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Good afternoon,

It has been one of those weeks where the rhythm of the Trust has carried on purposefully, even though I haven't managed to get into a school as much as I'd have liked. Budget discussions have kept me desk-bound for longer stretches than usual, but there is something genuinely encouraging in watching our school leaders work through those conversations with such clarity of purpose. Time and again, they find ways to direct resources towards what matters most: high-quality staffing and well-resourced classrooms. That commitment to prioritising the chalk face never wavers, and I'm grateful for it.

School and Trust Leaders Forum

Thursday's School and Trust Leaders Forum was a highlight. It's one of the few occasions when all our primary and secondary headteachers gather alongside the central team, and the quality of discussion reflected that. We spent time exploring two of our core values. Compassion, for us, means making sure nobody gets left behind, starting with the most vulnerable learners in every classroom and thinking carefully about how we ensure they can access and keep pace with the work around them. Then respect: showing genuine consideration for the thoughts, feelings and beliefs of others, and understanding that difference is not just acceptable but a real strength. These aren't abstract ideas. The practical examples shared by colleagues made that clear.

We were also pleased to welcome Chris Clyne, our new Trust Member, who is Chair of Trustees for the Association for Character Education at the Jubilee Centre in Birmingham. Having someone of that national standing contributing to our thinking about character and enrichment is a real asset.

Camelford Goes to the Opera

One story this week captures something important about what we mean by broadening horizons. On Saturday, pupils and families from Camelford Community Primary School travelled to Theatre Royal Plymouth to see *Play Opera LIVE – Shipwrecked* by the Welsh National Opera. Over 200 members of the school community picnicked on The Hoe before the performance. For many children, it was their first experience of live opera. Joshua in Year 6 said that hearing a full orchestra with opera singing was "so powerful." Thanks to generous funding from the Clore Duffield Foundation, experiences like this are becoming part of the fabric of the school's year, and Anne Howard and her team deserve real credit for making it happen.

VR in the Classroom and London Adventures

Innovation took a different form at Plympton St Maurice and Sherford Vale, where a collaborative virtual reality experience brought topics like space, dinosaurs and climate change vividly to life for pupils across both schools. Meanwhile, school councils from Ashburton and Buckfastleigh primaries joined forces for a day in London, visiting

Downing Street, the Houses of Parliament and landmarks along Whitehall. Buckfastleigh's Year 3 also made the most of their local library this week, guided by an enthusiastic librarian, a lovely reminder that enrichment doesn't always require a long coach journey.

Sporting and Enrichment Success

Across the Trust, sport continues to be a vehicle for confidence and character. Callington students were crowned champions at the Cornish Girls Rugby Final, Ivybridge's Under 14 boys dominated the Devon 7s, and Plymstock celebrated rugby plate success as well as a Bronze award for four Year 13 chemists in the Royal Society of Chemistry Olympiad. Hele's Gold Duke of Edinburgh group braved frost and sunshine on Dartmoor, while South Dartmoor's Bronze and Silver groups completed their own training expedition. At Eggbuckland, over 2,200 games were played in an inter-tutor table tennis competition, and Year 8 students there also celebrated excellent attendance with a rewards breakfast. Ivybridge's dance companies headed to Bath for the National School Dance Competition regional heats, and their Year 7 students visited Hinkley Point C for a STEM experience that genuinely brought engineering careers to life.

Looking Beyond the Classroom

St Breward took the whole school to the Lost Gardens of Heligan for hands-on science, and at Wembury, Year 5 used microscopes with a visiting teacher from Ivybridge Community College. South Dartmoor's Red Sea diving expedition over Easter gave students a week of learning and cultural discovery in Egypt, while closer to home, Buckfastleigh's Wild Tribe sessions made excellent use of their outdoor spaces. At Coombe Dean, students are putting finishing touches to their entry for the Guiding Lighthouse Project, a creative collaboration that has been weeks in the making.

The Weeks Ahead

We are now a week and a half from SATs, with A-levels and GCSEs following closely behind. Our approach remains consistent: calm, supportive preparation that helps young people feel confident rather than overwhelmed. The goal is always the same: that every student leaves with the qualifications and the rounded experience they need for the next stage. With the sun making regular appearances, there is something uplifting about watching our schools make the most of this glorious corner of the country as the term builds towards its busiest stretch.

Thank you for everything you do.

Warm regards,

Nat

Warm regards,

Nat Parnell

CEO

TedEggs!

Over the last 6 weeks, Year 8 students have planned, written, and performed a speech in front of their peers in their classrooms as part of our unit, 'The Freedom to Speak'. 

On Monday, 9 brave students volunteered to deliver their speech in front of the whole year group in the Main Hall as part of our annual public speaking event, 'TedEggs'. While every student demonstrated remarkable tenacity by standing up and speaking to an audience, these students showed exceptional courage in presenting to such a large crowd. 

The event also reflected our core values beyond those on stage. Audience members demonstrated compassion by listening respectfully and supporting their peers, while speakers showed integrity by sharing ideas that mattered to them and knowledge through the thoughtful research and preparation evident in each speech. 

Students will now take part in a vote via to select a TedEggs winner, encouraging them to engage thoughtfully with the ideas presented and recognise excellence in public speaking. We are incredibly proud of all Year 8 students for embracing this challenge and celebrating the power of having, and using, a voice.

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Update on National Pay Awards 2026

Support staff (NJC/JNC – due from 1 April 2026)

What’s happening nationally?

National Employers have made a one-year pay offer of 3.3%. This would be a permanent increase to basic pay, plus a 3.3% increase to allowances, backdated to 1 April 2026. Full details can be viewed here Employer circular re. 2026 NJC pay offer | Local Government Association  

At the moment, the trade unions have not accepted this offer (UNISON and Unite have rejected it, and GMB is still consulting members). Because of this, there is no national agreement yet.

What does this mean for you right now?

  • Nothing changes yet. We cannot implement any pay increase until the national negotiations are concluded.

  • If you are a member of a trade union you may be contacted directly by them as part of the national process.

  • Once an agreement is reached, any increase will be backdated to 1 April 2026.

  • You don’t need to do anything further at this stage. We will update you as soon as there is a confirmed national outcome.

Teachers (pay award due from 1 September 2026)

What’s happening nationally?

The Secretary of State has asked the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) to make pay recommendations for 2026/27 and 2027/28, with an early indication for 2028/29. National discussions so far point to a possible multi-year approach, but this is not confirmed. The DfE's published evidence to the School Teachers Review Body can be viewed here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evidence-to-the-strb-2026-pay-awardor-tachers-and-leaders

What does this mean for you right now?

  • The September 2026 teachers’ pay award has not yet been decided nationally.

  • No action is needed from individual teachers at this point.

  • We will share the Trust’s position and how any award will be applied as soon as the national decision and statutory guidance are confirmed.

  • If national decisions are delayed beyond the September payroll deadline, any award will be backdated to 1 September 2026.

We recognise that waiting for national decisions can feel uncertain. As soon as there is clarity, we will provide a clear Trust update explaining what is changing, when it takes effect, and what it means for your pay.

Single Tenancy Migration Update

We are pleased to confirm that all schools scheduled for the last two weeks have now successfully migrated to Single Tenancy, with domains fully moved across. A small number of previously unidentified accounts were picked up and resolved during the process.

Completed schools:

  • Phase 1 (Half Term): HOL, UGB
  • Phase 2 (Easter Holiday): AFA, ASH, ORE, GPP, BRW, PSM, OTT, MMP, MAN, ERM, SVS, TEA, YEA, WPP

Next phase (over the next two months):
BPS, WEM, CMF, STO, CHA, WFD, BUC

If schools are able to support deployment of new staff devices, the aim is to complete all primary schools by the end of June. 

Please note: some users may temporarily lose access to central Teams spaces where guest accounts or custom contacts were previously used. Team owners can resolve this by re-adding users by clicking on the link below. 

support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-members-to-a-team-in-microsoft-teams-aff2249d-b456-4bc3-81e7-52327b6b38e9

If you require additional support with this, please contact the IT Team: WeSTSupport@westst.org.uk

Thank you for your continued support.

Aspens Client Survey

Dear schools, 

You may receive an email from Aspens regarding taking their survey. This is legitimate communication and NOT a scam. Please do try and take some time to fill this out if you can, as the feedback is a vital opportunity for them to learn and grow as a company.

Thank you very much. 

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Camelford Community Primary School goes to the Opera!

On Saturday, pupils and their families at Camelford Community Primary School in Cornwall enjoyed an exciting trip to Theatre Royal Plymouth to see ‘Play Opera LIVE – Shipwrecked’ by the Welsh National Opera.

The grant-funded trip saw pupils across the school, as well as their siblings and parents, travel together to spend a day in Plymouth, including an afternoon at the opera. Over 200 members of the school community picnicked on The Hoe and enjoyed some pre-opera activities before heading into the theatre.

For many of the children, it was their first time seeing an opera and they were enthralled by the music, costumes and stage design. The children immersed themselves in the interactive production and engaged wholeheartedly in audience activities.

Joshua, a Year 6 pupil at the school, said:

“Hearing a full orchestra with opera singing was so powerful.”

A parent of a Year 3 pupil added:

“We had a wonderful day. It was fantastic to have the opportunity to explore something different. My child has had the best time with her friends, and so did I.”

The school was able to deliver the trip thanks to generous funding from the Clore Duffield Foundation, which is supporting pupils at the school in accessing a rich programme of educational visits throughout the year.

Camelford Community Primary School Headteacher, Anne Howard, said:

“What a fantastic performance and excellent experience for our pupils to be able to share with each other and their families. For many of our pupils this was their first time attending an opera or even a national theatre and, from the expressions on their faces, it was clear how much they enjoyed and were inspired by the production.

“Our sincere thanks to the Clore Duffield Foundation for their incredibly generous support which has facilitated this and a wide range of other trips for our pupils this year. Experiences like this are all part of how we deliver an enriching education to our children and help them to broaden their horizons beyond the classroom.”

Callington Community College welcomes organisations from across Cornwall for annual Careers Fair

Last week, students in Years 7-9 at Callington Community College took part in the school’s annual Careers Fair – an event designed to broaden horizons, raise aspirations and help young people explore the many pathways open to them after school.

As part of the Fair, the school welcomed a wide range of Further and Higher Education providers, alongside numerous local employers, businesses and organisations. This included representatives from Babcock, the NHS and Plymouth Argyle Football Club, to Cornwall Bakery, Princess Yachts and RAF St Mawgan.

Representatives shared insights into university courses, apprenticeships, vocational routes and local employment opportunities, giving students a real sense of the opportunities available to them once they leave school, both within Cornwall and beyond it.

Students engaged confidently with visitors, asking thoughtful questions and exploring how their interests could shape their futures. Their enthusiasm was reflected in the feedback they shared.

Rosen, a Year 9 student at the school, said:

“I didn’t know there were this many opportunities and that they were so near me.”

Charlie, another Year 9 student, added:

“The Careers Fair helped me understand what I want to do in the future and gave me the chance to ask any questions I wanted.”

A third Year 9 student, Beth, commented:

“I want to be an architect and it was great to talk to Plymouth and Falmouth Universities about what courses would help me to achieve my goal.”

Katie Williams-Connell, Business Service and Compliance Manager at Cornwall-based independent training provider Step Into Learning, said:

“We were very impressed with the organisation and delivery of the Careers Fair. The event was well structured, well supported by College staff, and provided meaningful engagement with learners. The students were polite, engaged, and a real credit to the College. We would be very happy to take part in future events and would highly recommend the experience to other employers”

Wendy Ainsworth, Principal at Callington Community College, said:

“We are incredibly proud of how our students represented the College and grateful to all the organisations who gave their time to support and inspire the next generation. Events like this play a vital role in helping our young people make informed choices about their futures and feel confident about the pathways ahead.”

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Meaningful May

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Wild Tribe Conference 2026 - Booking Form

 

Arena PE Conference 2026 - Booking Link

 

Nurture Tribe CPD - Booking Link

 

Arena CPD 2026 - Booking Link

 

2025-2026 Wild Tribe Outdoor Learning Practitioner Award - Two Day Course

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To view all vacancies within Westcountry Schools Trust, please click here.

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