Weekly Bulletins Spring Term 2025
Weekly Bulletin 10th February 2025
Last week was Children’s Mental Health week. It started with an assembly with a guest speaker from Young Devon, a charity that some of our pupils access to support with their mental health. In addition to this, lessons across the school included learning about mental health and supportive strategies alongside our weekly Thrive sessions for all pupils.
The annual reviews for Year 9 pupils are almost complete so I wanted to say a big thank you to all parents and carers who attended, either in person or virtually, to contribute to these meetings. In addition to reviewing the EHCP and provision for your pupil, we use all feedback to ensure we continue to develop as a school.
Donation to Expressive Arts: The Expressive Arts department received a large donation of costumes, clothes and props on Friday. Mike Ryan, grandparent of one of our Year 7 pupils, donated these items for the pupils to dress up in, to use during role play and perhaps even future performances. The pupils couldn’t wait to see what they had been given, and enjoyed sorting through all of the clothes, trying them on and getting into character. Thank you very much to the Ryan family for the kind donation.
Bobbie: Bobbie, the therapy dog, continues to be a highlight for many pupils each week as he makes whole class visits, undertakes individual interventions, checks in with those who need a little additional emotional support and contributes to reward-time. It was lovely on Friday to see how much the pupils get out of seeing and working with Bobbie, developing their sense of responsibility, empathy and care. It is also great to hear that some pupils allow themselves to reflect while he is present, exploring their own emotions and feelings. He is a valuable part of the Southbrook school experience for many of our pupils. Well done, Bobbie.
Dawlish Garden Trust: The current Year 10 group had their final session exploring animal care last week, focusing on horses. They learned how to measure and weigh the horses, conduct a health check and finally, groom them. The pupils were introduced to various breeds and the type of work each breed is most suited for.
Over the course of the four-week block, the pupils have had opportunities to expand their knowledge, and develop their skills, applying their learning each week to show an increased understanding of how to care for, feed and house a variety of animals. Some pupils are now very sure they would like to explore college courses that include some animal care. While this is the last session for this year 10 group, the current year 11 group will go for their final visit next Friday, as they missed one earlier in the term.
Health and Safety Audit: Last week we were visited by our Health and Safety Advisor, who conducted a thorough audit of the science department. The visit included checks of everything from the labels on the cupboards, processes for checks and record-keeping, training for staff, the quality of equipment and how the pupils are taught about health and safety. The visit was very successful, and we now await the final report.
Thrive sessions: 9NP/CS had a successful Thrive session last week, when they were tasked with building towers from spaghetti and marshmallows. The task allowed them to think independently as well as contribute towards group work, experience success when things go well, and develop resilience when things are tricky. It was lovely to hear they could identify the strengths they could see in others during the task. As you may know, our Thrive provision continues to develop, and this includes the use of the thrive rooms and individual Thrive interventions. We will also see further development as the next term’s planned sessions will build on information gained from tutor’s reviews of the Thrive assessments.
Mug competition: There were some fabulous entries for the mug competition, inspired by a huge range of books and run by Devon Library Service. There were so many good entries that we picked one winner from each year group and a number of runner ups. The winners will be announced, and prizes given out, as part of World Book Day next month, but in the meantime, winning entries will be sent to Devon Library Service to enter the county-wide competition.
This is the last bulletin of the half term, so just a quick reminder that if you need support over the half term break, please check our website for contact details. We hope you have a wonderful half term break and look forward to seeing your child on 24th February.
Thank you again for your ongoing support.
Simon Winward
Weekly Bulletin 3rd February 2025
Community Engagement Police Officer: It was really enjoyable to see how our pupils interacted with the Police Officer, during her visit last week. Each group showed genuine interest, and asked some very interesting questions. It was a lovely combination of speaking, listening and hands-on exploration (which I enjoyed as well). A lovely event that will now be extended to KS4 pupils next term.
DTP and Meningitis vaccinations: This week, a number of year 9 pupils had their vaccinations. The pupils were well supported by our staff and the pupils who had their jabs did very well.
Life Skills: The pupils in year 7 continued to learn about different careers by talking to two more staff members who shared their previous careers. Joe M (Outdoor Ed teacher) and Mike (Teaching Assistant) spoke to the pupils about being a ski instructor and prison officer. Once again, the pupils were keen to find out more and showed curiosity about what was involved with each job.
Catering: Years 10 and 11 made links with their assembly on the Chinese New Year by cooking chicken stir fry during their vocational catering lesson last week. I can personally vouch for how good this looked. It was great to hear some of the conversations taking place around Chinese culture, and they also enjoyed exploring the use of chop-sticks and reading the messages in fortune cookies.
Vocational Dawlish Garden Trust: This week KS4 pupils started their session with a group discussion about the basic needs of animals for survival. As well as food and water, our pupils identified that animals needed the kindness and care of humans. They learned how to recognise signs of ill health in animals and the pupils showed they had extensive knowledge of this. When they started their practical work, they took care of the goats, firstly cleaning and trimming the hooves, spraying with purple antiseptic and then checking them over for lumps, bumps or cuts as well as eye and teeth health. They were surprised to learn that goats only have bottom teeth.
They went on to learn, and in some cases have a go, at taking the goats’ temperature and then spent some time grooming and feeding the ponies.
Lucerne House: The pupils have been visiting Lucerne House Care Home fortnightly, and as mentioned before it is a valuable experience for our pupils as well as the residents. Last week, more residents (and some of their staff) joined in than before, having heard the laughter in previous sessions. The care home have been so impressed with our pupils and the positive impact that this has on their residents, that they have asked if we would like to continue to visit after half term. Watching the social interactions develop and seeing confidence grow in our pupils, we have taken them up on this offer.
PSHE: This term, Year 7 pupils have been looking at healthy lifestyles and this week, they explored oral hygiene. Both Year 7 classes learned about the importance of brushing teeth with some engaging, hands-on activities. It is great that they learn how to be independent and how to get into healthy routines from their first year with us and this will build as they move through the PSHE curriculum. Well done Year 7.
Outdoor Ed: Year 10 took part in caving and abseiling last week. It was incredible to see how high they went, and many of them returned to school with stories about overcoming their fears, achieving something they thought they couldn’t or honing their skills. They spoke about the feeling of trusting the ropes and the first time you lean back over the edge. The outdoor education lessons continue to develop confidence and ambition in our pupils so well done to everyone in KS4 for taking part and pushing themselves.
Design Technology: Year 10 have been designing and making their own clocks in DT. They have been able to learn cutting, sanding and decorating techniques, as they work on their own project. Their choice of shape, subject matter, colours and design has meant they are motivated to produce some excellent outcomes. So far I have seen some wonderful stencil work, a beautiful landscape and a stunning phoenix, to mention a few. It will be great to see all of these when they are finished and ticking.
World Book Day: Below is a poster, giving you a little advanced warning about World Book Day. As usual, there will be a host of activities, free WBD books and pupils can come to school dressed as their favourite book character (if they wish to). This will take place on 6th March 2025.
Simon Winward
Weekly Bulletin 27th January 2025
Hello again, I hope you are coping with the strange mix of weather we have been having! Here are a few updates...
Dawlish Garden Trust- Visits to Dawlish Garden trust have continued this week for KS4. The Year 10s were happy to clean out the animals, developing their understanding of the routines needed to care for a range of small and larger animals. They made sure to scrub well with disinfectant to kill any germs and then made sure the animals would be comfortable in their various homes. The year 11 group had their first session last week, having had one cancelled due to a burst pipe, and enjoyed their experiences with the rabbits, chickens and guinea pigs.
They learned about worming and how to administer worming medication to the goats. Not an easy task!
As you know, these lessons contribute towards the pupils’ ability to gain a broad range of experiences and make decisions about their future, while also allowing us to support with transition towards their chosen area of interest and, ultimately, the most appropriate college.
Catering: The KS4 Vocational groups currently accessing catering did an excellent job last week, making minestrone soup. It was packed full of vegetables, expertly prepared by the pupils. They worked diligently to ensure the recipe was followed properly and I can personally vouch that the soup tasted delicious.
Safeguarding and Pastoral Team: I am sure you are aware that the safeguarding and pastoral teams work at a pace to ensure that both pupils and families receive as much support as possible. I mentioned in a previous bulletin that we could apply for the Household Support Fund. The team have made several applications and have secured a one-off payment for 11 families so far, with more pending. If this is something you would like to explore, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Anna Wade. From time to time, they may take the opportunity to signpost to some useful resources within this bulletin. Once such example is below:
For any young person experiencing bladder and bowel difficulties there is a website called ERIC that may be helpful. There is a chat service on the website along with many helpful ideas and expert advice. We know for many of you this is a big concern, and we hope this information may help.
School council: The school council have been progressing well with lots of their chosen projects, including buying play equipment and supporting other pupils as play leaders. Most recently they have taken on the sensory garden, near the library, and have big plans to revamp this area so it is full of colour, texture and scents. They are also exploring working with an artist to paint some quotes from books in the area, so watch this space!
KS4 Careers Advice: Year 10 have begun to meet with Ed Rice from CSW, a recognised service experienced in supporting young people to make plans for their future. He has had 1:1 meetings with some pupils last week and will continue to do so next week. Many of the pupils have shown how ambitious they are when speaking about what they want to achieve and it was wonderful to hear them speaking so positively about their ambitions and possible destinations as they left their meetings.
St Luke’s Church Trip: Year 7 have been learning about different religions as part of their humanities work. This week they took the opportunity to get out of school and make the learning real by visiting a local church, seeing the building and the artefacts while soaking up the atmosphere. They did very well and were brilliantly supported by the yr7 and Humanities team.
Staff Training update: Lastly, I wanted to share with you one of the steps we are already taking towards making progress on one of the improvement points raised in our recent OFSTED report regarding improving our knowledge and understanding of how to teach our pupils and meet their varied needs. This evening we have invited a range of professionals in to work with staff to provide information, strategies and activities relating to the needs of our pupils, many of which are outlined in their EHCPs. This is a great opportunity for all staff to further develop their knowledge and skills and I am sure will have a positive impact on all pupils across the school in terms of improving their access the Southbrook curriculum.
The professionals who will be visiting this evening include representatives from:
Speech and language therapy
Occupational Therapy
Physiotherapy
Deafblind practitioners
Learning disability team
School nursing team
Hearing advisors
Visual advisors
ROVIC
Asthma Team
Participation Workers for SEND
That’s all for now. I hope you have a wonderful week.
Simon Winward
Headteacher
Weekly Bulletin 20th January 2025
Somehow it is the end of the second week of the Spring term, and I am not sure where the time has gone. It must be true that ‘time flies when you’re having fun’! Below are a few updates from the last week.
Exeter Chiefs visits: The PE department have currently organised two visitors to support the learning taking place in PE lessons. In addition to the weekly cricket coaching already taking place, they were also joined by Ebony Jeffries of the Exeter Chiefs. The pupils were highly engaged and thoroughly enjoyed their sessions. Ebony will continue to visit each Monday for the next few weeks. I am sure we will see the pupils’ cricket and rugby skills develop during this half-term.
Dawlish Garden Trust- A group of year 10 pupils visited Dawlish Garden Trust last week as part of their Vocational rotations and will visit for another three sessions over the next few weeks. This group did a fantastic job, engaging straight away and asking lots of excellent questions. While there, they took part in brushing the ponies, cleaning their hooves and rounding up the sheep to catch Stan the ram, so he could have a pedicure. They also enjoyed working with the smaller animals, including the rabbits and guinea pigs.
Unfortunately, on Friday, just before the year 11’s session, we were informed that Dawlish Garden Trust had a burst pipe and therefore, no running water or toilets. Unable to do the session, Haven Banks came to the rescue and took the group mountain biking. It was great to see the resilience that the pupils showed as well as their maturity in dealing with this sudden change. Thank you to Haven Banks for providing our pupils with a lovely morning on the bikes.
Life Skills: In life skills lessons, years 7 and 8 have been learning about careers. As part of this work, many staff members have been asked to speak about their previous careers. As such, Emma, from our Pastoral department, spoke to them about being an air hostess. They were completely captivated and listened well as Emma answered the questions they had prepared. She left them with the message that they must ‘never give up on your dreams’.
Vocational Skills: There were lovely smells coming from the catering room last week. It turns out that our year 10 and 11 pupils were cooking a one-pot bolognaise and it looked delicious. They worked with independence while also supporting each other when they needed help. Well done years 10 and 11.
Expressive arts: As we all know, expressive arts can help build confidence, speaking and listening skills and resilience. Recent lessons have also added ‘developing rhythm’ to that list. As we will all have heard, the pupils drumming skills have been coming along nicely. More recently we have seen their ability to play a character develop really well, supported by a bit of dressing up. It is always lovely to see our pupils show the confidence needed to express themselves.
Nursing Home Communication trip: A group of pupils went to Lucerne House to meet some of the residents, play some games with them and develop their communication and social skills. The therapy team reported that it was the most heartwarming experience they had had for a long time, ‘seeing our pupils playing games with the residents, talking with them and helping them play the games made us very proud’. Staff at the home commented how polite our pupils were, and they are looking forward to seeing them again soon.
Annual Reviews begin for year 9 next week. We are very happy that many of you will be coming into school to have these meetings face-to-face. We look forward to welcoming you into school. If you need to change the time or date of your annual review, please just get in touch with a member of the inclusion team (Toby, Viv or Alison).
Mr Blackmore: Just to let you know that Mr Blackmore will be absent for a few weeks. In the meantime, we have ensured that pupils who work with him closely have an alternative key adult. If you need to communicate with the school, please contact your child’s tutor in the first instance or call reception and ask for a member of the senior leadership team.
Ofsted report: Our most recent Ofsted report will be published soon. We will let you know when this is available to view, and will send you some accompanying information about how this report fits into our overall journey.
As always, please get in touch if you have any queries.
Simon Winward
Weekly Bulletin 7th January
Dear parents and carers,
Happy New Year!
I hope you had a wonderful break over the Christmas period. We have enjoyed welcoming back the pupils today. They have been keen to talk about everything they have done over the holidays and seem to be settling back into the routines of school nicely.
Firstly, I wanted to say thank you to everyone who attended the various festive events on the last week of term.
It was brilliant to see so many people attend the performances of A Christmas Carol. The pupils showed extraordinary talent and confidence, and gave two excellent performances. I know the staff and I could not have been prouder of what they achieved and it has spurred us on to think about the possibility of future performances!
Thank you also to everyone who contributed to, or came to, the Christmas Fair. The pupils enjoyed preparing their stalls, playing the games they designed and selling products they had made. It was also great to see the cheerleaders and the choir entertain with their respective performances.
So, thank you for your ongoing support and contributions during the last week of term.
Weather warnings:
As you will have seen, there have been a number of weather warnings for snow, ice and flooding recently, and this week, the weather is looking unpredictable. While closing the school is always a last resort, in the event that we feel pupils and staff would be safer if they did not attend school, we may be forced to close the school. It may also be the case that there is disruption to travel arrangements and transport is not running as normal due to snow or ice, and your child may need to remain at home.
If this should happen, we aim to ensure that your child has access to some learning activities. As such, your child will come home with login details for Accelerated Reader ‘MyOn’ library, where they can access reading and books at an appropriate level. They will also have login details for ‘Sumdog’, which will give them access to mathematical activities. Other activities will be added to our website on the morning of any school closure.
Hopefully this will ensure that disruption to your child’s learning is minimised if they are not able to attend school. We are updating the ‘remote learning’ section of our website presently, so please keep an eye on this.
If you have any questions or queries, please do get in touch.
Kind regards
Simon Winward