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

• Planting the seeds of peace

  Thu 04 Oct 2018 Times of Tunbridge Wells, 3rd October 2018 (P25)

  OAKLEY SCHOOL in Tunbridge Wells has been chosen by one of the largest women's service organisations in the world as the local recipient of a rose to commemorate the recent International Day of Peace.

   

  The event was to celebrate the end of World War 1, and service groups around the country were asked to choose a school local to them to receive a symbolic rose.

  
  The Tunbridge Wells Inner Wheel Club decided theirs should go to Oakley School, which accommodates pupils with special needs aged two to 25 years old.

   

  Local Inner Wheel Club President Christine Baker told the Times: "Peace Roses were planted by Inner Wheel Clubs at various local schools all over Kent on September 21 to celebrate the International Day of Peace, and also the centenary of the ending of World War 1.

   

  "Oakley School was the obvious choice for us.  It is an eco-school, and we firmly believe in their ethos and ability to grow individuals even though they have special educational needs.

   

  "We were very impressed to see how caring Oakley School is, and were delighted to see such happy children - and also to see that they have an active Gardening Club." 

  

• Oakley is blooming in GOLD!

  Thu 27 Sep 2018

  At the end of last summer our school garden on the Tunbridge Wells site was judged as part of the 2018 Tunbridge Wells in Bloom competition. 

   

  On Wednesday, 26th September, two members of staff and 3 pupils were lucky enough to go to the awards ceremony at One Warwick Park, Royal Tunbridge Wells.

   

  The pupils who were chosen had put a lot of hard work into the garden during last year and did a great job showing the judges round in July.

   

  They were, therefore, particularly thrilled to receive the GOLD award in the Schools section and an additional award for the tallest sunflower, on behalf of the School.

   

  We will definitely be celebrating this success during the next celebration assembly!

  

• Head2Head Theatre

  Mon 17 Sep 2018

  As well as this year's hugely successful Oakley School Summer Holiday programme ‘The Wilderness Explorers’, we hosted the Head2Head Theatre Company (a theatre company which specialises in providing entertainment for children/young people with SEND).  This year Oakley School nominated one of its own Further Education students, Max, to participate as part of their student volunteer programme.  Coming back to school this month, we got the following letter from Max's Mum:-

   

  "I just wanted to say a big thank you for putting Max forward for the student volunteer programme.  It was a fantastic opportunity for him and he absolutely loved every minute of it.  I stayed for one of the performances and I was really impressed by the whole interactive and walkabout format of the show and the actors were all brilliant!  They were also great with Max and I haven't seen him enjoy anything as much in ages.  It's fair to say that Max didn't always stick to the script but one of the actors commented that they'd 'enjoyed his energy and enthusiasm'!

   

  Well done to Max and thank you again to Head2Head - your production of Peter Pan was enjoyed by all the children and young people who attended.

  

• Day 2 of the Year 6 Residential at Carroty Wood

  Wed 18 Jul 2018

  Our adventurers have returned, full of stories of the things they've done, but looking a bit tired (as did the staff!)  The children were amazing, every single one of them pushed themselves to do things they never thought they could do, and indeed the staff with them didn't think they would do, everyone is so proud of them.  Because it was their first residential with Oakley School, it was only 2 days and one night but what an experience for them all, some of them had never even stayed away from home before. They will get more opportunities to go on residentials as they progress through the school, trips that will involve going further afield and for longer and maybe even the opportunity to go ski-ing when they get to Year 10! 

   

  The photos below show the fun they had around the campfire on their first night and some more of the activities they conquered on day two.

  

• Year 6 Residential at Carroty Wood

  Tue 17 Jul 2018

  A group of very excited Year 6 children left school this morning to go on their residential at Carroty Wood.

   

  At the end of day 1 we have had the following report:-

   

  "The children are having an amazing time and so are the staff!  A lovely quote from one of our pupils on getting to the bottom of the abseiling tower and, having been nervous all the way up, his feet hit the ground and his first words were ‘do it again, do it again!’
  
  Not only have they been abseiling and on the high ropes, the children have been learning to do the instructors' jobs - tying each other’s ropes."
   

  One of the Oakley team supporting the pupils e-mailed saying "I feel privileged to have been part of the team today, the children have been amazing and I am so proud of them all."
   

  This evening everyone is looking forward to a delicious roast dinner and some singing around the campfire before a quiet rest and (hopefully) a reasonable night’s sleep..."

  
  It is clear to see from the photos below just how much fun they are all having and how much courage the children are demonstrating. 

   

  Looking forward to tomorrow's photos.

   

  
   

  

• A Life Changing Opportunity for one of Oakley's Young People

  Mon 09 Jul 2018

  Congratulations and well done to Taylor, a Further Education student at Oakley who on Friday, 6th July did work experience at Tom Tugendhat’s (MP for Tonbridge and Malling) office. Taylor was quiet and appropriately nervous on Friday morning but by the time his tutor arrived on Friday afternoon he was fully engaged and looked so confident. We are all so proud of Taylor. Thank you to all the staff at Tom's office for making Taylor so welcome and for giving him such a fantastic opportunity, they told Taylor's tutor they 'were very happy with him as he made a huge help to the office."

   

  

• Radio Oakley meets KMFM

  Fri 06 Jul 2018
  On Thursday, 5th July our Radio Oakley DJs visited the KMFM studio - what an amazing experience, particularly for Miles who met two of his favourite DJs!  The visit will feature in next week's radio show on Friday, 13th July so please listen in.  Thank you to everyone at KMFM who went over and beyond what our pupils were expecting from the visit, everyone was so welcoming and our pupils (and the members of staff who went with them) were overflowing with excitement when they returned to school.

  

• A splendidly, sunny summer fair at Oakley

  Fri 06 Jul 2018
  Saturday, 30th June saw the whole Oakley community come together for the Summer Fair on the Tunbridge Wells site. Organised and run by The Friends of Oakley (our PTA) and with the support of the staff, Oakley's children and young people and their families enjoyed a couple of sunny hours together.  Some members of our school choir welcomed everyone with their singing at the gates, we had pony rides, face painting, games, the ever popular inflatable, plant sale, raffle, tombola, Usborne Books stall, toy stall, not to mention the Headteacher and a School Governor in the stocks!  We raised a whopping £1,800 (after costs)!  Thank you to The Friends for all their hard work, to the staff who gave up their Saturday to support the event, the local companies who donated some amazing raffle prizes, Tesco staff who served cream teas and to all our families who donated goods and who came on the day.

  

• Indian Cooking Workshop

  Mon 02 Jul 2018

  On Friday, 29th June the mother and grandmother of one of our Key Stage 4 pupils came into school to show the class how to cook a traditional Indian curry.  The pupils enjoyed chopping and dicing and being part of the whole process, including the clearing up! The smell of the vegetarian curry and the wonderful Indian spices filled the corridors and staff and pupils were all thrilled to get a taste of the end result.  It is always so appreciated when one of our families supports learning in this way, sharing elements of their culture with our children and young people, we can't thank them enough for giving up their time.

  

• Oakley Nursery celebrates its first year, with a trip to the Farm!

  Fri 29 Jun 2018

  To celebrate the first year of Oakley Nursery, our specialist nursery team ran two very successful trips to Blackberry Farm, where the children enjoyed a tractor ride, looked at farm animals, held a rabbit and guinea pig and played on their playground equipment.

   

  Thank you so much to all the staff at Blackberry Farm, for making our children so welcome.