Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• British Down Syndrome Swimming Championships - Oakley pupil wins 7 GOLD medals!

  Mon 21 Nov 2022

  This past weekend, 19th & 20th November, witnessed the first inaugural British Down Syndrome Swimming Championships. Over 135 swimmers from across the country participated in the largest swimming event of its kind at the K2 swim centre in Crawley, West Sussex. HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Gabriel, one of our Phase 4 pupils, swimming his first ever competitive meet, who won 7 GOLD medals!

   

  Gabriel’s performance led to the event commenter saying “we literally could have given him some fins and a rocket pack and it wouldn’t have made any difference, he absolutely nailed it!”  he couldn’t have done any better he’s smashed it’. Gabriel’s performances made him the man to watch, his rapid starts and explosive speed lead to an invite to join a Team Great Britain training camp in Scotland in the New Year.

   

  Gabriel's family and everyone at Oakley School couldn't be prouder.

  

• Phase 4 Art Exhibition - Trinity Theatre, Tunbridge Wells

  Fri 21 Oct 2022

  On Tuesday some of our Governors and staff had the privilege of attending the private viewing of the Phase 4 ’Inspired by’ art event at the Trinity Theatre. It was wonderful to see our young people’s creative work mounted and displayed.  In addition Sarah, Teacher at Phase 4 who collated the exhibition was interviewed by BBC Radio Kent to explain more about the inspiration for the exhibition: https://www.oakleyschool.co.uk/our-pupils/

   

  

• Our first residential since the pandemic!

  Fri 14 Oct 2022

  At the start of this week 10 pupils and 5 staff visited France and we are pleased to share they had a wonderful trip and wonderful weather too! While they were away they visited a goat farm, the beach, local markets and a war bunker. It was such an achievement for our young people to leave home for two nights and for some it was the first time away from their families. As always our young people demonstrated their resilience and ability to face new and exciting experiences—we are so proud of them. 

   

  We would also like to recognise and thank the staff team for leading and supporting the group on the trip—without them these trips would not be possible!   

   

  

• Futures & Destinations Event

  Fri 07 Oct 2022

  On Wednesday, 5th October our Tonbridge site hosted a ‘Futures and Destinations’ event. The event was for pupils and their families to meet representatives from various organisations who can support and guide young people about their next steps after they leave Oakley School. During the afternoon we were fortunate to be joined by some of our Governors as well as the following organisations: Spadework, Grow 19, Department for Work and Pensions, The Scott Project, Bore Place, Princess Christian’s Farm, The Oaks College, Beams. Thank you to everyone involved in the event: our staff team at Tonbridge for organising it, all of the representatives from the organisations and our pupils and their families for attending - the feedback was wonderful.

  

• TWBC Eco Arts Competition

  Fri 30 Sep 2022

  Last Term the Phase 3 Art Club took part in an ECO Project and chose the ‘No Time To Waste’ theme when joining an Eco Art competition. After exploring this theme, they took inspiration from Native American Totems which symbolise the earth, kinship and histories. They combined this with their exploration of Australian Artist John Dahlsen’s work, who uses recycled materials in his pieces.

   

  The vision of the Totem pole was to ‘portray a polluted world reaching to a more eco standard of living with the ability to free ourselves of plastic pollution’. The Totem Pole is made entirely from materials found on site, and the piece incorporates the Oakley symbol and a floating feature. The group also used magazines to decoupage their Totem as well as painting and mark making.

   

  The Totem pole is now on display in the Amelia Scott foyer in Tunbridge Wells (in their large Perspex box display).

  

• Oakley School wins GOLD!

  Tue 27 Sep 2022

  On 1st July we were visited by Tunbridge Wells in Bloom judges. So, earlier today 2 of our Phase 3 pupils, accompanied by 2 members of staff, attended the Tunbridge Wells in Bloom awards ceremony at the Assembly Halls in Tunbridge Wells and we are delighted to share we won the GOLD Award.

   

  Congratulations to all the staff and pupils who help make our outside area such a wonderful learning environment.

  

• Creating a safe environment for Hedgehogs

  Mon 26 Sep 2022

  On Friday, 23rd September three members of Eagle Class worked together to build a hedgehog house, while the rest of the class were working on weeding and tidying the polytunnel.  We will now do some research and decide where the best place to put it is.  The fourth member (Charlie) took charge of the iPad and took all of the photos and videos.  Hopefully this week Eagles will be able to take part in the #pickforprickles initiative to clear litter, creating a safer environment for any hedgehogs who may visit us.

  

• We're working towards the Green Tree School Platinum Award!

  Thu 15 Sep 2022

  This term we have started working on the Green Tree School Platinum Award in our Forest school sessions.  

   

  First we read 'First Day at Bug School' and got to know a few insects.

   

  Then we had a go at matching woodland creatures and trying to name them, we also thought about which ones might live in our grounds.

   

  Finally, we went on a bug hunt to see what we could find in the woods and the garden areas.

   

  We found slugs, worms, woodlice, spiders, beetles (black ones and colourful ones!) and saw  butterflies, moths and other tiny, flying bugs.  We turned over logs, shook trees to see if anything flew out and dug in the soil.

   

  We have gained 5 points towards our platinum award and only have one project left to do!

  

• Oakley wins Bronze Wilder Kent Award

  Tue 06 Sep 2022

  We are proud to announce that we have received a Bronze Certificate in the Kent Wildlife Trust Wilder Kent Awards 2022.

   

  This is a new award to us and our first year of entering.

   

  The judges particularly mentioned:

  • We like how you have created habitats for invertebrates through bug hotels and log piles.
  • We like how you promote a Meat Free Monday and teach children the importance of this.
  • We like how you have just created a new Forest School area and are pleased to hear this is already being used regularly for Forest School sessions.

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  We hope to take part in this again later this year.

  

• Celebrating the amazing habit in our grounds

  Fri 08 Jul 2022

  Every Phase 2 and 3 class has been pond dipping in Forest School this week and we have found some very exciting bugs.

   

  Dragonflies and dragonfly nymphs, pond skaters and pond snails, newts and water boatmen, water fleas and blood worms.

   

  It's been so interesting checking out the trays with magnifying glasses to identify everything and very exciting that we have such an amazing habitat in our grounds!