This week began with the disappointing news that it is not going to be possible to lift the remaining social distance restrictions on Monday. We are all looking forward to the time when we can gather together as a whole school but in the meantime are enjoying the larger bubble groupings and our regular get-togethers via TEAMs.

This is a lovely time of year to be attending Brunel. The extensive grounds and patio areas provide many opportunities for outdoor learning and I've seen them put to good use in a number of ways this week. Please visit the class blogs and have a look at the Achievers poster below for examples of this week's activities.

We would like to sat a huge thank you for your contributions to the recent BFA funding events. Your generous donations have amounted to over £1,000. 

Congratulations to all the children who took part in The Captain Tom challenge which raised an amazing £885. What a fantastic effort - well done!

Relax the Rules day raised another £206. The children and staff thoroughly enjoyed this event. They were able to, among other things, enjoy snacks at random times throughout the day, listen to music, wear non-uniform and do lessons backwards.

Some of the money you have raised has been used to purchase exciting new reading books for the KS2 classrooms and a total of eight picnic benches which have provided the opportunity for the children to work and eat their lunch outside. 

Thank you also to the Brunel Friend's Association members for coming up with the ideas and organising everything. It really is appreciated.

Suzanne Cooper
Headteacher

Dear Parents and Carers,

Please see below the report from the recent Ofsted monitoring visit; it will be published on the Ofsted website next week. We are very pleased that Her Majesty's Inspectors recognised the many improvements that have continued to be made despite the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic. 'Leaders, including governors, are driving effective improvement across the school' and 'their vision for pupils to succeed academically, socially and emotionally is shared by all staff'.

This half term seems to have flown by. The children have worked extremely hard, and we have all been very impressed with the progress they have made. Hopefully, some of you will already have been made aware of this during your recent parent/teacher consultations. As always, we thank you for the support you continue to give to your children at home. Reading really is the key to learning and we appreciate the time you take to help them practice.

The Brunel Friend’s Association ‘Relax the Rules’ event has been enjoyed by everyone. Thank you for your generous donations, the BFA will let you know how much was raised very soon.

During my walk around the school today I have seen and heard things that I have never encountered before at Brunel and I’m rather relieved that it was for one day only!

Here are just a few of my discoveries:

·       A space hopper race instead of guided reading.

·       Being greeted with ‘Good afternoon’ at 9:30 am.

·       Classes answering the phone with random beach names such as Bondi Class.

·       Children and staff eating unhealthy snacks such as Pringles, ice poles and chocolate, sometimes with their feet up on the tables.

·       Faces and hands decorated with glitter, nail varnish and tattoos.

·       Children and staff wearing all manner of clothing including slippers, sunglasses, hats, blankets and even underpants on their heads.

Below are this week's class Achievers. Please visit the class blogs to see more examples of Brunel learning.

Friendship Benches

We were delighted to receive these colourful Friendship Benches from the Smith family earlier this week. The idea of a Friendship Bench is that anyone who is feeling a little lonely or has nobody to play with can sit on the bench enabling other children to notice and join them for a chat.The school council spent an afternoon touring the school to decide where to permanently site them and have agreed on a number of suitable locations. Look out for them appearing in playgrounds soon! 

Below you will find this week's class Achievers. Congratulations to all the children who have been chosen. We will be celebrating your successes during Monday's Achievers Assembly

Virtual LIVE tour of MVV Energy from Waste Facility , Plymouth.


Thursday 22nd of April was international Earth Day, to promote awareness of environmental protection, and Brunel children have been investigating  how they can help by recycling. 
One of the bonuses of the current situation is that instead of the usual visit for just one year group, all Brunel pupils were able to experience a live virtual tour of The Energy from Waste Facility in Devonport.
They learned about the inner workings of the facility and about the reduce, reuse, recycle and recover hierarchy. During the tour the children impressed Jane and Colin, the guides, with a range of very inquisitive questions. Here are some of the facts they found out.

Dear Parents, Carers and Staff,

We are finally at the end of what seems to have been an incredibly long term. As always, I want to say a massive thank you to all of you for your support over the challenging past few months. You have all adapted and taken on board the changes that we have had to make and supported the school so much during another incredibly tough time. This situation is not quite over yet so we hope that you will continue to support us as we move through the summer term.

Education has been different whether at home or in school, but pupils have really stepped up to the plate and have again adapted so well to the new circumstances. With rules and regulations changing frequently, they have been flexible in their approach and have taken things on board with minimal fuss. This is a testament to the hard work that you put in as parents but also the work we do at school and shows that we have a consistent approach together. One of the bonuses of the lockdowns has been more contact between staff and many parents/carers and we aim to continue to foster the positive relationships we’ve made.

Finally, the staff and governors have been brilliant over the course of the past term. It has been difficult at times, but they have all remained committed to providing the best education possible for your children. Thanks in part to their vigilance and adherence to standards, we have been lucky to have had a very low rate of COVID related absences and cases in school. A special mention must go out to our crucial team of cleaners who have been working extemely hard following the enhanced regulations and to Jane and the kitchen staff who have been put through an intense daily exercise regime delivering all the food to the classrooms!

I hope you enjoy a relaxing Easter break and look forward to seeing the children back in school on Monday 19th April.

Yours sincerely,

Suzanne Cooper
Headteacher