Welcome back after the half term break. Although the weather this week hasn’t felt like summer term, the whole school had a brilliant Wild Tribe Day on Wednesday, learning art, survival skills and teamwork! It was great to see the children working so well together. It was lovely to see babies and toddlers at Mini Miners on Tuesday. They were enjoying the soft play, arts and crafts and the other toys on offer. Remember, if you or anyone you know have children from birth to 4, pop along each Tuesday for a natter, play and some refreshments in the school. We have been invited by The Morrab Library in Penzance to give children the chance to enter a short story writing competition. There is no theme so the amazing writers at Darite can let their imaginations run wild. There is absolutely no expectation for children to take part but, if they want to, the details of the competition and prizes can be found here. Going out today is a short letter with details of the classes and staffing next year. I am pleased to say that there are no changes to the structure this year and the school continues to go from strength to strength. Thank-you for your support this year – Darite is a very special place to work and learn. Finally, it is with sadness that we wish Mrs Saberton good luck today as she leaves for her new role at Liskeard Secondary. She has been a pillar of Darite for many years and will be missed by the children and staff alike. I know you will join with us in wishing her the best and I know that the children going to Liskeard in Year 7 will already know a friendly face. Thank-you for everything you have done for the children. 

This half term has passes in what seems like a flash! This half term has flown by and has been filled with amazing experiences and learning. Thank-you for everything that you all do to support the school. I have had the pleasure in showing some new (and returning) pupils and parents round this week and all of them have said what a special and friendly place Darite is. We know it but it is fantastic to show others. Thank-you to you and the children for making Darite so special. Highlights of this term include the Lego competition, the trip to Deer Park Farm, Mini-police, Parliament sessions and much more! Looking ahead we have swimming, sports day, plays, more trip and loads more still to come. Finally, it is with some sadness that I want to share with you the news that Mrs Saberton is sadly leaving Darite next half term. She is starting a new, exciting journey, supporting children at Liskeard school. She has been an integral part of Darite for a long time now as a teaching assistant, midday supervisor, friendly face and a listening ear and she will be greatly missed by us all. We are excited for her new role and know that she will be fantastic in this as well. I know our Year 6 will like seeing a friendly face in September too. I hope you will join with us in wishing her the best. I am delighted to let you know that Mrs Nel will be taking over in Class 1. She has been doing a wonderful job in Class 2 and knows all the children really well. We are lucky to be able to have such a strong team of staff at Darite. This newsletter is coming out on Thursday as we have an INSET day tomorrow. I would like to wish you all a relaxing half term and we are looking forward to seeing the children back on the 2nd June for the final half term of the year!

It's been another busy week with glorious weather and lots of outdoor learning for the children. Thank-you for sending children in with sun-cream applied and in bags so that they can re-apply it. We also ask that hats are also worn - it is amazing to be able to get out in the sun but we all want the children to be safe. This week was a big one for Year 6. They sat their end of KS2 SATs this week with tests in reading, grammar, spelling, punctuation and maths! Regardless of their results, each and every one of them gave 100% and their attitude during the week was fantastic. They all did amazingly and should be proud of themselves. Next week is the final week of this half term - it's flown! The staff have an INSET day on Friday so the last day for the children will be Thursday. Even though it is the last week of half term, we are still launching our new toddler group "Mini-miners". This will run in the hall each Tuesday from 9.45 until 11 and is a chance for children aged 0-4 to come along with their adults and enjoy some arts and crafts, soft play and much more. It is open to all and is free of charge. If you know someone who may enjoy this group, please let them know. We're really looking forward to seeing everyone next Tuesday.

The weather really has taken a turn for the better this week with the children able to take advantage of our amazing grounds. It's been another great week with lot of things going on to tell you about. Firstly I would like to thank everyone for their support of the Lego team who travelled to Harrogate last weekend to compete in the national finals. We were so proud of them to reach the final and were over the moon with the fact that they came 8th in the whole country in the coding section of the competition. We could not have done it without the support of the school community and it really shows what a special place Darite can be. To find out more details of this superb achievement, please look at the previous blog post Thursday saw VE day with the whole school celebrating the end of the Second World War in Europe. We learned all about the day, why it was special and why it still matters today. We also learned from a pupil that Jersey (one of the only places to be occupied by the Axis powers in WW2) has a "Liberation Day" holiday on the 9th as the news of the end of the fighting didn't reach the island until a day later. We also sampled some delicious flag biscuits to celebrate. We also welcomed Tom from the UK Parliament Engagement Program to KS2 this week. He came in to talk about the way parliament works, how laws are passed and why the building is so important. Thank you to Tom for giving up his time.

Weekly News 25 Apr 25

Welcome back to Darite! I hope you all had a great break over Easter - the children have certainly been telling us all about their fun activities. We've certainly hit the ground running this week with the trip to Deer Park Farm on Wednesday. The children learned all about the work of the farm, their animals and how they are working on the stewardship of their land by using "leaky dams" and replanting hedgerows to support nature and enhance the farm. The children were amazing, asking lots of very sensible questions to find out more. Highlights of the day including the tractor ride and holding a 3 day old lamb! Thank-you to everyone at the farm for making the day so special. We have a lot coming up this half term from the Lego finals next weekend the Minipolice in Class 2. Year 6 have their SATs in a few weeks and dance starts next Tuesday! As you can see, it's never quiet at Darite and thank-you for your support of the school. 

28th Mar 25

The weather is finally starting to improve and the children have been making the most of it this week with Class 1 looking at compass points in the playground and Year 3 and 4 enjoying a Wild Tribe morning. It has been a busy week and we have only got another one before a well-earned Easter break. Year 5 and 6 enjoyed a visit from the National Marine Aquarium and the Ocean Conservation Trust today. They learned all about the treats to the ocean, climate change and how to protect the planet. They did some great science experiments as well. The whole school were able to join in in the afternoon with another workshop. Thankyou to the NMA for their time in providing this great day. Year 5 also had a busy afternoon on Wednesday with a visit to the Cornwall Life-Skills roadshow at Liskeard Fire Station. They took part in short activities including electrical safety, CPR, the RNLI and how to stay safe near railways. They got to meet other children from local schools and they had a fantastic time. I would like to thanks Mrs Richardson-Calladine (one of our governors) for giving her time this week to talk to the school council about breaktimes and lunchtimes and how we can make them even better. Governors play a huge role in the school, providing support and challenge to myself and the pupils. I was very proud of the children for their sensible ideas, maturity and welcome that they gave her. If you think that becoming a governor and supporting the school in another way is something that you are interested in, please get in touch. Finally, with the improving weather, I know that many of the children take advantage of the school field after school. We have been contacted by members of the community about loud and boisterous behaviour after school and ask that if children do go into the field they are mindful of our community and neighbours. They should also not be climbing the wall into the cow field as this can disturb the animals and cause unnecessary stress. We have spoken to the children in school but appreciate your support in this matter. Can we ask that pupils do not use the trim trail before or after school as insurance will not cover them. We welcome children scooting and cycling to school but can we also ask that these are walker across the playground to avoid accidents.