News

School Newsfeed

Friday 26 June

A big congratulations to the children and staff, this week, for managing so well in the warm weather. The regular water breaks, shade breaks, watermelon snacks and lollies in the afternoon have all helped the school manage and support families to remain open and continue learning for children. Thank you for the kind donations of fans to help us keep cool. Despite the heat, we have continued with lots of lovely learning opportunities with a creative arts week at Swimbridge with visits from a performing storyteller and local musicians.

Fringe Festival Storyteller

As part of the upcoming Fringe Festival, Eden Ballantyne, a storyteller visited the children in Year 1–6 who enjoyed an exciting and interactive storytelling performance exploring the fascinating world of Norse mythology. Through tales of gods, ice giants, and monsters battling for power, the children were transported into a world of adventure and imagination. The performance was thoroughly enjoyed by all, and the children loved taking part in this unique storytelling experience. A huge thank you to Eden for bringing these ancient tales to life and providing such an engaging and memorable show.

Friday 19 June

This week, the Discoverers had a fantastic day on their trip to Tiverton Castle! 

During their visit, they learned all about the Earls who once lived there and their fascinating links to Henry VIII. The children thoroughly enjoyed exploring the castle grounds and ruins, even spotting an old Tudor toilet. They discovered what life was like for children in Tudor times, learned about the different jobs they would have done, examined a range of historical weapons and had the exciting opportunity to try on armour. 

After the visit, the children enjoyed lunch in the sunshine at a local park and had a wonderful time playing together. We are incredibly proud of the Discoverers, who were exemplary throughout the day, asking thoughtful questions and making excellent connections to their history learning from this term. Well done, Discoverers!

Friday 12 June 2026

It was the turn of the Adventurers this week to take their learning beyond the classroom. The class went to Quince Honey Farm and saw the bees making honey. They held hives, dressed up as bees, and learned about how bees dance, collect pollen, and the different roles bees have within the hive. The children also made wax candles, enjoyed a tractor and trailer ride, and planted sunflower seeds. It was a great day trip filled with fun and learning. Thank you to the parents for helping with drop-offs and pick-ups.

Phonics Screening and MTC Check

A huge congratulations to all of our Year 1 pupils who completed the Phonics Screening Check this week. The children approached the assessment with confidence and resilience, and we are incredibly proud of how successful they have been. We were also pleased to welcome a monitoring visit from the Local Authority, who commented very positively on the robust processes and organisation surrounding the assessment. A big thank you goes to Miss Smale, Miss Shepherd and Mrs Lewis for their dedication in delivering the phonics programme throughout the year, and to Mrs Symons, our Phonics Lead, for leading and preparing the children so effectively for this important milestone.

Friday 5 June 2026

Welcome back to the final half term of the academic year!

Explorers had a wonderful time on their residential to Wildside which saw them enjoy the great outdoors and embracing many new experiences. Highlights of our trip include: whizzing on the zip line, bug scooping, blindfolded team challenges, den building, toasting marshmallows on the campfire to make smores and experiencing camping in a tent. The children were amazing throughout our trip and demonstrated our school values beautifully, using wonderful teamwork and problem solving skills. Thank you to Mrs Elliott and Mrs M who gave up their time to support the trip.

Refugee Week

On Saturday 20th June 2026, the Pickwell Foundation will host a community celebration event at the Landmark Theatre in Ilfracombe from 2pm–7pm. The event will celebrate this year’s Refugee Week theme through creativity, community, and shared experiences. 

Earlier this week, Rebekah Hester from the Pickwell Foundation visited school to lead a KS2 assembly about this important topic. She spoke to the children about the importance of kindness, understanding, and using community as a superpower to welcome others.

Inspired by this year’s Refugee Week theme of “Courage”, the Discoverers created a beautiful art banner for the festival using watercolours. Their thoughtful artwork reflects the message of hope, bravery, and the power of communities coming together to support and welcome everyone.

Friday 22nd May 2026

It’s hard to believe we’re already at half term in the summer term. The weeks have flown by with lessons, school trips, and everything else packed into the school calendar. This break feels like a good chance to pause, recharge, and enjoy some lighter summer days before the final stretch of the academic year begins- we wish you all a lovely half term break.

Citizenship Award Assembly

This week was another opportunity to celebrate the pupils who have been completing challenges linked to our school values. We celebrated many children who have shown kindness, resilience, respect, and determination in all aspects of school life- 32 certificates were handed out today. 

A special mention to Tabitha who achieved 4 certificates at once! It has been wonderful to see so many pupils embracing these values both in the classroom and around the school community. There is still plenty of time to get involved, as the project will continue running until the end of term. We will also be holding another Citizenship assembly at the end of term, along with a special celebration event at the end of July for all the children who have taken part throughout the year.

Friday 15th May 2026

SATS Week

This week, in school, the Year 6s have completed SATS week with papers in Spelling, Grammar, Reading and Maths. All of the children completed the papers with confidence and maturity; giving their very best. Well done to all of the Year 6s for this week’s efforts and for being diligent learners throughout the year. We were also visited by the Local Authority who checked on test procedures and administration during the week and were pleased with our processes. Congratulations to the Inventors team for preparing them so well for this week's challenges and Mr Polak who has been running booster groups since January.

Friday 8th May 2026

David Attenborough’s 100th Birthday

Today, the children learned about the life of David Attenborough and his lifelong commitment to conservation and protecting the natural world. The Discoverers Class watched a clip from one of his nature documentaries and used it as inspiration to create beautiful line drawings based on nature and wildlife. It was a wonderful learning experience that celebrated his incredible life, legacy, and the importance of caring for our planet.

Friday 1st May 2026

What a beautiful, sunny week. As the weather becomes warmer, it is important that all children bring a hat and a water bottle to school each day. Please also ensure your child has suncream applied before school when warm weather is expected, so they can stay safe and enjoy the sunshine. 

In the Summer term, at Swimbridge we make use of the school field during lunchtimes. The children really enjoy having the extra space to run, play, and socialise with their friends. Here are some lovely pictures of the children making the most of the field this week.