the children have fun in the snow and enjoy it, whilst also staying safe and warm.

Happy New Year! 

Welcome back to a New Year and all it has to bring!

What a term the Autumn term was… a long term but one that was crammed full of activities, news and achievements.Our School Chaplain has made her mark around school and in the playground. The children love her clubs that she runs at Lunchtimes and she always has time to listen to anyone who needs an ear or a prayer.

Last term saw us achieve Outstanding in our SIAMS inspection which we are incredibly proud of. It shows that we embrace the whole child and strive to ensure that we provide a rich, broad and balanced curriculum and celebrate the Christian values of our school.

We also saw the Nativity plays in EYFS, KS1 and the Carol Concert in KS2- all performances were awesome and the children made us all incredibly proud. We had a Midwife in our KS1 performance which we luckily did not have to call upon, as Mrs Bottomley waited until the 30th December to have Alice Elizabeth- Mother, Father and Alice all doing well…. if somewhat tired! We welcome Rachel Kennard to Ash class to cover for Mrs Bottomley whilst she is off on Maternity leave.

The ‘Window Wanderland’ event was a great success and a huge thank you to everyone who took part. I didn’t see all the houses on the night as I was serving hot chocolate and mulled wine, however on the last day of term I used the map to drive around and see the amazing displays. Wow, you were certainly imaginative with your designs and they looked stunning. It would be so good to get the whole community on board next year!

This next term is a very short one but one in which a lot of learning will take place. We have Book week coming up  to name but one event approaching and I know Mrs Atkins and Mr Bujniewicz have exciting things planned for that.

Christmas arrives!

Well what a busy term this has been and continues to be…

Nativities are in full swing with beautiful singing filling the school hall and corridors. This is when Christmas really starts! The excitement is definitely mounting all round…all we need now is the snow that the rest of the Country seems to be having!

Our Outstanding judgement in SIAMS was definitely a cause for celebration this term. It shows that we are still rigorous in all of our standards and our Distinctive Christian Character and values impact positively on the provision and outcomes for our Children. The children were just phenomenal on the day and were an absolute credit to our parents. The full report can be read on the Website.

We were also incredibly lucky to listen to Jonathan Smith, one of our parents and one of the producers from Blue Planet II give a talk on the making of the programme- it was awesome listening to him and seeing how it was all done.

It has been lovely seeing children show off their talents this term too, from musicians to dancers and artists- they all have such wonderful skills and talents and work so hard to ensure they maintain them.

As the term draws to a close in the next couple of weeks, all that remains for me to say is I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

End of an era..

With great sadness but with sincere blessings, Adrian held his final service at Queen's Hall this morning. It was lovely hearing the children express their feelings at his departure - written from the heart.  He was the heart of Trull itself and gave his all to everyone. We as a school recognise all he has done for us and wish him all the very best in his next direction and venture in life- Archdeacon of Bath and Wells. Hopefully when the Year 6 children visit Wells Cathedral in the Summer term they may see him once again. Thank you Adrian for your advice, support and laughter at Trull School, you will be missed.

September 2017

WELCOME BACK to the new term and new School Year, it has already been a very busy term and the holidays seem to be just a mere memory now.

We extend a very special welcome also to all of our new Reception pupils who are settling in to new routines exceedingly well- they have toured the school and have been to visit me in my office, they tell me that they are all very keen to achieve a Headteachers award!

We also warmly welcome Mrs May and Mrs Lawrence who will be working in Beech class and Rowan class respectively and Mrs Towns who will be working for part of the time in Oak class.

Our new Head Boy and Head Girl were announced for the year, Robert Undery and Elsa Whitworth respectively as were all the House Captains and School Council reps as well as many other responsible positions for the children throughout the school. We really do value the part they play in the smooth running of our school.

We are also really lucky to have a School Chaplain start this term, Sam Upham will be around in the playground and in the school for anyone to talk to her.  She will also be there for parents if ever they need to talk, have a prayer said or even a shoulder to cry on! We are incredibly blessed to have Sam take on this new role at our school.

Finally we welcome Arthur James Richard Oxley into the world, born on 10th September. Mr Oxley is now off on his Paternity leave… however I am sure he is also looking forward to returning to school for a rest soon! 

June 2017

The Year 6's have been on their residential to Barton Hall in Torquay and loved every minute of it! I visited them there yesterday and it was so lovely watching them partake in all the activities. They all got on so well together and worked as a team assisting each other climb up Jacobs ladder or encouraging each other during abseiling! They were a real credit to all our parents and a delight to take away. Well done Year 6!

May 2017

As we get near to the end of this half term and I take a moment to reflect, it is amazing as to just how much has happened in what seems like a short amount of time! Juggling two schools has been a challenge however it has also given me the opportunity to work with many great people and bring two similar schools closer together. We have had a joint staff meeting, moderating children’s work and the children from both schools have now got a shared interest when they meet at sports festivals/competitions. In the Netball tournament for example, both schools were in the finals!!

The Year 6’s and Year 2’s have all worked very hard to complete their SATs this half term and their teachers have said just how proud they are of them all, as am I. The children did their very best which is all we ever ask of them.

Next half term brings the Year 6 residential and exciting trips out for the other classes. I know the children gain so much from an external visit and they all behave so well, a real credit to you all.

We are also holding an open morning for parents to come and observe the school in action; maths and English  lessons will continue as normal on this day. A letter explaining this will be sent out shortly.

The new piece of land has been well utilised too…. The children love going over and planting seeds and having creative days there as well as carrying out Forest School activities. We are so lucky to have such a dedicated TSF team assist with getting this area up and running.

An official opening will take place next half term.  

April Fools Day!

What an amazing day this was... definitely NOT an April Fool's day! :-) 

A group of parents, staff and children all put their wellies on, got their shovels out and joined in with a real community spirit to help develop the new piece of land behind the school. A new picket fenced garden has been erected and 250 hedging plants, planted! Over the holidays a new building/temporary classroom will be erected and more bark chippings will be delivered.

Thank you so much to everyone who came out and helped... the garden looks fantastic and is a really positive start to the development of the land...Thank you especially to Simon Holden and Mark and Tanya Hughes who organised the whole day. A brilliant and productive day and what a lovely, community, family we are! 

Parents information evenings

It was lovely welcoming many of our parents to the English Parent information evening held last night (23rd March) at West Monkton, the second information evening held, the first being the maths evening back in January. A wealth of ideas were given out as to how you can support your children at home and what the expected standards now look like in each year group. Yet again Sarah was pointing out just how important it is to read at home and how a child that reads for 20 minutes a day will acquire 1,800,000  words compared to a child that reads only 1 minute a day who will only acquire 8,000 words! Startling facts but the evidence is there. We really appreciate all that our parents do and by working together we shall make a difference. The power point from the maths evening is on the website already and as soon as the English one becomes available I will add that one also. Thank you again.

January 2017

Happy New Year and welcome back to the Spring term 2017. This is a short term but there is a lot happening including two parent evenings arranged specifically for all parents in Taunton to hear the

updates with regard to the Maths and English expectations for all children. The Maths evening is on Thursday 26th January at West Monkton Primary School at 7pm.

We really value all of your support with regard to the education of your children and these evenings will be really informative and help answer any questions you might have in Maths and English. By working together we will make a difference!  The first date for the English evening had to be postponed and the new date is Thursday 23rd March, again at West Monkton Primary School starting at 7pm.

December 2016

Well here we are at the end of what has seemed like a very long term. As I type this blog, there is a buzz around as the children's excited voices echo around the school as Christmas parties and Secret Student awards are being honoured. 

This particular term seems to be such a long one after the Summer break and there is always so much to fit in before Christmas. However here we are again at the end and everything has gone well so far.

Our new reception children are now well accustomed to school life and routines and have settled in so well, despite being so young still. They are also getting used to demonstrating and acknowledging our school values and ensuring that they are happy and safe in our school. 

I have to give a special mention to our TSF who have worked incredibly hard this term and especially over the last few weeks to put on a spectacular Christmas Fair raising a grand total of £2,628 which will all go back into providing that 'extra bit' for all of the children. Thank you!

After Christmas the boundary fencing is being replaced in the back playground, incorporating the new piece of land. The Eco team, gardening club and the TSF are keen to plan this new environment and create an area that is conducive to environmental education, yet remain natural and beautiful.

This term we say goodbye to Mr Hawkins who is retiring and looking forward to playing a few more rounds of golf and continue with his photography also. We wish him all the very best!

Mr Peter Houston will now be in Beech class and Mrs Holmes will be returning to part time work back in Elm class. 

All that remains for me to say is; have a really special Christmas and a peaceful New Year. Lets hope 2017 brings great things to everyone. Thank you to all our parents also, we really value your support and by working together we can ensure your children really do have the best start they can.

September 2016

Welcome back to a new term and a new academic year. Where have those weeks gone? I truly hope you have all had a most relaxing holiday.

    We are all looking forward to welcoming everyone back to school tomorrow, an especially warm welcome goes to all our new children starting this term and also to Miss Lodge who joins us in Year 3.

     Over the summer there has been some work done on and in the school. We are pleased to announce that we are now legally able to extend our back playground to encompass the land that was designated to the school. Security fencing will be erected all around the back playground to ensure the safety of everyone and I know there are plans afoot already for the design of the new area.

     The Hall has had a makeover as has the practical area by Beech/Elm class and our ICT equipment has been greatly updated throughout the school. The staff have all been ‘playing’ on it enthusiastically last week, so that they are ready to enhance their teaching and the children’s learning with it from now on.

  This term looks like it is going to be an exciting one starting off with the celebration of Roald Dahl with our dressing up day- Mrs Trunchbull here I come perhaps??

  In the mean time, please do not hesitate to come and see me or the class teachers if there is ever anything we can help with.   

Joseph Production 2016

Proud is a complete understatement as to how I feel now. Over the past two nights Trull School, KS2, performed their production of Joseph and his technicolour Dreamcoat. I happened to suggest a year ago that we put on a small play...little did I realise that we were putting on a West End Musical!... What the children and staff put on was just amazing.. they did such a superb job and it it all came together really well because everyone worked as a team!

The children, of all ages from 7-11 rallied around each other giving each other words of support, new friendships were made and self confidence grew! Children shone in their roles and became characters I would never have thought they would want to be... singing solos and getting so engrossed in role they literally became that part. 

We did it to add to the creative curriculum, our children work like trojans all year and to have this diverse activity at this end of the year, meant they had something real to work towards. 

Not only that but we have had a shout out on Radio 2!!! With Sarah Cox- this morning thanks to Nicola Ward, one of pour parents! All these lovely comments mean so much to all the staff that have worked so incredibly hard with this production. 

We really hope you enjoyed watching the performance as much as we enjoyed putting it on for you. Thank you again everyone! 

July 2016

Where has the time gone? As we draw nearer to the end of term I have managed to stop for a second and just reviewed what has happened since I last wrote on here... We have had KS1 Sports day, helped enthusiastically by the year 6's and the sun even managed to shine on us. Unfortunately not so for KS2 sports but we have rescheduled this for the 18th July instead!

All around the school the sound of singing, dancing and cries of 'Sing louder!' ring out as the KS2 performance of Joseph approaches. I have had camels loiter by my door and palm trees wafting around together with Guards parading around with long spears...Such an exciting time and I am really looking forward to seeing the final performances this week.

This last week also saw the release of the SATs results for our Year 6's. For everyone this has been such a trying year as the Government did not release any indication of what the pass mark for these brand new tests would be. They were waiting to see how all the children around Britain did, and then set their standards afterwards. It is always hard to work with no benchmark to judge against. However our children, yet again, rose to the challenge of change and worked their socks off. They all did so well and we feel so immensely proud of each and every one of them. Well done Year 6! They can move on to their secondary schools holding their heads up high!

Science week, with the arrival of the Space Dome, has also been a huge success. A huge thank you goes out to the TSF for funding this. The children just loved escaping up with Tim Peake into space and sitting on the viewing deck of the space shuttle looking at the world below. Science experiments also saw many flying rockets whizzing past my window and flying over the top of the school...the squeals of delight could be heard all around.

Finally, reports out this week also proved just how hard the whole of the school has been working and demonstrating all our school values. It was lovely to read them all and see just how proud the teachers are of their children this year. What stars we have! I too am so proud of them all and feel so privileged to be in the position I am in. 

End of KS2 SATs

The smiles on the faces of the Yr 6 children this lunchtime says it all.... the last SATs test was taken this morning and I just want to say how immensely proud we are of them all. Throughout what was a tough week, they have maintained their composure and positive attitude. We are SO proud of each and every one of you regardless of the outcomes. We know you have all done your best and you should feel immensely proud of yourselves.  Parents, thank you to all of you too for supporting your children through this week and enabling them to do their very best.

Well done Yr 6!  Onwards and upwards! 

May 2016

Another very busy month ahead... SATs for the Yr6 and Yr2's - Good luck to you all, I know you will all be awesome and do your best which is all we ask of you.

   Joseph rehearsals, I am told, are going incredibly well. The costumes are looking really impressive, a huge thank you to all who are helping with the whole production.

   Our Race for Life has been a huge success and we have now raised over £4,000!!! A superb amount, well done to everyone and to the TSF and Mr Bond for organising the whole event.

   The good weather has meant we can finally use the school field which has gone down very well... Bug Clubs are sprouting up all over the field which is lovely to see.

April 2016

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday so far... seeing as it was a short term; the holidays were a long time coming! Last term saw great sporting success at Trull school after we took part in a range of competitions.

We had success in the rugby Taunton finals again, winning the tournament for the fifth year running which entitles us to take part in the Somerset Finals on the Tuesday after Easter.

In the netball we also came out victorious, winning the Taunton finals with a golden goal, putting us through the Somerset Finals for this as well. For the first time we entered a team of gymnasts, who through a lot of practice and hard work, finished second and they too are off to the Somerset competition after Easter.

In football both the girls and boys teams played brilliantly, finishing fifth and sixth respectively; a great result in particular for the girls as this was the first year we entered a team. In cross country we competed in 3 races over the spring term, both individual and relay races, in which all of our runners finished inside the top half. A huge well done to everyone who took part in all the sports and also to Mr Bond who organises and oversees all the events.

The Summer term looks to be very busy and long, however the longer days and sunshine will help make it an enjoyable one also.  

 Thank you to you all also for all your support last term, enjoy the rest of your Easter break and see you all again on Monday! God bless. 

March 2016

 The year 2 SATs information evening held last night proved to be a bit of an eye opener with regard to the high expectations now set upon young children. We are all working incredibly hard to ensure all the children reach their potential but also ensure they enjoy all the experiences that school has to offer. If they are happy they will want to learn! Thank you to the parents for attending the evening and I hope it has helped to show you what is now expected. The power point I used is up on the website, do please ask if there is anything else I can assist with. The booklet that we gave out is with your child's class teacher so please do collect yours from them if you were unable to attend last night. There will be a Year 6 SATs information evening soon also. 

The year 6 common room has now been open for a couple of weeks and has been a big success. The children now have a place that they can call their own to go to at lunchtime and enjoy the variety of activities that are there for them as well as use the outdoor space. 

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the TSF for all the fundraising that they do. We as a school are one of the lowest funded in the County per pupil and it is through the tireless fundraising from the TSF which ensures we can give your children the enjoyment of extra curricular activities and trips. They have also agreed to update some of the books throughout the school for which we are extremely grateful. Watch this space, quite literally, with regard to up coming events at school.... again sponsored by our TSF. 

A big thank you also goes out to all of you for your continued support at school, it seems like it has been a long term so far.... but we all really do appreciate all you do too. Thank you.

February 2016

Another half term is nearly over... this year seems to be passing by far too quickly. The children and staff are all working incredibly hard and we have had some tremendous successes at The Music Festival too, well done to all involved!

The Year 6 common room will be up and ready to be used after half term, a huge thank you to Maddie, Hetty and Mia for all their organising and fundraising to get equipment and furniture for the common room. I am sure it will be a great success and well used. 

Another thank you goes out to the TSF and all their tremendous work they have done so far to ensure the children at Trull get amazing opportunities and support. The recent 'Skate @Trull' was awesome and was really well supported by all.

18th December 2015

As my first term comes to a close I would just like to thank everyone for all their support and words of encouragement. I feel so incredibly privileged to be a part of Trull Church of England VA Primary school and the children, staff and parents have been amazing.

Everyone has worked incredibly hard this term and we have finished it off with two superb Nativity plays and a wonderful Carol Concert.  We were also extremely lucky to have a very special visitor arrive for the morning Concert....Rupert Baird the Donkey! A special thank you goes to the Donkey Sanctuary for bringing Rupert up to our school for the service! 

All that I would just like to say now is, I hope you all have a truly magical Christmas and a very Happy New Year. Here's to 2016! 

November 2015

I am really proud of the children at Trull school. We received a letter from Nick Gibb MP personally praising us for our Phonics results, we were in the top 5% of the country! Superb job.

We are also in the top 2% of schools with regard to our progress from KS1 to KS2 which is just awesome!!! Well done to all our children and staff- I am extremely proud of you all.....Keep it up!!

September 2015

We are several weeks into the new term now and as I walk around the school and go into the classes it is a real pleasure to be met by excited, happy children wanting to share their news, stories and successes. I am loving my new role and am looking forward to catching up with our new parents (and established ones too!) at the EYFS curriculum meeting this Tuesday evening 29th September at 6pm. 

September 2015

Welcome back to a new term and new school year.  I hope you have all had a relaxing break and are ready for new beginnings.  We especially extend a very warm welcome to our new staff joining the team... Mr Oxley and Mrs Streeter in Willow class, Mrs Atkins in Oak class, Mrs Stevens in Ash class and Mrs Gavins in Maple class and a warm welcome also to all our new children starting.  Babies seem to be on the agenda this year!!   Mr Oxley is now the proud father of Amber Janet Oxley, born the last Friday of the holidays ... earlier than expected .... but both mother and baby are doing well.  Congratulations to them all.    

Mrs McAndrew is also delighted to announce that she is now expecting her first child in the beginning of January.  We will ensure that the children in both classes continue to get the best education.  So, a busy year ahead for all... and one that I am really excited to lead.