Schools
We are very fortunate to have not only a Primary School, but also a pre-School.
Okeford Fitzpaine Church of England Voluntary Aided (CE VA) Primary School, The Cross, DT11 ORF
Our school was founded in 1814; we celebrated the 200 year mark last week when the Bishop of Salisbury dedicated a new Cross at the School.
The School's 200 years celebrations were a great success. The Bishop of Salisbury's visit was blessed with lovely weather and he set the tone with his very relaxed approach to the children. The arrival of some very wet weather on the Saturday did nothing to quell the enthusiasm of Peter Wilson, MBE. He spoke very enthusiastically about his motivation in securing a Gold Medal at the 2012 Olympics, and really inspired the many people who came along.
Ian Berry, Chair of the School's Governing Body wishes to express his gratitude for the dedication and commitment of everybody who worked so hard in organising and putting on both events.
The present buildings were built in 1873, but the roof and floors - and all the records and archives - were totally destroyed by fire during WW2, after which the building was "repaired" to its original "as new" condition - we have photographs.
We are a small, friendly school, actively involved with the close-knit community. We are proud of our school, which not only serves the village community, but involves people of all ages, especially our pupils, ranging in age from five to eleven. We have a Breakfast Club that starts at 8am, and an Afterschool Club that runs until 5.15pm.
Click > here < for more information. Click >here< for events calendar
Tel.: 860 530
e-Mail: office AT okeford.dorset.sch.uk
And on FaceBook
LET THE BELL RING OUT
FOR OKEFORD FITZPAINE SCHOOL
Following a recent inspection by Ofsted at Okeford Fitzpaine School they are delighted to have achieved a GOOD across all areas.
Highlights in the report include the comments that:
“100% of teaching is good or better.”
“Teaching Assistants provide highly effective support to small groups and individual children across the school.”
“All adults place a high priority on creating a positive family atmosphere. As a result, pupils feel safe, happy and cared for as individuals.”
“Pupils enjoy coming to school, look after each other, behave very well and are rightly proud of their school.”
“The behaviour of pupils is good and is a strength of the school. Staff and parents are very positive about the management of behaviour in the school.”
“Typically, very good relationships exist between teachers and pupils, enabling high-quality discussions to occur.”
“All groups of pupils are making good progress.”
Headteacher, Alan Frame commented that, “We are delighted with the outcome of the inspection particularly given the new Ofsted framework which is so much more demanding than previous ones. Since arriving at Okeford Fitzpaine I have been particularly impressed at the hard work the staff have put in and the support I have received from the Governing Body. Of course the children were also great ambassadors for the school through the inspection and a credit to the school. To reinforce a point from the report the staff really care for the children as individuals and fully deserve this great result.”
Ofsted made particular reference to the Early Years provision at the school and comments included that:
“Provision across the Early Years is good and children make good progress, particularly in their mathematics, language and personal skills. Nearly all pupils leave Reception confident and well equipped to start Year 1.”
“The Early Years Foundation Stage is well led. Staff know the children very well individually, track how they improve their skills through play, and modify activities according to children’s needs and abilities.”
“Well directed support encourages both children’s independence and their ability to work with others.”
“Children’s positive attitudes are promoted well because the learning environments are engaging. Exciting activities, such as an outdoor number walk, are well matched to the children’s needs and interests.”
“Children’s behaviour is excellent.”
An ecstatic Chairman of Governors, Ian Berry, said
“It has been a challenging 12 months for the School and everybody associated with it. This OFSTED rating has been an incredible achievement. We are lucky to have a very good ratio of pupils to Teachers, supported by Teaching Assistants and an enthusiastic group of helpers.
A really telling comment from the Report sums up everything we like to see in our pupils –
“Pupils enjoy coming to the school, look after each other, behave very well and are rightly proud of their school”.
It has been a very exciting period in the School’s history with the celebration of 200 years of education in the village last October leading up to this great OFSTED result.”
Following the result, the school looks forward to a bright future. There are plans to re-vamp the outside area for the Early Years to make it a fantastic environment for the children use and have secured a grant to make this work possible. The school is also developing after-school care after requests for parents. Mr Frame has started some work with iPads and coding to meet the new requirements of the National Curriculum, his particular area of expertise. He is also very determined to get the broken school bell working again so watch this space! Do have a look at our the Class Blogs on our website to see what else the children have been up to at Okeford Fitzpaine.
Photographs:-
Bacon buttie morning to raise money for their residential trip.
Oak Tree Pre-School, in the grounds of the Primary School, The Cross, DT11 ORF
The Oak Tree Pre-school is located on the grounds of Okeford Fitzpaine C of E VA Primary School in a port-a-cabin with a garden allowing the children to free-flow safely from one environment to another. The Oak Tree Pre-school was formerly known as Okeford Fitzpaine Pre-school Playgroup, and was started in 1974 as an informal group. Since then the Pre-school has gone from strength to strength, and is now run by the Bright Sparks Day Nursery chain. We welcome children from two years to five years old. The Pre-school is registered with OFSTED for full day care during term time. For more information, click > here < Tel.: 860 023
Recycling
The school is playing its part in helping the environment by collecting aluminium and clothing for re-cycling. Just bring your stuff along (clothes should be in poly bag, please).
Be aware !
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