North Yorkshire County Council
Friday 21st October 2011
Dear Parents
Autumn has clearly arrived, it is amazing how the seasons suddenly change. It has again been a very busy and
successful half-term with several notable achievements for the school, especially being awarded the National
Standard for Enterprise Education, and my thanks in particular to Mrs Staple for leading this work. We are also
very proud of how the school farm has expanded during the course of the term, to include two Shetland ponies;
Ryeland sheep; rare breed turkeys; white hens and the assembly of the poly tunnels. I am very grateful to all the
staff and pupils who have helped make this happen.
This Monday three pupils, Mr Berry and Mrs Wallace visited Downing Street, the Science Museum and the House
of Lords in London, as a result of winning the North Yorkshire Climate Change competition last year. The pupils
were accompanied by two Members of Parliament and I would like to thank them and the staff for their excellent
conduct and the fine ambassadors they made for Mowbray School.
After half term we are setting up an additional primary class, this is so we can reduce the class sizes within the
Primary department. Miss Laura Hoyland will be the teacher in charge of the class and staff will let you know if
your child is moving to this new class. Miss Hoyland has taught at school before and I’m sure will make a very
positive contribution to school and your child’s learning.
Mrs Lamming has been absent for the past two weeks following surgery on her foot, we wish her a speedy
recovery and hope to see her back a few weeks after half term. We have not had the best of starts for illness this
term, with a sickness bug affecting a high number of staff and pupils, I would ask that you help minimise infection
of others by keeping your child off from school for 48 hours after the last bout of sickness or diarrhoea, this policy
helps protect other children and staff from catching highly infectious bugs.
As I write this letter we have a group of pupils on an Outdoor Education residential trip at East Barnby near
Whitby, they are all having a very busy and energetic time, such trips as these give pupils exciting opportunities
for pupils to undertake different activities and are very important to develop self help skills and independence
skills. Many thanks to Mrs Pickles; Mrs Saunders and Mrs Scaife for giving their time to run this and go with them.
We have been given a school flag and flag pole by the Gillespie family and soon as we get the chance will have it
sited in the school grounds and will then have a small ceremony to raise the flag, I will keep you informed for this.
We are most grateful to Finn and his family for donating this to school.
Many thanks to the many parents who attended Tuesday nights meeting with Andrew Terry and Christine
Steadman from NYCC to raise concerns regarding 16 to 19 provision. Though I am frustrated by his need to follow
both Government and NYCC strategies, I felt that parents very clearly voiced their views and that he and the
councillors who were present, must now have a more realistic understanding of your challenges. I do not want to
let the matter rest and am drafting a letter to councillors to push them further, I would like you to think about
what you now do and whether a group of parents get together to pursue this further. If you are interested in this
would you let me know and I can help co-ordinate meetings and suggest potential strategies.
May I wish everyone a very peaceful half term and look forward to school reopening on the 31st October 2011.
Yours sincerely,
Jonathan Tearle, Headteacher
Masham Road, Bedale, North Yorkshire, DL8 2SD,
Headteacher: Jonathan Tearle M.Ed B.Ed (Hons)
Tel: 01677 422446 Fax: 01677 426056
Email: admin@mowbray.n-yorks.sch.uk