Newsletter 12th Sept 2025

12th September 2025

Dear Parents/Carers

Let me firstly extend a warm welcome to you all. Whether this is your last year with us, or the beginning of your Mill Water journey, we are glad to have you as part of our thriving school community. 

For those that are returning: can I also thank you for all the gifts and cards I and my staff received at the end of the summer term. We were overwhelmed by your generosity and kindness.

We have a lot of exciting things happening this academic year: some large projects and some smaller curriculum updates. I will share these things with you as the term gets going.

In the next few newsletters I will introduce you to key members of staff, starting with myself.

I am Sarah Pickering.  I have been Head Teacher at Mill Water for nearly 12 years with the 5 previously as deputy here. I have worked in SEND education since 1998 and have specialisms in ASC, trauma and attachment.

I look forward to introducing you to other key members of staff in the coming weeks.

Settling in After the Summer Holidays

All classes have settled into school life really well after the summer holidays.

Peach & Silver classes have been enjoying getting to know each other in the senior hub over the last week. Including taking part in a number of team games such as problem solving getting their team from one end of the hall to the other using 2 pieces of paper, cone races and working together to make a house out of spaghetti and marshmallows!

New School Mini Bus

We are excited to announce that our new school mini bus made its very first outing this week! This wonderful addition to our school community will help us provide safe and convenient transportation for our school activities. We look forward to many more adventures and memorable experiences for our pupils.

Paddle Boat Game

We've received a message from Paddle Boat to let us know that the game/gallery that they have been building the last 2 years as the summation of their heritage project around the south west coast is now complete.

This is the platform that links up all the work the young people from various different schools have created in response to the idea of "what does it mean to live near the sea". 

Here's the link: www.paddleboattheatre.co.uk/game

As you roam around the map you come across different items to interact with that will play media from the YP, somewhere on the map is Mill Water's "Beach Busters" hut with the tips that the group came up with on how to keep the beach clean. There's also a part where you fight a monster made out of rubbish and again that is the monster design that the students created!

The link will stay live for a long time and can be accessed on phones, tablets and laptops

Hope you all enjoy!