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Dear Colleagues, 

Welcome to the penultimate Whistle of the calendar year.

As we move towards the end of term, it feels especially important to pause and recognise the remarkable achievements, dedication, and care that characterise life across WeST. At this time of year, when the days are darker, the pace quickens, and festive preparations gather momentum, it is heartening to see our schools full of warmth, joy, and a deep commitment to helping every child thrive.

This week, we are delighted to share the wonderful progress of the WeST U12 & U13 girls’ netball initiative - an idea that emerged only in July and has grown into something truly inspiring. In a few short months, colleagues have worked together to craft a programme that embodies opportunity, aspiration, and unity. A dedicated and talented team of volunteer coaches has stepped forward, giving freely of their time and expertise. With their leadership, and with enthusiastic support across our schools, we have run open trials at Hele’s School, selected an exceptionally gifted group of young athletes, and delivered ten high-quality training sessions.

Seeing the girls proudly wearing their WeST training tops has been a joy - representing their schools and our Trust with pride, purpose, and togetherness.

This week marked a significant milestone: two U13 WeST teams travelled to Newton Abbot College for their inaugural fixture against Ivy Education Trust. Both teams secured impressive wins, but beyond the results, the occasion was rich with meaning. The girls competed with confidence, joy, and genuine camaraderie. Many forged new friendships; all played with heart. Watching pupils from across WeST unite as a single team was deeply uplifting and a reminder of what is possible when talent meets opportunity and when children feel encouraged, supported, and believed in.

This initiative feels like the beginning of something long-lasting. In 2026, we hope to build on this momentum with local friendlies and fixtures against other trusts further afield. My sincere thanks to everyone who has supported, encouraged, or contributed in any way - you have helped create something very special.

As we move into the final week of term, let’s continue to carry forward the warmth, ambition, and sense of shared purpose that make our Trust so special. Together, we create the conditions for children to thrive and for each other to succeed.

Wishing you all a restful and enjoyable weekend.

Best wishes,

Rob

Rob Haring

CEO 

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Morley Meadow Primary School

Morley Meadows is sparkling with festive cheer this year. The school’s Christmas decorations have brought warmth and joy across the site, while the Nativity has been a real highlight. Pupils performed with confidence and charm, making families and staff proud. It’s been a wonderful celebration of creativity, community, and Christmas spirit!

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Ashburton Primary School

Ashburton Primary School is celebrating the season with a beautiful Christmas tree decorated by the amazing Arts and Crafts Club at the local church; pupils and staff gathered to enjoy a festive Christmas lunch together, making it a joyful occasion that brought the whole community closer.

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Important Data Protection information - Action needed by all staff

Our email storage policy is changing. From January 2026, no email will be stored in Microsoft Outlook for longer than 2 years. This means that:

  • All emails of 2 years old or more will be automatically deleted from Outlook on 6 January 2026.

  • From then onwards, all emails will be automatically deleted from Outlook 2 years after you receive them.

All staff using Microsoft email need to back up essential emails and/or attachments that are needed long-term to an appropriate storage area (like OneDrive).

The deadline to complete this before the Christmas holiday is 18 December 2025. 

Any emails not backed-up outside of Outlook by then will be lost permanently.

Please click here to see our detailed guidance.

(For now, Callington and Chaddlewood staff using Google Mail rather than Microsoft are exempt, but this will apply when your email is transferred to Microsoft in the future. Separate Google Mail guidance will follow, but consider proactively backing up any important emails from now on.)

Please start thinking and acting on this as soon as possible! Once you have read the guidance linked above, if you are concerned or confused please book onto a support session using the form at the bottom of the guidance page.  

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WeST Football Staff Club – Expressions of Interest

Are you interested in joining a WeST Football Staff Club? We’re exploring the idea of setting up a casual, inclusive football group for staff across the trust to meet, play, and enjoy the game together. If this sounds like something you’d be keen to be part of, please send in your expression of interest to admin@westst.org.uk. 

Do Good December

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Recruitment update:

We are delighted to inform you of the following exciting career opportunities within our Trust:

Westcountry Schools Trust is seeking a dynamic Chief Operations Officer to lead and transform operational services across its family of 31 schools in Devon, Plymouth, and Cornwall. The COO will play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering the Trust’s operations strategy, ensuring high-quality, efficient, and cohesive support for all schools. Working closely with the CEO and executive team, the COO will drive continuous improvement, foster collaboration, and champion WeST’s core values of collaboration, aspiration, integrity, and compassion. This is an exciting opportunity to make a lasting impact on the education and wellbeing of thousands of children by strengthening the operational foundations that enable great teaching and learning across the Trust. For more information, please click here. Closing date: 5 January 2025. 

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