Newsletter 19th Sept 2025

19th September 2025

Dear Parents/Carers

This week I will be introducing you all to our Deputy Head, Sally Cregan and our School Business Manager, Paula Harris.

Sally Cregan is the Deputy Head at Mill Water. 

She is an experienced SEND teacher and senior leader, working within special education since 2002.   She is a sensory SEND specialist and is a qualified teacher of the visually impaired.  Sally is responsible for the quality of education, overseeing the Curriculum, Training and Assessment. 

Sally is also the school's music specialist, leading and promoting the arts including running the school choir. Sally is also the school's mental health lead.  She supports staff welling, training and development.   Sally has a visual impairment, this gives her a small insight into some of the challenges young people with disabilities can face and a drive to promote inclusion.  When you see her, let her know who you are as she may not recognise you straight away!

Paula Harris is School Business Manager at Mill Water.

She is responsible for managing the strategy and operation of the business functions of the school, including financial management, human resources and administration. She leads and advises in these areas across the whole school. She is responsible for our recruitment process and managing the upkeep of the Single Central Record.

She stays informed of events across the whole school and through a small team of highly competent administrators, provide administrative and other support to all areas.

Upcoming Support Programmes


Healthy Parent Carers Programme

The Healthy Parent Carers programme aims to improve health and wellbeing among parents of children with additional needs and disabilities through:

    • Promoting greater empowerment, resilience and confidence of parent carers;
    • Taking small steps that are associated with better health and wellbeing;
    • Encouraging setting achievable goals and taking a problem-solving approach.

The programme has been developed to be delivered as a face-to-face group programme, which involves a series of daytime or evening weekly group sessions.

For more information: healthyparentcarers.org/join-a-programme

 

DIAS “Making Sense of” training

Dates for this term’s DiAS training have been released. The training is for parent carers and/or young people and is based on the questions commonly asked on our enquiry line. There are two different sessions available:

    • Making Sense of SEND - covers information about special educational needs, SEN support and how the SEND system works. It also helps parents to feel more confident about speaking up for their child and working with professionals. There are online and in-person training sessions every term.
    • Making Sense of EHC plans - helps parent carers understand their child’s EHC plan and what’s in it, how it is used and how to take part in the review process. There are online sessions every term.

For details of this term’s dates and to book go to: devonias.org.uk/events

 

Kinship Care Week

To celebrate Kinship care week, there are two events happening which may be of interest:

    • Devon are inviting carers and partners to a first year event, to recognise and bring awareness to Special Guardianship. 
      This is on Thursday the 9th October 2025, 9:30am – 12:30pm, at Newcourt Community Centre, Exeter.       Book a place here
    • The Kinship team have also organised for a guest speaker to share their experiences of growing up in Kinship care on the 6th October, 14:00 – 15:00.
      This will be running online. Teams joining details here       
      Meeting ID: 329 209 190 815 0 Passcode: wQ6cZ7NE

Dates for the Diary

Monday 20th October – Friday 24th October
Celebrating Harvest in class

Monday 27th October – Friday 31st October
October Half Term