Pilton Bluecoat Academy

07/06/2026

06/06/2026

05/06/2026

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been wonderful to welcome everyone back to school this week and to see the children settling so quickly into their learning. Their positive attitudes, enthusiasm and excellent behaviour have helped ensure a fantastic start to the new term. We are incredibly proud of how well they have returned.

This term, we are focusing on our school value of Wisdom. During Collective Worship this week, we shared the story of The Wise and Foolish Builder, reflecting on the importance of building strong foundations in our lives. We would love families to continue these conversations at home and ask children what they learnt from the story and what "building on solid foundations" means to them.

During our INSET day, our amazing Cover Supervisors completed the new Prayer Spaces within each year group area. These beautiful spaces are a wonderful addition to our school and support our commitment to developing spirituality and helping children reflect on themselves, others and the world around them. Through the themes of Mirrors, Windows and Doors, children will be encouraged to:

Look into a mirror and reflect upon themselves and their own experiences.
Look through a window and consider the lives, experiences and perspectives of others.
Walk through a door and think about how they can make a positive difference in the world around them.
These spaces will provide valuable opportunities for reflection, discussion and personal growth throughout the year.

A huge thank you goes to our School Councillors, who played an important role in the CEO interview process this week. They represented the school brilliantly, asking thoughtful questions and providing valuable feedback that genuinely contributed to the process. We were incredibly proud of their confidence, maturity and insight.

We were also delighted to welcome Sharon from the Diocese to lead Collective Worship this week. As always, she brought energy, excitement and fun, engaging the children in thoughtful reflection and discussion.

This week we also met with our friends from Germany, who will be visiting us for a week beginning next week. This international partnership provides an incredible opportunity for our children and wider community to learn from one another, celebrate different cultures and build lasting friendships. We are very much looking forward to welcoming them to Pilton Bluecoat C of E Academy.

Finally, our attendance this week was 94.5%. Every day in school provides valuable learning opportunities, helps children build friendships and supports their overall wellbeing. We understand that there are times when children may be unwell, and we will always work closely with families to provide support where needed. When children are absent, we may need appropriate evidence to authorise the absence. Thank you for your continued support in ensuring children attend regularly and arrive on time whenever possible, helping them make the most of every school day.

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support. Together, we continue to build brighter futures for all our children.

Warm regards,

Mathew Harts
Head of School

22/05/2026

Dear Parents and Carers,

How have we got to the end of Summer 1 already! It has been another incredibly busy and exciting half-term at Pilton Bluecoat C of E Academy and as we move into Summer 2, the calendar becomes even busier. Please do keep an eye on both the newsletter, the website and our page for key dates and important information, as there is so much happening across the school, from Sports Day, transition events and reports, to welcoming our partner school from Germany.

With so many valuable opportunities ahead, attendance remains incredibly important. Every day in school matters and missing days can have a significant impact, not only on learning but also on the wider experiences and memories children make during this exciting final term.

This week, our Year 5 children visited the Infant School to meet their new Year 2 buddies. The Year 5 children were so excited and incredibly proud to take on this responsibility. While this supports our Year 2 pupils as they prepare for their move up to Junior School, it also helps to build our Year 5 children’s confidence, communication skills and sense of leadership. It was wonderful to see them acting as such positive role models.

We were also pleased to welcome Mr Hunt and Mrs Druce from Pilton Community College, who are the Year 7 Heads of Year. They spent time with our Year 6 pupils beginning the important transition process into secondary school, alongside some enhanced transition support for identified children. These early visits are so important in helping children feel confident and prepared for the next stage of their education.

This week we also held a fire drill and the children were fantastic. They listened carefully, walked sensibly and showed great maturity throughout. We were extremely proud of how calmly and responsibly everyone responded.

I recently met with our School Councillors to discuss playtime improvements across the school. They shared some wonderful ideas and thoughtful suggestions about how we can continue to improve play opportunities for everyone. I have also asked the School Council to meet prospective CEOs for TEAM Multi Academy Trust so they can ask questions and share their views of the candidates. This is a fantastic opportunity for them to develop their communication, leadership and critical thinking skills, while also understanding how pupil voice can help shape the future of our school/Trust community.

A reminder regarding lost property, we are receiving a huge amount of unnamed uniform in school. Please ensure all clothing, water bottles and belongings are clearly labelled so we can return items to their owners quickly and easily.

Finally, with the warmer weather hopefully continuing into next half-term, please ensure children come to school with a named water bottle and that sun cream is applied before school where needed.

Please, have a wonderful half-term break, enjoy the sunshine and I may even see some of you at the beach!

Warm regards,

Mathew Harts
Head of School

15/05/2026

Dear Parents and Carers,

This week, we could not be prouder of our incredible Year 6 children as they completed their SATs assessments. Throughout the week, they showed such maturity, determination and teamwork going into each assessment. They supported one another brilliantly, demonstrated resilience and approached every challenge with positivity and confidence. Superstars!

A huge thank you must also go to the wonderful adults around them who have helped prepare and support them throughout the year. From teachers and teaching assistants to families at home, your encouragement and care have made such a difference.

We would also like to say a special thank you to our amazing kitchen team, who came in early each morning to prepare incredible breakfasts for the children. From fresh fruit platters and waffles to bacon rolls, the children were so well looked after and it created such a positive and calm start to each day. Thank you also to the staff who arrived early to support, encourage and reassure the children before the assessments began.

We would also like to say a huge thank you to Ann Gregory, Lea Churchill and Emma Baynham for giving up their time to support our children with their SATs. Your help, encouragement and dedication are greatly appreciated by both the children and staff. What a team we have here at Pilton Bluecoat Academy, working together to help our children feel confident, cared for and ready to succeed.

Well done as well to the children who took part in the Aquathlon event today. The children represented themselves and the school so well, demonstrating excellent sportsmanship, determination and encouragement towards others.

As a former pupil of Pilton Bluecoat C of E Academy, our thoughts are with the family of Taylor Charlton, the 14-year-old currently missing in Barnstaple. We hope that Taylor is found safe and well very soon. Should you have any information, please contact 999 quoting 50260117084.

As a school, we also want to continue reinforcing the importance of our core values and how we treat one another. Recently, we have had some incidents where children have not shown kindness towards others. At Pilton Bluecoat C of E Academy, we believe strongly in looking after each other, showing respect and living out our values each day.

Please do speak to your children about the importance of kindness and how we care for one another. We regularly encourage children to talk things through, seek support from friends or trusted adults and work together to resolve problems positively. These are important life skills that we continue to promote across the school.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support.

Warm regards,

Mathew Harts
Head of School

08/05/2026

Dear Parents and Carers,

This week has been full of wonderful experiences and achievements across the school.

Our Year 3 children have thoroughly enjoyed their first residential visit. Since joining us, they have grown enormously in confidence, independence and teamwork, and this experience has been another important milestone in their journey. The children were a real credit to the school and embraced every opportunity with enthusiasm and resilience. I even got to join them last night, which was a real highlight to see them all having such a wonderful time.

Children who remained in school also enjoyed a range of enriching activities (such as making pizzas, fruit kebabs, collages of themselves, etc) that supported their creativity, confidence and personal development. It has been lovely to see all children thriving through new experiences.

We are also incredibly proud of the children who took part in the Exmoor Challenge. They demonstrated outstanding teamwork, compassion and encouragement throughout the event, truly serving and supporting one another every step of the way. Starting in the sunshine and finishing in the rain, they showed remarkable determination and resilience. Impressively, they were the only school in Barnstaple to take part, and the many months of training clearly paid off. What an incredible group of children they are. A huge thank you to Mr Turner and the staff team who supported this experience. Without such dedicated members of staff, opportunities like this simply would not happen.

Our Year 6 pupils have also been exceptional as they prepare for their SATs next week. They have approached the week with calmness, maturity and determination, supported brilliantly by staff who continue to ensure children feel positive and confident. We are extremely proud of their attitude and commitment.

This week we also welcomed a Religion and Worldviews review. It was wonderful to see children demonstrating thoughtful discussion, curiosity and respect as they explored different faiths, cultures and communities. These experiences are such an important part of preparing children to become compassionate and informed global citizens.

Finally, our attendance currently sits at 94.5%, in line with national figures. Thank you for your continued support in ensuring children attend school regularly. Every day in school matters and strong attendance plays a vital role in children’s confidence, friendships and academic progress.

Thank you all for being such a supportive school community as we continue Building Brighter Futures together.

Warm Regards

Mathew Hart
Head of School