School Update 15th April
Dear Parent
We hope you are well and that you enjoyed the Easter Bank Holiday, along with the erratic combinations of sunshine, hail and snow so far!
As lockdown measures finally start to ease, hopefully everyone can start to make the very most of being able to go a little further afield, seeing family and friends as much as possible.
A quick reminder that during the holidays our very clever IT system will record and send telephone messages directly to our email.
Should you need to call us urgently please leave a message and/or feel free to email office@abbotsway.co.uk.
As ever, we are working as much as possible behind the scenes alongside taking a bit of a break.
Student Reports
These are being completed by the team as we speak and will be with parents imminently.
Planning
An update from Mendip CC is due soon, with 19 April being the target date in accordance with statutory guidance on the timescales for determining planning applications.
Our planning team are fully engaged in communication with both Somerset Highways and Mendip District Council to agree the best possible solutions to any consultation queries and we will of course keep you posted as developments arise.
We are hoping for positive news that will enable us to carry out our access and egress developments as soon as practically feasible.
Governance
We look forward to our next meeting which is due to be held within the Easter holiday.
Our latest member to join the team, safeguarding governor Rachel Cooper, visited towards the end of last term. It was great to show her around Abbot’s Way in action and we look forward to another visit from Chris McShane, one of our Associate team, within the next few weeks.
Uniform
Invoices are due to be sent out in the coming weeks for school uniforms that have been purchased to date.
We are really pleased with the student feedback regarding its comfort and suitability. A few choices have been added to the range, to support sensory needs.
A new web portal is on its way, which will enable parents to purchase clothing directly via our website.
This will include our new sports kit when samples have been approved and run by our students.
Student Numbers
Recruitment remains extremely healthy, with daily enquiries and weekly visits from prospective families. Numbers for September are very pleasing and are in line with our projections. As ever, exact timings of confirmed placements are difficult to predict where parents are pursuing the EHCP process rather than private funding.
We look forward to planning for increased classes in the Autumn term.
End of Year Celebration
We are already considering the schedule for our final day of the summer term, to hopefully include on-site parent teacher catch ups and a celebration of the school year. We will work on plans and keep you updated.
PAWS
As mentioned a while ago, it would be great if our ‘Parents of Abbot’s Way School’ group could move forward now that we are registered. Some interest was shown previously - please liaise with Sue if you would be able to lead on this. The idea is that the group is a support for school and runs with our input where necessary yet not with our direct management.
Venture
With lockdown restrictions easing over time, our team is looking forward to phasing in our Venture programme, a huge part of our ethos and USP. It will be great to take students off-site to explore our surrounding area both nearby and further afield, encouraging enquiry, imagination and application of knowledge and skills.
Student Challenges
Some themed activities are being compiled for students to complete if they wish whilst on their break - more to follow.
As ever, a huge thanks to our committed staff team who are currently busy curriculum planning and target setting for next term. It will be our aim from September to share an outline of subjects’ termly topics with parents via our website. Students’ individual Learning Plans (IEPs) will be shared with parents by Kate, our SENCo, as they are created with students. These will be updated termly by the team.
With many thanks to our parents and wider team for your ongoing support - it is greatly appreciated as we continue to move Abbot’s Way forward and develop our vision and it’s future.
Best wishes
Hellen and Gareth