LATEST NEWS

Silver School Games Mark

We are delighted to announce that we, Holsworthy C of E Primary School, have achieved the School Games Silver Mark Award for the 2024/25 academic year.

The School Games Mark is a Government-led award scheme launched in 2012, facilitated by the Youth Sport Trust to reward schools for their commitment to the development of competition across their school and into the community, and we are delighted to have been recognised for our success.

Our sporting achievements this year include:

  • Implementing our sports leader programme at lunchtimes with all 18 children achieving either a bronze, silver or gold award.
  • Attending a range of competitions and local sporting events including Stephen Shield Cross Country, Swimming Gala, Aquathlon, Hockey, Judo, Football and Cricket.
  • Celebrating International Skipping Day with whole school skipping activities as well as VE Day with a dance performance.
  • We had a visit from Olympic Athlete Lele Nairne who competed for Team GB in Judo at the Paris Olympic Games. The whole school took part in a fitness circuit to raise money for our school and support her sponsorship.
  • All children took part in our Early Years and Whole School Sports Days demonstrating their sporting talents and teamwork.
  • Finally, children from KS2 were lucky enough to attend a County Cricket Day at Taunton and a small group attended a day at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships watching some fantastic tennis and experiencing the atmosphere of a Grand Slam Tennis Tournament!

As part of our application, we were asked to fulfil criteria in the areas of participation, competition, workforce and clubs, and we are pleased that everyone’s hard work at our school has been rewarded this year.

A special thanks to: Miss Hartley P.E Lead and all the amazing staff members who have helped with and supported these events. We look forward to applying once again in 2026!

Kingfishers Science Project

A group of young scientists have been taking part in our citizen’s science project, which we are working on in collaboration with Kingfishers Citizen Science and Exeter Science Centre . They have taken nitrate and phosphate readings from the local river in Church Lane and this data will feed into a EU project on the health of our rivers. Another great activity this British Science Week (and beyond)!

Parent/Carer and Child Science Fair

A huge thanks to all the parents/carers who supported our annual Science fair this afternoon to kick-start British Science Week.
We would also like to thank Cognition Learning, Really Wild Learning and our two STEM Learning ambassadors from the Institute of Engineering for joining us in celebrating this year’s theme of ‘Change and Adapt’.
 
Further thanks must go to the Friends of Holsworthy Primary School for funding Really Wild Planet CIC workshops for all children throughout the day and supporting the after-school Science Fair event too.

First Lego League

Well done to our First Lego League team who conducted themselves brilliantly in their competition. They had three rounds where they had to code the robot they had built in their weekly club to complete as many Lego challenges as possible in 2.5 minutes. They also had to discuss their team’s core values and robot design and present an innovation project they designed in their weekly club to a judging panel. Throughout the day, they were also marked on their gracious professionalism. We’re very proud of you all and how you workeD together as a team.

World Book Day

We loved celebrating World Book Day by sharing stories with one another. Many other book related activities occurred throughout our Harry Potter themed day, including discussing our favourite books during a special World Book Day assembly.

Christmas Shoebox Appeal

On Wednesday 13th November , the Pupil Ethos Group (PEGs) were invited to Holsworthy Methodist Chapel to help pack Christmas shoeboxes to be sent to children in deprived countries, or countries at war. Miss Paddon and Mrs Schiller accompanied the PEGs, and were so impressed by their careful listening, empathy for those in need, and thoughtful packing. The children packed an impressive 37 shoeboxes – that’s 37 children in deprivation who will now receive a Christmas gift. Thank you to Michelle at the chapel for inviting us and leading the session, and also to the volunteers at the chapel’s coffee morning who provided us all with a mid-morning snack! 
 
If you would like to pack a shoebox for a child in need, you can find more information here: https://www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child 

Gladiator Steel Visit

Children across the school had an absolutely incredible day meeting Zack George AKA Steel from gladiators (and appearing on BBC Radio Devon and BBC Spotlight)! The children were so inspired by his workshop on self-confidence, aspirations and healthy lifestyles. It has been lovely listening to the children’s ambitions and increased self-belief throughout the day.
 
A huge thanks to the Friends of Holsworthy Primary School for fundraising to make ‘Zactiv’ possible. The children will retell their memories from this visit for many years to come.

Apollo's cABINET

Children across the school enjoyed an interactive concert with
Apollo’s Cabinet. They went on a journey back in time to the
46th birthday of King Frederick the Great – with plenty of
Baroque music and an introduction to all their weird and
wonderful instruments. They took part in interactive rhythm
and movement games, sang together and learnt lots about the
Baroque period and important composers of the time.

Skateboarding Workshop

Scootering Workshop

Children in Key Stage 2 had a great skateboarding workshop with Team Rubicon! The pride and increased confidence within the children was an absolute pleasure to witness and they can’t wait to further their new skills in our ‘wheelies zone’.

A HUGE thanks to the fundraising efforts of the Friends of Holsworthy Primary School for making this possible!

Children in Reception and Key Stage 1 really enjoyed the great scooter workshop Team Rubicon delivered and they can’t wait to further their new skills in our ‘wheelies zone’.
 
A HUGE thanks to the fundraising efforts of the Friends of Holsworthy Primary School for making this possible!

HARVEST FESTIVAL

M&M Theatre Productions

Thank you for all the wonderful harvest donations received so far. A special mention to Clara for baking an amazing harvest loaf!

The fresh goods donated by Willow class have been delivered to the Holsworthy larder and the tinned and packet food will be delivered to  the local food bank.

Thank you again for your generosity and support.

The children enjoyed a performance of The Railway Children. It was an incredibly interactive and energetic performance.

World Book Day

Community steam event

Thanks to all involved. We’ve had great fun:
– Reading for pleasure!
– Listening to a range of stories from different adults on our ‘Reading Run’
– Playing ‘Mystery Reader’
– Swapping books
– Dressing up
– Searching for golden tickets
– Entering competitions
– Thinking about ‘Reading Our Way’
– A special World Book Day Assembly thinking about how we’re going to spend our book tokens

 

More photos can be found here.

To kick start British Science Week, we held a STEAM fair where parents/carers could get involved in a variety of fun activities with the children. We had:

  • Cognition Learning visit us who used Lego Education Spike Prime and Lego Duplo to explore the concept of the future and the constellations.
  • The Institution of Engineering and Technology brought along their small robots for the children to program and a Micro:Bit based guard dog
  • Vodafone (Submarine Cable Engineers in Bude) conducted some route planning around undersea features and cable repairs.
  • Lego and Beebot Challenges, Invisible
    Ink, Make it fly, Measuring time, Time travelling
    programmers, Pendulum creating, Explorify challenges and much more!

It was lovely to see the children showing their adults their scientific understanding and exploring the activities together. Lots of children left commenting about how they’d love a future career as an engineer too! 

Ofsted gives gold star to Devon headteacher’s legacy

Click here

A letter from the King!

Recently, we received some very exciting post!
 
Last May, children in Elm, Beech and Sycamore Class wrote to King Charles III (as part of their topic) to congratulate him on his Coronation, and today they were delighted to receive a reply!

Gardening Project

 
Children across Key Stage 2 supported our nursery children with a spot of gardening earlier this week. We are super proud of how they worked together on this project.
 
Thank you to Mrs Paddon and Miss Paddon for organising this opportunity.

Black History month

 
 
 
To celebrate Black History Month, Harmony has written a biography about the first black football player for England, Benjamin Odeje.
 
Well done Harmony!