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

• Move over Sam!

  Mon 02 Dec 2019
  As part of our Children in Need activities, some of our children won the opportunity to take over a staff role in the school. Last Friday, 29th November we had two Year 2 pupils who rose to this challenge and did a fantastic job covering for Sam, our Head of School for the morning. Sitting in her office they made telephone calls, signed and distributed pay cheques, carried out a learning walk to make sure all the children were having fun and gave out the 'Star of the Week' certificates in assembly. One member of staff asked if everyone could go home early and the response was a resounding 'no', the same as the answer to 'please Sir can I have a pay rise?' They were absolutely fantastic and a real highlight of the day on Friday.  

  

• Children in Need 2019

  Thu 21 Nov 2019

  On Friday, 15th November, Oakley pupils and staff paid to come to school in their pyjamas and onesies to raise money for Children in Need, one of our chosen charities for the year.  The children also went on a ramble (even though the weather wasn't particularly encouraging) and had lots of fun incorporating Pudsey into their learning throughout the day. 

   

  In addition, a child from each class was nominated for wearing the best pyjamas/onesie and have gone into a draw to win one of the following 5 jobs for a day; Head of School, Receptionist, Caretaker, Learning Support Assistant or Mid-day Meals Supervisor!   The winners are going to be announced in Phase Assemblies on 21st and 22nd November!

   

  In total we raised £244.10. A big THANK YOU to everyone who supported us.

  

• Thank you Anne and Alison

  Wed 06 Nov 2019

  At the Friends of Oakley (PTA) Annual General Meeting on Monday, 4th November, our joint Chairs, Anne Ralph and Alison Klopper, stood down.  Anne and Alison have worked tirelessly to support the school and so we were delighted to get the opportunity to officially thank them on behalf of the whole school community.  We will be sharing details of who will be succeeding Anne and Alison as Chair(s) and other committee appointments in due course, but in the meantime, with children still at Oakley School, we look forward to welcoming Anne and Alison to future events, which they can enjoy without all the hard work!

  

• And the Sponsored Dance-a-Thon raised........

  Wed 06 Nov 2019

  When we opened the doors on 11^th October we were greeted by all types of animals from lions to zebras to elephants – all ready to dance their hoofs off in aid of our Sponsored Dance-a-Thon!

   

  We all had a truly fabulous day dressing up and learning routines with the very talented Jack Davidson.  Just as the memory was starting to fade our amazing Friend of Oakley and sensational photographer, Amanda Collins, gave us the professional photos of the day. Amanda does this all for free and we thought they were definitely worth sharing with everyone.

   

  Our total so far is…drum roll… £1,656.25 which is fantastic!  Thank you to all our parents, carers, families and friends for digging deep – the money has ALL gone into The Friends of Oakley (PTA) account to be spent on the children and young people at Oakley School.

  

• Flying our Green Flag!

  Fri 01 Nov 2019

  In September we were thrilled to share that after eighteen months' hard work on a variety of environmental projects, Oakley School was awarded their Eco Schools Green Flag, the top award on offer.  Our Green Flag finally arrived this week and the pupils had great fun raising the flag outside the school reception.

   

  Comments from the assessor included: "I found the students at Oakley School very enthusiastic about the Eco projects they have covered.  They are clearly proud of their school and of all that they do to help the environment.  They are well supported by staff who share their enthusiasm.  They have exciting plans for the future and I feel sure that Eco-Schools will play a central part of the students' work in years to come.  Well done to everyone".

   

  Eco Schools is a global programme engaging 19.5 million children across 67 countries, making it the largest educational programme on the planet.

   

  Projects have included the Big Battery Hunt which is ongoing, the great Oakley Spring Clean centered in our outdoor areas and a drink more water project.

   

  Following on from the success of our Green Flag award, our ECO Team have already started our next project: WASTE!

   

  Phase 1 pupils and their families are collecting used toothbrushes, empty toothpaste tubes and other oral hygiene products.

   

  Phase 2 pupils and their families are collecting empty (clean) crisp packets, which will also give us a chance to raise funds for the Kent, Sussex and Surrey Air Ambulance. We need to collect 8kg of packets!

   

  Phase 3 pupils and their families are collecting used pens -any brand of biro, highlighter, felt tip or marker pens are accepted!

   

  Thank you to all our families for supporting our campaigns and to all the staff who are supporting the children with their projects and eating too many crisps!

   

  

• Happy Halloween from Oakley School!

  Fri 01 Nov 2019
  How much do Oakley pupils love a Halloween disco? So much!  As always, the children and young people had a fantastic evening dancing to their favourite songs with their friends, some of the children didn't sit down all evening and just stayed on the dance floor.  We had a dance competition, a raffle and refreshments and DJ Matt was fantastic - what more do you need, except a lot of scary costumes, and again our pupils did not disappoint,  Thank you to all the parents and staff who supported the event.

  

• Year 6 Residential

  Thu 17 Oct 2019
  On Wednesday, 16th October, a group of very excited Year 6 pupils left Oakley School for their overnight residential at Bore Place in Chiddingstone.  Bore Place is a "rural retreat in Kent providing bespoke opportunities for people to learn, grow and reconnect with themselves and the environment" and our children are having a great time, as you can see in the photos below.  Staying away from home for a night can be an anxious time, not only for the pupils, but parents and carers as well, but we are thrilled to report that everyone was in bed and asleep by 10pm and thanks to all the fresh air during the day, everyone slept all night.  They are in for a second, fun packed day and we look forward to welcoming every one back and hearing about all their adventures. 

  

• Celebrating our Environment

  Fri 27 Sep 2019

  We are delighted to share that Oakley School has been awarded Green Flag Status!  Our Eco Committee, comprising of children from Nursery to Year 11 and staff, met with the Assessor on Wednesday, 25th September and showed her around our Tunbridge Wells site, telling her all about the amazing work we've been doing over the past 18 months, looking after our school environment.  We have litter picked, we have recycled batteries, we have drunk more water...and so much more.  

   

  We are waiting for the final report, which we will of course share, but our assessor said it was clear how much effort had been put in, across the curriculum.  We are all very proud of the pupils who met with the assessor and, in particular, the 6 who showed her around, they were so enthusiastic and eloquent about the work we’ve been doing.

   

  We did a little research after receiving confirmation of the award and found out that 1,154 schools in the UK have been awarded the flag and of those, we are one of only 58 special schools to have achieved it!

   

  On Thursday, 26th September three of our young people, together with our enthusiastic outdoor learning staff, attended the 2019 Tunbridge Wells in Bloom Awards Ceremony in Tunbridge Wells and came away with a SILVER GILT in the Schools category. One of our Years 8s also won the Bee Art Competition, getting his own certificate, a prize and an invitation to visit an Apiary in the Spring. 

   

  What a week!  We are all feeling like winners.

  

• Off to a great start!

  Wed 25 Sep 2019

  We can't believe we are already 3 weeks into the new academic year!  The children have settled in so well and are all enjoying their new classes and making friends.

   

  On the Tunbridge Wells site the children are enjoying the new Pirate Ship and Trim Trail that was built over the summer.  Break and Lunch times have never been so much fun!  Thank you to all our sponsors and fundraisers who contributed to this fantastic resource.

  

• More FE fun in France!

  Wed 17 Jul 2019

  After their close encounters with snails the previous day, on Tuesday, 16th July the students and staff went to a French market to buy their lunch before going to an Aqua Park and playing sports/games on the beach.  They had such a wonderful, fun day as you can see in the photos below.  

   

  Back at base we have been trying not to be too green with envy (and/or green at the site of the snails) and were absolutely thrilled to get the e-mail below, from the Hotel where they stayed:-

   

  From: Info <info@hotel-moulinauxdraps.com>
  Sent: 17 July 2019 08:53
  To: Sam Perryman 
  Subject: Thank you Oakley!

   

  Hello Sam,

  I’m Justine, assistant manager in Le Moulin aux draps in Desvres.
  I am sending a mail to say you thank you ! We loved your group and it was the first time for me and several members of the staff with a group like you. It is a very great experience because they taught so much. They can do everything, it was a very great pleasure for us! They were so polite, cleaner than another groups, less wasteful. SO just Thank you!! I hope that they enjoyed the trip.

  Justine Debeaulieu

   

  Hotel Restaurant Le Moulin aux draps

  Rue de Cremarest

  62240 DESVRES

  info@hotel-moulinauxdraps.com

  Tel : 03.21.10.69.59

   

  We are all so proud of our students, who are on their way home now, having visited a bunker which has been converted into a museum today. We look forward to hearing about their adventures, although we are expecting them all (staff included) to be fatigue (as they say in France)!