2014-2015
FAMILY
NEWSLETTER
friday 14th NOVEMBEr 2014
Dear Families
No 5
Dates for your Diary
Tues 18th November –
Tempest Photography visiting
Mon 1st December - Occasional Day
Fri 19th December - Last day of term
The Pinhoe Sainsbury’s Toy Donation Appeal:
On Thursday 13th November – Sainsbury’s kindly delivered lots of new toys that had been
donated by customers in their Store to us that had been collected over the last few weeks.
The students had a great time looking through them all and they will be distributed throughout
the various classes in school.
A BIG THANK YOU TO SAINSBURY’S FOR
NOMINATING
ELLEN TINKHAM SCHOOL.
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CHILDREN IN NEED DAY – Friday 14th November 2014
Students and staff had a wonderful day on Friday for Children In Need Day. We will let you
know the amount raised at a later date.
Alfie won the Lower School Fancy Dress Prize
Rhianna won the Upper School Fancy Dress Prize
Christmas - Ho Ho Ho!
In the run-up to Christmas, we have lots of exciting events planned for the students including
decorating the Christmas Tree, a special dance performance, our scrumptious Christmas Lunch,
a visit by Father Christmas and a disco to end the term. (Father Christmas may visiting Ellen
Tinkham School twice this year, the first time early in December, but watch this space!)
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Here are some Christmas dates for your diary:
Tuesday 16th December 2014 - Lower School Nativity Play
Thursday 18th December 2014 - Upper School Performance
Christmas Fayre
Our Christmas Fayre this year is taking place on Thursday 11th December from 10 am until 12
noon.
Classes will be running stalls and games throughout the morning, and we will have some lovely
gifts for you to purchase in time for Christmas. Plus our resident ETS Choir will also be
entertaining us with some festive tunes!
If you have luxury items of food and drink you could donate for our hamper, we would be
grateful if these could be sent in nearer the time. Raffle tickets will be sent home in the next
week or so.
Moving students from Statements to Education, Health and Care Plans
You may have heard that the government has changed the law about Special Needs Education.
The new law started on the 1st of September 2014.
One part of the new law is a complete change to the way children and young people are given
extra help with their Education, Health and Care needs. This change means that over the next
three years, our students will be transferred from their current Statements of Educational Need
to the new plans. These will either be an ‘Education, Health and Care Plan’ (EHCP) or a ‘My
Plan’, according to the students age and what they are going to do in the next academic year.
For families of pupils in Year 11, statements will be transferred this term and Gill Allen will be
co-ordinating transfer reviews. Together, we will gather information about your child that the 025 SEN Team (formerly CSET) can use to issue an EHC Plan that names your child’s planned
Post 16 provider.
For other families, we will be following the government’s 3 year plan to transfer our pupils from
their Statements of Educational Need onto the new Education, Health and Care Plans. You can
see from the grid below which school year we will be doing this for your child. Until your child’s
transfer date comes up, their Statement is still their legal document and we will have the usual
Annual Review Meeting.
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If your child is in this year group Then they will be Transferred to the new plan
NOW (2014-15)
THEN:
5,9,11
2014-15 (Yr 11 in Autumn term, Yrs 5 + 9 in
Summer Term)
4,8,10
2015-16
0,1,2,3,6
2016-17
7
2017-18
Years 12, 13 and 14 will be transferring according to their own future plans so we will inform
each parent accordingly.
If you have any questions, please call Gill Allen in school. You can also call the new Information
Service on the leaflet attached which is set up by CareersSW and Devon Parent Partnership to
support families through this change. There are also some local information sessions coming up
which are on the attached leaflet.
Moving from SEN Statements to Education Health &Care Plans
New Parent Information Sheet
Find out more about changes in SEND law from September 2014
If you are a parent or carer of a child/young person with a statement of SEN then this is your
opportunity to find out how the changes will affect your family. We will be holding the following
events about the transfer of Statements of SEN to Education Health & Care Plans.
Mon 17 Nov Sidmouth Primary School 9.45-11.45am
Tues 18 Nov Fremington Community Primary School 9.30-11.30am
Tues 25 Nov South Dartmoor Community College 9.30-11.30am
Wed 14 Jan Sandford Primary School, Crediton 1.15-3.15pm
Thurs 29 Jan Woodwater Academy, Exeter 9.30-11.30am
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You are welcome to attend any of these events but will need to book a place.
Please do this by phoning: 01392 386438
emailing: parentpartnershipservice-mailbox@devon.gov.uk
More dates and venues to follow!
In your message, please state which event you would like to attend and give your name,
phone number and child’s school.
Jacqui Warne
Executive Head
Message from Deb Ward:
Hollow Lane Club
Just a polite reminder that all fees for the Hollow Lane Club should be paid in full by the
end of term. If you have any fees outstanding, can you please send your payment to Deb
Ward as soon as possible.
Senior/Administrator/Fundraiser – The Hollow Lane Club
There is currently a vacancy within the Hollow Lane Club for the above post. This is a
flexible, part-time position working 8 hours per week. For further information, please
visit the Devon Choices website. The closing date is Friday
21st November 2014.
Message from Caroline Thomas:
A big thank you to all those who donated a Christmas Shoe Box to the Christmas appeal.
These have all been delivered and will be greatly appreciated.
Message from Sue Scott:
Please could you send in any used postage stamps as these go to the Elf Unit at
the hospital.
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Other Messages:
Just a reminder that dinner money should be paid weekly/half-termly/termly in advance
by either cash, cheque or online. Thank you.
Thank you to those who have responded to the email address request for future
newsletters to be sent via email. If you would like the Family Newsletter sent by email,
please let Laura McGhin (Reception) have this information.
PTFA NEWS
You will be shortly receiving a “Blue bag” to put all your unwanted but wearable men’s,
ladies and children’s clothes, belts, bags, shoes (tied together in pairs), soft toys and hats
in. For those of you who haven’t participated in this scheme before; this is an easy way
for us to raise money as we receive 50p for every kg in weight collected. If you need
more bags please ask in reception or use an ordinary black bin liner. These full and
hopefully heavy bags need to be in school first thing on Friday 28th November and please
not before as there is no storage space for them. I have asked the bus and taxi drivers
again on your behalf if they will be willing to bring these bags into school on that
morning for you when they pick your child up. Please do help us with this fund raising
and ask neighbours and friends to collect as well.
Our next meeting which is the AGM will be on Monday 24th November at 10am in
school. Sheri (our treasurer – whose daughter left Ellen Tinkham in July) and myself
(Chair) are both stepping down. The PTFA is very much valued by staff and the children
for providing the “extras” that help enrich our children’s school experiences. We really
need more parental/carer support so please come along to our next meeting and if you
are good with finances or think that you could give up a little time to help but can’t make
that date then please let your child’s teacher know or me (Vicky via FE1). Thank you.
Vicky Bryant
Current Chair of the PTFA
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Other News:
The ODEON trial of Autism Friendly Screenings for older audiences is going well. Please
remember they are screened at 6pm on the Monday following ODEON’s usual Autism
Friendly Screening, at ten cinemas selected to run the trial. Find out what will be showing at
a cinema near you.
November’s films will be:
ODEON: Nativity 3 – Sunday 16th November at 11:30am.
ODEON trial screening for older audiences at ten selected cinemas: Interstellar 2D
(12A) – Monday 17th November at 6pm
Vue: The Nut Job – Sunday 30th November at 10am for just £1.75
As always, adjustments will be in place for all of the screenings during November. These
include: lights being left on low, no adverts, lower sound levels, people being able to move
around the cinema and able to take their own food. Flyers are attached to my email –
please do print and share, as well as send onto anybody you feel would be interested in the
screenings.
Key points:
Vue and Showcase films start at 10am, Cineworld films start at 11am and ODEON films start
at 11.30am and 6pm for the adult screening trial – there are no trailers so please make sure
you are seated in time
Full list of participating cinemas
List of ODEON cinemas selected to run Autism Friendly Screenings for older audiences
ODEON tickets can be booked on the Wednesday before the screening through the ODEON
accessibility helpline number 0800 138 3315. Or book online
Vue tickets can be booked online or for information call 08712 240 240
Cineworld tickets can be booked online or for information call 0871 200 2000
Showcase tickets can be booked online or by calling 0871 220 1000
For answers to all your questions about Autism Friendly Films please visit our FAQs page
To sign up to our film e-news bulletin and get the latest Autism Friendly Film Screening
news straight to your inbox please visit e-news
Vue tickets are priced at £1.75 because they are older films.
Visitwww.dimensions-uk.org/autismfriendly
CASTLE DROGO VISITOR CENTRE - COFFEE MORNING
In aid of Special needs Activities in the Park (SNAP) and Friends of Drewsteignton
Churchyard at Castle Drogo Visitor Centre, Drewsteignton – Wednesday 26th November –
10.00am to 12 noon.
Bring and Buy: Cakes and quiches, bottles, books, DVDs, small presents, pottery, turkey
draw and Christmas cake draw. Please come and bring a friend of two.
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