Christmas has arrived in school with the sound of festive singing and nativity rehearsals now in full swing.  Please check below for their details and we look forward to seeing as many of you as possible.

Please read Around the Classes to find out what has been happening in each class this week.

Dates for the diary

• Turtles and Dolphins nativity, 2pm, Tuesday 9th December @2pm
• Years 1& 2 nativity performances are 2pm Wednesday 10th December and 9.30am Thursday 11th December
• Xmas fair Friday 12th December 3-5pm
• Christmas dinner for pupils and wear your Christmas jumper day Wednesday 17th December
• Years 3-6 Christmas celebration at St Mary’s church, Appledore, 2pm Friday 19th December
• Have a good weekend everybody

From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff (more…)

School Christmas raffle tickets are selling well and the prize list is growing! See here for more information and if you need more tickets please contact us.

Thank you for considering our neighbours by remembering Kingsley Avenue is a private road and there is no permission to park on it. Please contact us if you would like a parking permit for Oden Road car park.

Thank you for your donations to Children in Need and food at harvest. We raised £256 for Children in Need and delivered the harvest donations to a local homeless charity that was very grateful.

Dates for the diary

• Xmas disco Friday 28th November Reception 7 Years 1&2 @5-6pm and Years 3-6 @6.30-7.30pm
• Turtles and Dolphins nativity, 2pm, Tuesday 9th December @2pm
• Years 1& 2 nativity performances are 2pm Wednesday 10th December and 9.30am Thursday 11th December
• Xmas fair Friday 12th December 3-5pm
• Years 3-6 Christmas celebration at St Mary’s church, Appledore, 2pm Friday 19th December
• Have a good weekend everybody

From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff (more…)

The school Christmas raffle is gaining momentum and the current total (and rising) is over £800 worth of vouchers and prizes from local businesses! See here for more information and your child should have brought home some raffle tickets earlier this week. If they didn’t, or you want more tickets, please contact us.

Please remember Kingsley Avenue is a private road and there is no permission to park on it. Please contact us if you would like a parking permit for Oden Road car park.

If money is especially tight and you are worried about buying presents for your children this Christmas, please contact elizabeth.phillips@appledoreprimary.co.uk (our learning mentor) regarding requesting support from a local charity that can provide wrapped presents and a hamper of Christmas treats. Please be reassured of our confidentiality over this.

Dates for the diary

• Individual school photos and sphotos with siblings at school will be on Thursday 20th November. Siblings who are not at the school can come in from 8-9am to have sibling photos taken.
• Xmas disco Friday 28th November Reception 7 Years 1&2 @5-6pm and Years 3-6 @6.30-7.30pm
• Years 1& 2 nativity performances are 2pm Wednesday 10th December and 9.30am Thursday 11th December
• Xmas fair Friday 12th December 3-5pm
• Years 3-6 Christmas celebration at St Mary’s church, Appledore, 2pm Friday 19th December
• Wishing you all a lovely weekend

From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff (more…)

Welcome back everybody and we hope you had a good half term.

Individual school photos will be on Thursday 20th November. Siblings who are not at the school can come in from 8-9am to have sibling photos taken. Siblings who attend the school will have a photo taken together during the day. The door by the school hall will be open and photos will take place in the Harbour room- follow the signs!

The school Christmas raffle is gaining momentum and the current total (and rising) is over £800 worth of vouchers and prizes from local businesses! See here for more information and your child should have brought home some raffle tickets today. If they didn’t, or you want more tickets, please contact us.

We have recently partnered with the Mental Health Support Team (MHST) for schools in Torridge who work for Children and Family Health Devon, part of the NHS. They are an award-winning early
intervention service for children and young people, supporting schools to raise awareness of Mental Health, reduce stigma around asking for support, and providing families with targeted
support at an earlier stage of mental health difficulty. They have started support our school and will be starting to take referrals for either 1:1 or small group interventions to
address mild to moderate mental health needs such as anxiety or low mood. To understand more about us they would love to hear your views on what is already going well in your school with regard to
mental health awareness, provision and support and what you would like to see more of and have therefore created a 5-minute survey for you to complete. Please see here for more information and here for the link to the survey.

Our parent association is on the lookout for a few more parents and carers to join their committee! It’s a great way to get involved, meet other families, and help make a difference at school. No big commitment — just bring your ideas and enthusiasm! Come along to their next PTA meeting on Monday 10th November 7:30 in the school art room to see what it’s all about. They would love to have you on board and tea/coffee and cake will be provided!

This Christmas, Procoaching is running their holiday activity and food programme at West Croft Primary School again, including festive arts and crafts, sports, and various activities with a hot lunch for the children. Ages 5-14 years. There is a charge for programme and it is free of charge for children on benefit related free school meals and in care. For more information see here

If money is especially tight and you are worried about buying presents for your children this Christmas, please contact elizabeth.phillips@appledoreprimary.co.uk (our learning mentor) regarding requesting support from a local charity that can provide wrapped presents and a hamper of Christmas treats. Please be reassured of our confidentiality over this.

Dates for the diary

• Parent Association committee meeting Monday 10th November at 7.30pm in the art studio
• Children in Need – wear spots and/or stripes to school – Friday 14th November. Donations are optional, but if you do want to donate please note that we are not permitted to bank coins of less than a pound.
• Xmas disco Friday 28th November Reception 7 Years 1&2 @5-6pm and Years 3-6 @6.30-7.30pm
• Xmas fair Friday 12th December 3-5pm
• Years 3-6 Christmas celebration at St Mary’s church, Appledore, 2pm Friday 19th December
• Wishing you all a lovely weekend

From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff (more…)

Day trips and residential trips have been part of this week in school and please read on to find out what has been happening in an around all the classes.

Friends of Appledore School (FOAS) hosted their AGM last week and hope to recruit helpers. Last year the events they organised brought in over £5000 profit that all went  to very good causes for the benefit of the children. Please consider offering your support to them, because without more helpers this support is not guaranteed. To read their AGM minutes please see here and to contact them to see if you can help please contact admin@appledoreprimary.co.uk and we will forward your details to FOAS.

Dates for the diary

• Cake Sale after school on Friday 24th October. Cake donations on the morning of the sale please.
• Half term Appledore Library activities include a stop frame animation workshop and a Shaun the Sheep trail
• Xmas disco Friday 28th November Reception 7 Years 1&2 @5-6pm and Years 3-6 @6.30-7.30pm
• Xmas fair Friday 12th December 3-5pm
• Wishing you all a lovely weekend and don’t forget next week is half term!

From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff (more…)

More harvest festivities this week (last week  years 3-6, this week years 1&2 and next week Turtles and Dolphins) and a really good set of performances at a local cross country event. Well done everybody and please read on to find out what has been happening in each year group.

Dates for the diary

• Turtles and Dolphins harvest festival will take place on Tuesday 2st October at 2.30pm in our school hall
• Cake Sale after school on Friday 24th October. Cake donations on the morning of the sale please.
• Xmas disco Friday 28th November Reception 7 Years 1&2 @5-6pm and Years 3-6 @6.30-7.30pm
• Xmas fair Friday 12th December 3-5pm
• Wishing you all a lovely weekend

From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff (more…)

A lovely busy week that included trips and much, much more, so please read our Around the Classes section to find out.

We have been made aware of the following information regarding the series Spy Dogs/Pups and Spy Cat books written by Andrew Cope. These books contain a link to a website which contains highly pornographic content. The book asks children to explore the website to find more about the characters in the book. It appears the website identified (on the back or inside page) has now been compromised and takes users to a pornographic website with no age verification.

For our September attendance newsletter please see here.

Dates for the diary

• Year 1 and 2 Harvest festival will take place on Thursday 16th October at 2;30pm
• Xmas disco Friday 28th November Reception 7 Years 1&2 @5-6pm and Years 3-6 @6.30-7.30pm
• Xmas fair Friday 12th December 3-5pm
• Wishing you all a lovely weekend

From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff (more…)

For details of half term and December football holiday camps, please see here and here. And for those children who play instruments who want to play with other musicians, please see here.

St Mary’s Church, Appledore, have a family service on Sunday at 3pm where you can take your pets. Now that does sound interesting!

Dates for the diary

• Harvest festival years 3-6, 2pm 8th October, St Mary’s Church (please see around the classes section for more details)
• Year 1 and 2 Harvest festival will take place on Thursday 16th October at 2;30pm
• Xmas disco Friday 28th November Reception 7 Years 1&2 @5-6pm and Years 3-6 @6.30-7.30pm
• Xmas fair Friday 12th December 3-5pm
• Wishing you all a lovely weekend

From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff

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At this time of year we require school permissions from you to be reconfirmed please. To do this in the MyChildAtSchool app, please see Parental Consent section.  Please note it is very important this this completed each year.

The entry window for Rotary Youth Competitions 2025-2026 has opened and the categories are; Young Artist; Young Photographer; Young Writer; Young Environmentalist; Young Musician and Young Chef. There is also a Junior Youth Speaks competition. For more information see here and for entry forms, coordinated by Bideford Rotary Club, contact bidefordrotary@gmail.com

Further to the email sent out about the annual nasal flu vaccination, available for all children from reception to Year 6, please be aware NHS nurses will be in school to administering the vaccination for in school on Thursday 13th November 2025 to those who have been given consent for. If you want your child to be vaccinated and have not already completed the consent form it is available here along with information about the vaccination. Please note that consent is required by midday Tuesday 11th November 2025. Even if you don’t want your child to have the vaccine please complete the form but tick ‘no’ for consent, so we know you do not want your child to have the vaccine and haven’t just missed the email.

Dates for the diary

• Friends of Appledore School meeting at 7pm, October 2nd at the school and all are very welcome to attend.
• Harvest festival years 3-6, 2pm 8th October, St Mary’s Church (please see around the classes section for more details)
• Year 1 and 2 Harvest festival will take place on Thursday 16th October at 2;30pm.
• Wishing you all a lovely weekend

From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff (more…)

FOAS (Friends of Appledore School) is our parents association that play a vital role in fundraising for projects and activities that benefit the school. A small group of kind parents run various activities throughout the year and new faces are required to help with the current programme of events and to bring new ideas. There will be a meeting to discuss the year ahead at 7pm on October 2nd at the school. See here for more information.

Further to the email sent out about the annual nasal flu vaccination, available for all children from reception to Year 6, please be aware NHS nurses will be in school to administering the vaccination for in school on Thursday 13th November 2025 to those who have been given consent for. If you want your child to be vaccinated and have not already completed the consent form it is available here along with information about the vaccination. Please note that consent is required by midday Tuesday 11th November 2025.

Dates for the diary

• To find out how you can help hedgehogs as part of a big project underway in North Devon and Appledore, see here for more information on 20th September
• Friends of Appledore School meeting at 7pm, October 2nd at the school and all are very welcome to attend.
• Harvest festival years 3-6, 2pm 8th October, St Mary’s Church (please see around the classes section for more details)

Wishing you all a lovely weekend

From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff (more…)

The end of our first full week and I think everyone is ready for a weekend. A new school brings so much change and new experiences and the children are adapting well. Please do speak to your child’s teachers if you are unsure about anything or you have any concerns about something. We are all here to help.

Open days and evenings for secondary school are organised (or will be soon) and information is available here for Bideford College, Great Torrington, Chulmleigh, Park, Pilton, Kingsley, West Buckland and Shebbear College.

Appledore Library had a great summer with lots of children signing up for the Summer Book Quest and encourages them all to finish by collecting their stickers, certificate, keyring and free book.  Please note the last day to finish by is Saturday 13th September which is also the same day as the Appledore Book Festival Family Fun Day and the library will be open longer than normal and holding a sea themed Lego & craft session with a curiosity table run by the North Devon Maritime Museum.

Volunteers have been working hard in our woodland to prepare the area for our new outdoor area for our nursery children (thank you all) and cameras motion sensor cameras installed to capture wildlife. So far, there have been sighting of a range of animals (eg foxes and squirrels) but as yet no hedgehogs… despite our best efforts to create a hedgehog friendly environment. We will be participating in a big North Devon hedgehog project soon and more information can be found about that in the Dates for the Dairy section below.

Dates for the diary

• For Book Quest and Lego and crafts activities this Saturday at Appledore Library please see here and here
• For North Devon Biosphere family fun activities this Saturday as part of the Book festival see here
• To find out how you can help hedgehogs as part of a big project underway in North Devon and Appledore, see here for more information on 20th September
• Harvest festival years 3-6, 2pm 8th October, St Mary’s Church (please see around the classes section for more details)

Wishing you all a lovely weekend

From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff

PS – apologies if last week’s newsletter wasn’t published when we messaged you about it! Please do read it too for useful information. (more…)

Welcome back to all our existing families and a warm welcome to all our new families. School has started well and it is great to have the children back ready and raring to go for all this term brings. And Autumn term is very busy (and long) one!

At the beginning of term there is always so much information to take on board, so please do ask us if you are unsure about anything. A letter was emailed this week with some general information, but if you missed it a copy is available here.

Please do check in to our website on Fridays, because this newsletter is posted during the afternoon and will include information that we would not want you to miss. To find out what has been happening in your child’s class that week, please ensure you read the Around the Classes section. For a summary of what your child will be learning this year please see Dolphins, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 and for more detailed information please see there subject plans here.

Dates for the diary

• Harvest festival years 3-6, 2pm 8th October, St Mary’s Church (please see around the classes section for more details)

Wishing you all a lovely weekend

From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff (more…)

Thank you for such an enjoyable year. We wish all our children and families who are leaving us, moving to other primary schools around the country or onto secondary school, every success and happiness.  Today we will say goodbye to our Year 6 at their afternoon leavers’ assembly as we wish them well for the next stage of their life.  They have been a fun group of children and we hold many special memories of their time here.

Every year Devon County Council send out a Parent’s Childcare Survey to parents living in Devon to find out information about their use of childcare. Here is this year’s Parents Childcare Survey, please complete it yourself if you are a parent of a child or young person.

Well done to Pacific (red house) for winning sports day, closely followed by Indian (yellow), Arctic (blue) and Atlantic (green). It was a lovely day and thank you to all the participants and to all who came to see us.

Please see below for information about various summer holiday activities:

• Full on the 8th of August, but a few spaces remain on 22nd August for a woodland holiday club here at Appledore School. See here for more information
• HAF holiday club in Barnstaple see here 
• Football holiday camp in Bideford see here
• Learn how to sail at North Devon yacht club, Instow, see here
• Events at Appledore Library see here

This week, Hannah Walters, the manager of our breakfast and after school club, died at North Devon Hospice. In memory of Hannah and her kindness and compassion we are renaming AOOSC Hannah’s Breakfast and After School Club from September and referring to the club simply as Hannah’s. This will be reflected in the communication we have with you regarding the club as we strive to continue the quality of service the club provided under Hannah’s leadership.

Please read on for the last posts from each class teacher to find out what your children have got up to this week.

Wishing you all a very happy summer and for those returning we look forward to seeing back on Wednesday 3rd September.

From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff

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A busy week for all and certainly for year 6 who received their SATS results and performed their play to their parents on the same day – both a HUGE triumph and success. Well done Year 6.

We have received from Devon County Council a warning over a widespread WhatsApp group titled ‘add everybody you know’ that is circulating inappropriate material. Please see here for more information and have a conversation with your children about the need to remain safe if they are WhatsApp users.

For information about cricket summer camps at Bideford Cricket Club for children aged 6-13, please see here

Free family fun day at ARC (Atlantic Racquets Centre), Bideford, Saturday 12th July. See here or here for more information

For a free, fun North Devon Biosphere activity on Appledore Quay where you can meet the creatures that live on our shores see here

Wishing you all a super weekend.

From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff

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Today is our School Fete 3.30-5pm and we hope to see you there!

For an informative guide on supporting children and young people’s transition to secondary school, please see here.

• Girls cricket @Bideford Cricket Club free turn up and play sessions information see here
• Free family fun day at ARC (Atlantic Racquets Centre), Bideford, Saturday 12th July. See here or here for more information
• Football summer camps at Bideford Blues see here and Moreton Park, Bideford, see here

Wishing you all a great weekend.

From Jeremy Cooper and all the children and staff (more…)