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Head's Blog

A warm welcome back to Looe Primary

It is the best day of the year, to feel the excitement and to know that we are ready and prepared to either welcome our returning pupils, our brand new Foundation pupils for their first day at school, or pupils who have joined us from another school.

They arrived looking very smart; most were happy to return and there was lots of support for those who perhaps were feeling a little overwhelmed. The first week has been wonderful. We have made a few small changes to the way that we work and encourage each other through kindness, our school values (creative, curious, responsible, enthusiastic, excellent, determined) and our three main school rules (be ready, be responsible, be safe).

We have new teams this year instead of houses:
Woodpeckers (green)
Kingfishers (blue)
Jays (red)
Goldfinches (yellow)
The children will earn team points throughout each week and there are surprises and rewards along the way.

One of our biggest changes this year is that we have named all of our classes. These were chosen democratically by the children and we drew names at the end of the summer term to decide which class had which name. Our new classes are:
Nursery: Pendennis - Mrs Hilton and Mrs Owen
Foundation: Rame - Mrs Phillips and Mrs Lyden
Year 1: Heligan - Miss Bolger and Miss Ginn
Year 1/2: Lanhydrock - Mrs Marshall, Mrs Miles, Miss Given, Mrs Gregory and Mrs Stephens
Year 2/3: Kynance - Miss Chapman and Mr Liddement
Year 3/4: Tintagel - Miss Pittas, Mrs Stephens and Mrs Williams
Year 4: Eden - Miss Strickland, Mr Phillips and Mrs Williams
Year 5/6: Minack - Mr Bowden, Mrs Higgins and Mrs Hewitt
Year 5/6: Mount Edgecumbe: Mrs Davies, Miss Cook and Mrs Miller

In the next few weeks, we will be delighted to open our new inclusion provision which we have called Roseland. This is a new offer that will support many children with their social, emotional and behaviour need, whether on a regular basis or if they need it for a short time. It will also help those children who struggle to learn so that we can help them to find new ways of understanding how they can work to the best of their ability in a fun and very supportive way. I will lead this provision initially, supported by Miss Masters who will be with the provision every day. All staff will then provide activities and time to work with the children when they access the rooms. We have three spaces available to us at the end of the Key Stage 2 corridor and we are busy getting these spaces ready for the fun to begin. There may even be a few surprises on the way!

Another new venture is the addition of some slightly different activities throughout the week. The picture above shows the first class enjoying their introduction lessons with Mr Tweedle. They will be learning circus skills, so watch out at home! This activity is not only fun, but also teaches coordination, balance, spatial awareness and the need for resilience and patience when it doesn't go right first time. It was great fun and we can't wait to see how we all get on with plate spinning, diabolo, stilt walking, juggling and much, much more!

As you can see, we are prepared and ready for an amazing year of learning filled with fun and determination to do well in all that we do; I can't wait to see the outcomes!

Here's to a great year.
Janine Waring

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Welcome

Based in Looe Cornwall, Looe Primary Academy is a member of Bridge Schools Trust. Looe joined the Trust in 2014 following conversion to academy status the same year. Looe Primary is a larger than average primary in Cornwall, with approximately 240 pupils on roll.

Our school motto is, ‘Creating Lifelong Learners’ and we pride ourselves on our supportive and inclusive ethos; our team of staff work incredibly hard to ensure that every child achieves the highest standards possible during their time with us. Our school sits in wonderful surroundings with full views of the sea and the environment in which we live plays a large role in our aim to deliver a happy and vibrant school that provides a wealth of opportunities for children to create, explore, invent and extend their learning. We are committed to providing the highest standard of teaching and learning and we achieve this through a rich and broad wider and connectedcurriculum that provides a combination of challenge, support, encouragement and praise to ensure that all pupils fulfil their potential.

Looe Primary shares a Local Governing Body with three of the 14 Bridge Schools Trust schools, Brunel Primary, St. Cleer Primary and Wadebridge Primary. We have some local governors as part of the governing body and our committed governors work closely with the Senior Leadership Team to ensure that they have a good and accurate, understanding of our work, vision and school improvement priorities. With a strong leadership team and support from the Bridge Schools Trust, Looe Primary Academy has significantly improved outcomes for pupils and improved from ‘requires improvement’ to a strong ‘good’ school in January 2019. We are a forward-thinking school and we constantly strive for excellence in all that we do, including outcomes for all children within our vision to serve every child as an individual.

Our pupils are happy and tell us that they enjoy their time at Looe Primary, with fun learning and teachers and staff who know them and who are always there to help. Our parent and family communications tell us that they are happy with the school, that they feel their children are safe and that the school cares about them. We strongly believe in the whole child and preparing our pupils to be active citizens for life in a modern, democratic society. We are a community school in a rich and vibrant community and we are very proud to be part of this.

Safeguarding and welfare is intrinsic and essential in all that we do at Looe Primary. Children are taught the values of creativity, curiosity, determination, enthusiasm, excellence and responsibility. These values are linked to sea creatures: octopus, lobster, goby dolphin, shark and whale, to cherish the rich coastal environment in which we live as a communityand around the world. Each sea creature has a strong link to the value to it represents. We promote open and honest communication with parents, carers and the specialists who support us. In the 2023-2024 academic year we are embarking on a parental engagement project to encourage parents to become more involved in the day-to-day life of the school and their children’s learning in response to the drop in engagement during the pandemic.

When you visit Looe Primary Academy, you will find a welcoming and purposeful environment, with relationships built on mutual respect where our pupils develop skills for lifelong learning. Achievement, progress and a ‘can do’ attitude are at the heart of our philosophy; we develop this by nurturing pupils’ creativity, to grow independent learners who understand that mistakes can be a learning opportunity.

If you require a paper copy of information on our website then please contact the school office and this will be provided.

Janine Waring, Headteacher.