Head's Blog

Week Three, Autumn Term

It's been another busy week in school, especially with the start of the exciting clubs on offer this term. The children have continued to settle in well to their new routines and some of the learning outcomes that can be seen across the school are impressive, from some of our littlest learners in Reception who are settling into school life so well, to our Y6 pupils who are taking on all the challenges and responsibilities of being the oldest children in the school.

This week I was particularly excited to have a look at some of the learning taking place in Year 1. The children have been retelling 'We're Going On A Bear Hunt' and I have to tell you, their bear faces are quite terrifying! This is one of my favourite stories of all time and it's great to see children enjoying the magic of stories. In the picture you can also see a great example of a Y5 sketchbook. The children have been learning about and exploring the work of Hossam Dirar. They will then use this as inspiration for their own creation.

Our Shining Stars theme this week is 'Teacher's Choice' and I can't wait to hear all of the individual reasons why children have been chosen. This week my Head Teacher's award goes to Robin, in Year Two. Robin is an absolute ray of sunshine! She is kind, thoughtful and incredibly hard working. Every adult who has had the pleasure of working with Robin always comments on how quietly brilliant she is!

This week the Y5 and Y6 children were excited to have a visit from the Sea Cadets. Finlay in Y6 has written all about it:

On Monday, a presentation was delivered by a group called the Sea Cadets, which is a club for children aged 10-18. The club offers water activities like rowing and sailing but also inside activities such as cooking. Over the years of attending the club, you collect badges. One type of badge being the modular badge, of which there are four. Each one is colour coded for a different theme. If you complete all of the modular activities you get a special badge to wear. You can also take part in a week long summer camp in the summer holidays and meet Sea Cadets from all over the country. During the week, children take part in fun outdoor activities including archery and high wire. Our local unit is in Padstow and to find out more search sea-cadets.org.

On Tuesday, Mrs Clayson hosted our first coffee morning for parents of children with additional needs. The response from this was really positive and many of the parents, who I have spoken to, have said how useful it was to talk and share experiences with one another. We are going to be holding these catch up sessions on a termly basis and we look forward to inviting other guests, such as the School Nurse. We will keep you posted with the next date.

Today our Y6 Pupil Leadership Team had the chance to meet Sally from Caterlink. Sally was able to tell us a little more about the choices they make when they put the menu together, along with the menu for after half term. It was interesting to hear all about the choices they make as a company to promote both healthy eating and sustainability. Our Y6 Leadership Team represented our school remarkably. They were able to give some constructive feedback and ask some thoughtful questions. Izzy from Y6 has written a quick summary below:

Today, we talked to Sally from Caterlink, the new company. It was amazing! Everything that Caterlink does is to help our health and the planet. She listened to us today and is going to pass this back to the Head Office Team. All the school dinners are looking amazing for the next menu. Thank you Caterlink and welcome to WPA!

We are currently putting plans in place for Caterlink to attend the Parent's Evenings next term, so that you can sample the food too- watch this space!

I was hoping to make it a whole term without mentioning the car park, but I'm not sure it's possible! We have tried many things in the past to help with the traffic as we have so many families travelling in and out of school in the morning. Where possible we do ask families to either walk from home or park near to school and walk the remaining distance. When dropping off in the mornings, please ensure that you do not park in the KS2 drop off lane, on double yellow lines or where there are cones with 'no parking' signs. This will really help the traffic to flow. If pulling into the KS1 drop off lane, please pull in tightly to the kerb, so that cars can get through. Once you have dropped off, please leave the car park as soon as possible. Thank you for your help with this.

I can't believe that we are already thinking of September 2024, but next week we are looking forward to having our Open Event for parents who are applying for a Reception school place for next year. Please have a look at the poster below for more information. We are looking forward to seeing you!

Have a great weekend,

Mrs Lee-Elkins

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Rec Open Event.pdf

Week Two, Autumn Term

It’s been another great week at Wadebridge Primary Academy! The children have continued to settle in well and I have had many conversations with the teachers about the great learning already taking place. We were very excited to welcome our Nursery children back this week too. The children have been ‘busy learners’, exploring their new environment and getting to know their new adults.

Thank you to everyone who was able to make the ‘Meet the Teacher’ events and thank you to many of you who were able to walk to help reduce some of the traffic coming into school. Please don’t worry if you weren’t able to make the meeting, as all of the information will be added to the class blogs. We were excited to give out more information about plans for residential trips to Bristol (Y6) and Porthpean (Y4). If you haven’t received a letter about these trips, please visit the school office.

This week we had our first whole school picture in around 8 years. The children were very excited but also very well behaved. I took a moment to stand back and look at our ‘school team’ altogether and it was very moving to see just how many remarkable children and staff we have in our school. We can’t wait to share the picture with you soon!

Our first trip of the school year took place this week too! Mrs May and Mrs Giles took a group of Y5 children to Bodmin Fire Station for a ‘Junior Life Skills’ event. The children learnt about important skills such as internet safety, first aid, CPR, road safety etc. Both Mrs May and Mrs Giles commented on the children’s engagement and exemplary behaviour. Well done to those children for representing our school in such a wonderful way.

Our theme this week for Shining Stars is ‘Presentation to be proud of’. Having already looked at some books across the school, it’s clear to see that there is real focus on handwriting and presentation this year and that the children are motivated to take pride in their learning. As you can see from the picture, the Y4 children have been working particularly hard!

This week, my Head Teacher’s Award goes to a special pupil in Y5. She always has a smile to share and has been incredibly helpful in Lunch Club. She is always offering to set up/ tidy away activities and according to Mrs May, is an absolute delight to spend lunchtime with. Well done!

I also had my first (very quick!) meeting with our Y6 Pupil Leadership Team to invite them to a lunch and meeting with Caterlink next week. As you may know, Caterlink are our new catering team and they would very much like to meet with the children to find out what they think of the food so far, explain some of their decisions about how they put the menu together and share their company values. I look forward to letting you know all about it next week. In the meantime, please can I ask that everyone orders school lunches by the Sunday evening, ready for the following week. This will give the canteen a better understanding of how many meals to prepare. This will ensure the right amount of food is cooked and will also reduced waste. Thank you.

Finally, just a quick reminder that in the mornings, children should say goodbye and then walk independently past the KS1 and EYFS green gates, into their classrooms. If there are any messages to be passed on, please speak to the adult on duty. Thank you for your support with this.

Next week we are really looking forward to the start of clubs, our SEND coffee morning (Tues 19th) and a Y5 and Y6 assembly with the Sea Cadets. We also have individual and sibling photographs on Wednesday- that should be the last of the professional photographs for a while. The children have very much perfected their poses!

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Mrs Lee- Elkins

Week One, Autumn Term

Well, what a week! It has been an absolute pleasure welcoming everyone back to school. Thanks to the fantastic team at WPA, I have had the most brilliant first week as ‘Acting Head Teacher’ with so many kind words of encouragement. Wadebridge Primary really is a special place to be.

This week started with an Inset day for Teachers, where we thought carefully about how we can continue to build on the many strengths at Wadebridge Primary and our next steps to help us move forwards. I’m really looking forward to sharing our School Development Plan with you soon.

On Tuesday the school came to life again and the corridors were full of hustle and bustle! The children have come back to school refreshed and excited for the year ahead. In our whole school assembly, we thought about how changes can often feel like a new pair of school shoes. At first, new shoes can feel strange and uncomfortable but new shoes can soon become so comfy, you don’t even notice them! And just like new shoes, the new year can feel a little strange to start with, but soon it's not new anymore, just normal!

It’s been great walking around the school to see the interesting learning taking place. I have already had two budding Y1 artists visit my office to show me their creative portraits and a fantastic writer in Year Three who really impressed their teacher with a funny story about their pet rat! Whilst all the year groups have impressed me with their focus in lessons, a special ‘well done’ has to go to our Reception children. They have really dazzled us with how they have settled into school life. Reception is one of the most magical years in terms of independence and progress- we can’t wait to see them grow this year!

Today in assembly I am looking forward to giving out my first ever ‘Head Teacher’s Award’ to one of the most polite and chatty students we have. Seb in Y5 always stops to say ‘hello’ and asked me this week, with such genuine interest, how my first week as Head Teacher was going and gave me some great words of encouragement for my whole school assembly. Anyone who has worked with Seb will agree that he more than deserves his certificate today.

Meet the Teacher: Wednesday 13th September 2023
Please do come along to our annual ‘Meet the Teacher’ event that will be taking place on Wednesday 13th September. This will be a chance to see your child’s new teacher and find out all about their new year group.

The timings are:

Reception, Year 1 and Year 2: 2:30pm- 2:50pm
Please enter via the green KS1 gate

Years 3 to 6: 3:00pm- 3:20pm
Please enter via the green KS2 gate

If you are unable to make the meeting, we will ensure that the relevant information is on the class pages of our school website. Please do have a look on your child’s class page to find out more information about reading, home learning etc. These pages will be updated regularly to showcase the great things happening in school.

Whole School Picture: Thursday 14th September
Thank you to everyone who has been on to Arbor to update permissions and ParentPay to book school lunches. If you haven’t yet, please ensure you have given photo permission on Arbor as we have our whole school picture on Thursday 14th September. Just a reminder that there is no PE on this day and so everyone should be in their uniform looking super smart for the picture.

Dates
Here are some important dates for this academic year. We will soon have more to share with you.

Term Dates
Autumn Term: 4th Sept- 19th December 2023 HALF TERM: 23rd- 27th October 2023
Spring Term: 4th January- 28th March 2024 HALF TERM: 12th- 16th February 2024
Summer Term: 15th April- 24th July 2024 HALF TERM 27th- 31st May 2024
INSET Days: Mon 4th September 2023, Fri 20th Oct 2023, Fri 9th February 2024, Fri 7th June 2024 and Weds 24th July 2024

National Assessments
We will give you further information about these assessments but please avoid any absence from school during these times.
Year 1 Phonics Screening Check : from Monday 10th June- Friday 14th June.
Optional KS1 SATs Window 2024: Testing will take place in May 2024
Year 4 Multiplication check: 2 week window starting from Monday 3rd June 2024
KS2 SATs 2024: Monday 13th May- Thursday 16th May 2024

In the meantime, I hope everyone has a great weekend with some rest and relaxation before another busy week in school.

As always, if you have any questions please do send us an email to secretary@wadebridgeprimary.co.uk

Best wishes and thank you for your support,

Mrs Lee- Elkins

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September 2023

We are really looking forward to seeing everyone in school very soon!

Please find a letter attached below with lots of important information for the start of the school year.

As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to send us an email at secretary@wadebridgeprimary.co.uk

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September 2023.pdf

Friday 21 July

We made it! The end of every year is a time both for celebration and for sadness as you are leaving something you know and something you have known for a whole year, but at the same time you are also celebrating all that you have achieved during the year too. Watching our wonderful Year 6s being clapped out by the guard of honour as they left today was definitely up there as one of the most moving moments of my teaching career. It was fantastic to see so many parents at the end of the rainbow balloon arch and I know that the Year 6 pupils were very grateful. They have had such a big impact on the school and there are so many wonderful characters to celebrate in there too. We wish them the very, very best in the next stage of their journey and send them ALL of the luck for their secondary start in September.

On Monday and Tuesday of this week, our talented Year 6s performed their end of Year 6 play to the school and their families. ‘I’m An 11 Year Old, Get Me Out Of Here’ was fantastic from the moment it started to the very end. I loved the fact that we could add our own bits in (for example, the toilet scene mentioning things that have actually happened in our Year 6 toilets this year). The quality of acting was superb and the play was massively enjoyed by all who watched it.

Last night saw the Year 6 Prom too and, my goodness, they made the most of it. They danced, face-painted and giant inflatabled their way through the night with the amazing Disco in Kernow and super food from Jon’s Fish and Chips to top it off. It was a fantastic event and I am so grateful to the Year 6 team all for their excellent organization (and seemingly endless energy). The face-painting was out of this world!

Yesterday also saw the Year 5 pupils audition for the Pupil Leadership Team. They are a fantastic Year Group and we have been bowled over by their confidence, talent and ambition. The whole school voted and we have a fantastic new team in place for September and could not be more excited. A HUGE well done to Oscar, Robyn, Lily, Issy, Sylvia-Mai, Sophia, Evie, Teagan, Saoirse, Chloe, Thea, Sidney, Morgan, Elowyn, Dexter and Lulu. You are ALL amazing. Mrs Lee Elkins and Mrs Orme are very much looking forward to working with you next year and I am SO proud of how far you have come and what a great team you will make. Whoop!

Today also marked my last day with the WPA community. I know that I go on a bit, but you really are a wonderful lot. We are very lucky to have such supportive families and I have been overwhelmed by people’s good wishes today. I said in assembly that it is privilege to lead a school and WPA is no exception. I cannot wait to see it continue to thrive under the very capable leadership of Mrs Lee Elkins and I thank her and the entire WPA team for their support during my tenure as Headteacher. I will miss you all terribly. I am very grateful for all of the kindness shown today (and always, to be fair) and I take with me so very many precious memories. Thank you all.

I sign off for the last time. You’ll be delighted to know that the cones have been taken inside of the gates for the summer, but they will be back out in force in September. Thank goodness for that. No one likes too much change. The WPA team look forward to seeing you all bright and shiny on TUESDAY 5 September at 0835. Have a wonderful Summer and take good care.

Kindest regards and lots of love,

Ms Whitlock

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14 July 2023

We have some courgettes! And some courgette flowers – it is very exciting and we are so pleased that both gardening clubs have done so well this term. We are growing courgettes, sweetcorn, beans, cabbages, tomatoes, sunflowers, wild flowers, carrots and lots more things too. Good work gardening people – you are doing a fabulous job!

Shining Stars this week were Teacher Choice. The winners were thoroughly deserved. Staff shining stars this week were awarded to Mrs May, Mrs Keat (the teacher). Mrs Reeve and Miss Taylor (I had two weeks worth), all of whom are amazing at what they do.

We saw two year group assemblies this week – Year R and Year 1 – and we had the Year R and 1 Pop Up play experience on Monday too (which was excellent). On Wednesday evening the two FOWPA discos went brilliantly with a surprising number of Years three to five seemingly knowing ALL the words AND actions to ‘Dancing Queen’!

Our woodwind players performed in a concert on Wednesday to their families and they too were wonderful. The concert was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

This afternoon, our reports went home too. Hopefully you will have read your child’s report and are very happy with the progress that they are making. I read many of them and I was delighted to read quite how well lots of pupils are doing. When I read reports, the thing I most look for are the effort scores. If the effort scores are high, then I am very pleased. We had LOTS of Es for excellent effort and it was lovely to see. Next steps for all are to keep up the good work next year.

Next week we have the Year 6 Leavers’ Play, the Year 6 Prom and the end of term. That was quick! As it is the end of term and we are all tired, I am absolutely torn between not wanting the term to end as I am quite nervous about the next step, but also hoping that I make it to next Friday in one piece! You may be the same.

In every case though, we look forward to seeing you soon. Have a lovely weekend and hope that you don’t get too wet.

Kindest regards,

Ms Whitlock

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Friday 7 July

We had a fantastic transition day yesterday and saw the most wonderful class assembly. 2W sang and spoke their way through their assembly about Cornwall and it was wonderful to see. I won’t lie, I may have become slightly emotional. It was truly lovely though, and I know that everyone who watched it was really impressed. Well done, 2W; you were amazing. I am delighted that that transition afternoon went so well. You will have seen from Mrs Lee Elkins’ email that the classes were buzzing with activity and excitement and we are very excited about next week and next year.

We have also had our Art week this week. I cannot wait to see what has been created – I definitely saw sewing in Year 3, painting and using different media in at least 4 year groups and a lot of D&T activity in Year 5 so I will be sure to include some examples in next week’s blog as I am sure that Mrs Keat will want to share what we have created.

All those who are starting at Wadebridge Secondary School in September had their transition week this week – Monday and Tuesday saw days at the comp and at St Breock and WPA school. On Wednesday, all of the classes were based at the Sports Centre and on Thursday, we were all up at the Showground. The days were fun, exciting and tiring in equal measure and I am sure that the Year 6s need some time to recover. I also feel somewhat better about the cone and parking situation here at WPA now, having lived through the pick ups over the last two days…

Scarily, we only have two weeks left of term, but do please keep an eye on the events calendar for the rest of the year. We have Year R’s sharing assembly on Tuesday 11th July and Year 1’s assembly on Wednesday 12th July along with our second transition afternoon and the FOWPA Disco in the evening. The letter for this went home yesterday (Thursday 6 July). We are still very excited. Do remember to bring your completed disco forms on the night though to avoid any delays in getting in. No one wants a delay in getting into the disco; not at this stage of the year.

There was an email that went out earlier this week too about BridgeKids activity days and weeks over the summer holidays. Do please have a look at what we have on offer and, if you would like to book any days, please do so soon. Some days are very busy indeed and some are less busy, but we would like to fill them all if possible – they will be super fun, I assure you.

One last thing; we would be really grateful if you could fill out the Trust-wide Parent and Carer Survey if possible please:

Parent and Carer Survey – last chance!

We would be very grateful if you could spare a few minutes to share your views by completing the following Parent Survey as this will help us to continue to improve our organisation.

We look forward to seeing you soon,

Kindest regards,

Ms Whitlock

Friday 23 June

Head’s Blog Friday 23 June 2023

We made it! Three out of Four Sports Days are done! I am sure that you will agree that they went really well and we were delighted by the effort and the enjoyment that was so clear in the events themselves and by your support so thank you. I am pleased to see that the parents races are still so hotly contested. Nursery – your turn on Tuesday. Nursery parents and carers – you may need to brush up on your egg and spoon skills as you could really shine.

It was the Bridge School Games this week too and we started the week by watching the Trust Video showing pupils from every school wishing each other luck. It really does help us to imagine and see quite how diverse and wide ranging we are as a Trust and we have our fingers firmly crossed for a good outcome for WPA – whoop!

Shining Stars this week were for Effort and Participation in Sports too and we had some amazing winners. We encourage every pupil to do their best and encourage all those taking part and this was really apparent in every Sports Day. This was recognised in the shining star winners too – a really well done to all.

A Staff Shining Star was awarded to the fantastic Mrs Harrison, who has joined us this term from Blisland School and who has been invaluable in KS1 and EYFS. There will be more Staff Shining Stars next week…

Next week is also busy – please see the parent letter for dates and times but we have Nursery Sports Day, new Nursery Meet the Teacher Parents meetings and welcome to Reception Meetings. Year 3 are visiting Treraven Farm and Reception children are taking part in an Athletics competition on Wednesday and we are slowly getting there with the Year 6 play!

INSET days 2023 – 2024 Academic Year

I thought that it might be useful to send out again the list of INSET days for next year. We do have the Friday of the Royal Cornwall Show as an INSET day next year (phew) and the very first day of the Autumn Term is an INSET day too.

• MONDAY 4TH SEPTEMBER 2023 - INSET DAY – SCHOOL CLOSED TO ALL PUPILS

• FRIDAY 20TH OCT 2023 - INSET DAY – SCHOOL CLOSED TO ALL PUPILS

• FRIDAY 9th FEBRUARY 2024 - INSET DAY – SCHOOL CLOSED TO ALL PUPILS

• FRIDAY 7TH JUNE 2024 - INSET DAY – SCHOOL CLOSED TO ALL PUPILS

• WEDNESDAY 24TH JULY 2024 - INSET DAY – SCHOOL CLOSED TO ALL PUPILS

And last, but not least, we would be really grateful if you could fill out a Trust-wide Parent and Carer Survey if possible please:

We hope that you have a wonderful weekend and look forward to seeing you soon.

Kindest regards,

Ms Whitlock

Friday 16 June

It has been quite the week! Year 5 and 6 have had a wonderful week of excursions, activities and sleepovers. An amazing time was had by all and we are really grateful for your support in making these trips happen and of course to the magnificent staff in school who organise and help with them. A special mention to Mrs Jana Keat, who has spent the last two nights on the field and who is still now not even asleep in the corner!

Last week was also quite the week, and we did BRILLIANTLY well in the Royal Cornwall Show with one of our entries winning the Art Class. We entered six different collages and RB’s Lion King won FIRST PRIZE! Please see the attached pictures as all of the entries were amazing. Next year, you will be delighted to hear that the Friday of the Royal Cornwall is again an INSET day, so we will not need to brave the traffic. Phew and very well done to all those who entered.

Our assembly theme this week was the ever-growing amount of plastic waste in the oceans. We talked about what we can do to help reduce this waste, and we have all pledged to try to use less plastic overall and try to reuse and recycle as much as we can. It was a really interesting (though sobering) assembly; did you know that the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’ in the Pacific Ocean, which is one of five known mega areas of floating plastic waste is now six times the size of the UK. Our Eco Warriors are on the case here in school with our reduce, reuse and recycle too.

Year 4s took their Multiplication Check this week and Year 1s took part in the Phonics Screening Test. We are very proud of them all as they were all brilliant.

Sports-wise, we had a team of four intrepid Year 5s who took part in the Mountain Biking Cotton Cup on Tuesday in very dry conditions. We were delighted to hear that Leo B won the whole event overall – HURRAH! Very well done to Leo as there were plenty of Year 6s there too. Entrants from KS2 also took part in the district athletics competition that took place on Wadebridge School Field on Tuesday afternoon. We won loads of medals and even broke some records, so when I have the full list, I will let you know. Suffice to say, we had some heavy-weighted-down-with-medals necks in school on Wednesday!

Next week, we have our Sports Days in EYFS and Years 1 to 6. Have a lovely weekend (fingers crossed for a bit of rain..) and we very much look forward to seeing you next week.

Kindest regards,

Ms Whitlock

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Friday 26 May

We have enjoyed another very sunny week in school and it has been lovely to see so many classes using the outdoor areas that we have for learning.

Last weekend saw FOWPA’s last push to finish the environmental garden for us in school. The garden was started a long time ago and has been a massive project. We are delighted that it is now ready to use and I have already seen classes enjoying it. It is beautifully shaded in the afternoon and it was wonderful to see work being done in such a productive and cool space. THANK YOU to FOWPA for all of their hard work – it is SO appreciated and we love it!

The KS1 SATs are FINISHED! The papers are all done and pupils have done a sterling job; we are very proud of them.

On Tuesday, a Year 5 boys Football Team took part in a match against St Breock on our field. They played their hearts out but were pipped to the post this time. Keep your eyes open for further fixtures though, boys.

Wednesday was a busy day! Year 2 had their Cornish WOW day and we saw some AMAZING costumes! Very well done to all – you looked brilliant. Year 3 visited the library for a ‘History of Cornwall’ workshop and play. Both classes were brilliant and we are very proud of them – their behaviour and their attitude were exemplary. Year 1 visited Newquay Aquarium and Towan Beach and also had a wonderful time. They were also impeccably behaved – thank you Year 1s.

Yesterday, 10 of our pupils took part in the County Inclusion Athletics Competition. They took part in five different sports, and, came first AND second – fantastic news and very well done to all who took part! Those medals are heavy, I can tell you….

Shining Stars this week were awarded for Teachers Choice. Excellent choices by all and a huge well done to all winners. Staff Shining Stars were awarded to Miss Beckett and Mrs Lee Elkins for being amazing! We are SO lucky to have them.

A quick note: Our remaining two INSET days this year are July 24th and July 25th (the last two days of the Summer Term). We are OPEN FOR BOTH ROYAL CORNWALL SHOW DAYS that are school days this year (Thursday 8th and Friday 9th June). As I said in a previous blog, I know that this is a pain, but we cannot change things this year.

Dates will follow – we do think that we have everything, but as things are still being added (nothing major, please do not worry), I am just going to send them as things currently are. It is not too bad to be fair and nothing should be too much of a surprise (She says, taking a deep breath).

Three parking things – firstly; it is really important to stop at the zebra crossings as you come in and go out of school please. Secondly, please keep to the 10 miles per hour limit at all times – especially when you are going around the bit at the bottom near the additional car park. Thirdly, please be really careful when you are going in and out of the additional car park in the morning and the afternoon – pupils use the shelter near this area for their bikes and scooters and it is really important that we are really vigilant.

Thank you, as ever, for all of your support. We hope that you have a fantastic Half Term break and look forward to seeing you all on Monday 5 June with the gates opening at 8.25am.

Kindest regards,

Ms Whitlock

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