Vranch House is a centre for the treatment of over 2,000 outpatients with physical difficulties, a provider of various therapies throughout Devon and an independent Day School in Exeter for children with significant physical difficulties.

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Last updated: 18/03/2024

Parent's/Carer's Letter Spring 2018

Date added: Wednesday 7th March 2018
Latest updated: Thursday 23rd February 2023

Dear Parents and Carers,

SNOW! 

As weather warnings have been issued for Exeter and surrounding areas for the next few days, please read the ‘Guidelines for use in Severe Weather Conditions' that have been sent home and emailed separately to this newsletter and call the school if you have any queries.

It is already fast approaching the end of the Spring term and I thought I would give you all an update on the forthcoming Open Week.  For new parents who are not yet familiar with this, Open Week at Vranch House is in place of more formal parents evenings and is when we invite parents and carers to come in and see first-hand what their child is doing in school, as well as providing an opportunity to talk face to face with the staff involved with their child.

This term we have changed Open Week slightly; parents and carers are still welcome to come in any day during the week, but we are keeping the off-timetable activities to Wednesday only.  We have done this because some of our pupils found too much time off timetable difficult to comprehend and be comfortable with.  We will not be holding a Siblings Day event this term due to restrictions on time and space, but will include siblings in our planning for the whole school trip in the Summer term. 

The theme for Open Week this term is a mixture of our current topic ‘Fairy Tales' and a celebration of Easter.  Key dates for this week (and other activities going on at Vranch House before the end of term) are as follows:

Monday 19th to Friday 23rd March - Open Week - if you would like time to speak with your child's class teacher, or other key staff, please put a note in your child's home school book when you would like to come in and we will make time and space available for you to speak with those staff.

Wednesday 21st March, Topic theme day (off timetable) - Pupils are invited to come to school as princesses, knights, kings and queens, unicorns, fairies or whatever they feel inspired to dress up as for Fairy tale fun on this day. To add to the fun, we will also be making Easter bonnets in the afternoon.

Tuesday 27th March, from 2pm, Fairy tale masquerade ball - don't put those costumes away yet!  As many Fairy tales include some kind of ball, we thought we would use this as a theme for an end of term party in the hall.

Wednesday 28th March, from 2pm, Easter Bonnet parade and Egg hunt - we will be showing off the Easter Bonnets made during Open Week as well as scouring the beautiful gardens at Vranch House looking for treats left by the Easter Bunny...

Friday 23rd March, from 13.30, ABC Assembly and Farewell to Nurse Ruth - As this is the last Friday of the term, we will be having our usual half-termly Achievement, Behaviour and Cognition awards assembly from 13.30.  This will then lead into a farewell gathering for Ruth Whitthorn, between 2 and 3pm.

As some of you may already be aware Ruth, one of our amazing Nurses at Vranch House, is leaving at the end of the Spring term after many years of dedicated service to our pupils and their families.  I know Ruth would like to slope-off quietly without a big scene, but she is too fondly regarded by too many people for us not to create an opportunity to thank her properly and give her a rousing send-off.  You are warmly invited to join us for tea, coffee and cakes and in thanking Ruth for all she has given the pupils, parents and staff of Vranch House.

I do hope you will be able to join in with some of the events above and I look forward to seeing you all in the near future.

 

Yours faithfully

 

Ian Norton

Head of Education