Dear Parents and Carers, 

A Wonderful Week of Flourishing

What a fantastic week we have enjoyed at Witheridge C of E Academy, with so many opportunities for our children to learn, grow and flourish together.

Some of our youngest children in Class 1 had a wonderful trip to Tiverton Castle. The children looked absolutely fantastic in their dressing-up costumes and fully embraced the opportunity to step back in time and bring their learning to life. It was a joy to hear about their enthusiasm and curiosity throughout the day.

Children in Years 3, 4 and 5 took part in Walkability, developing important skills and knowledge to help them walk safely to school and navigate local roads with confidence. Learning how to stay safe and make responsible choices is an important part of growing independence, and the children engaged brilliantly with the programme.

This week also saw the first of our 'Death Matters' Workshops, led by Devon Hospice. These carefully planned sessions are helping children develop an age-appropriate understanding of death and the concept of grief. The children approached the discussions with great maturity, thoughtfulness and respect, demonstrating the supportive and caring culture that we value so highly within our school community.

Our Year 5 children have been looking ahead to the next stage of their educational journeys, enjoying taster days at Chulmleigh College and South Molton Community College. These visits provided exciting opportunities to experience secondary school life, explore new subjects and begin thinking about their future aspirations.

As we reflect on the week, we can clearly see our school vision in action: "Encourage one another and build each other up." Whether through supporting friends, learning new life skills, exploring challenging topics with kindness and empathy, or preparing for future transitions, our children continue to demonstrate how we can help one another flourish.

Finally, we are looking forward to seeing many of you at St John's Fayre on Saturday. Please remember to meet at school at 10:30am. We are excited to come together as a community and celebrate all that makes our school so special.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. We wish all our families a wonderful weekend.

With best wishes,

Miss Ratcliffe                                                                                                                             Head of School