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| | St Osmund`s C E VA Middle School
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Barnes Way, Rothesay Road, DT1 2DZ, UK Dorchester +44 (0)1305 262897
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| ABOUT US
St. Osmund’s is a thriving community of children and adults, differing widely in ages, interests and talents. It exists to help every member make the most of his/her abilities in a stimulating and sympathetic environment and to prepare every individual to become a responsible member of society. Our school aims have been written and agreed by all members of our community:
‘St. Osmund’s aspires to be an e-confident school where all teaching is very good or excellent and where pupils’ achievement matches their God-given potential’.
St. Osmund’s opened as a Middle School in 1979 catering for 250 children aged between 9 and 13 years old. Since its opening, we have grown tremendously and numerous extensions and building projects have been carried out to bring it up to its present size, now providing for 600 children.
The staff are very enthusiastic, dedicated and work extremely well together as a team. They create a very happy atmosphere in the school which is built on Christian principles, where good behaviour is expected at all times from all of its members.
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| In 2007 we were, with our sister middle schools in Dorchester, designated a Specialist Science and Maths School. This is a great honour normally reserved for high performing secondary schools and we are thrilled to be able to participate in this initiative for the betterment of pupils’ learning.
The additional resources provided through Specialist Status enable us to personalise the learning support for specific groups of pupils, including those still at first schools, and more closely link school life with real life by building links with the world of work.
Science and Maths are definitely areas of strength at St. Osmund’s but the other awards we have received as a school show that we care for every aspect of pupils’ learning. The ICT Mark and Sports Mark Gold indicate the breadth of the curriculum. Our Healthy Schools Award and our work with UNICEF, on their programme for being a ‘Rights Respecting School’, reinforces our care for the whole child.
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| St Osmund’s offers many extra curricular opportunities for children to extend their learning beyond the classroom. Lists of the out-of-school activities offered each term will be sent to you regularly during the year and are posted on the website. Most of these activities are on offer to all children, though by necessity some are restricted to specific year groups or to single sex groups.
Every effort is made to ensure that the activities are run regularly, although sometimes it is necessary to cancel an arrangement. Normally we would aim to give 24 hours notice of cancellation, but occasionally there are reasons (e.g. staff illness or bad weather) to cancel on the day. In this event, children will be allowed (and encouraged) to make a telephone call home during lunchtime or morning break. If your child is unable to contact you, we will supervise him/her during the time of that session. Children’s education is not confined to the school boundaries; regular day or half-day visits are made locally to enhance learning. Venues used regularly for this purpose include: the Tutankhamun Museum; Poole Harbour; and other natural habitats. We also organise a number of residential visits to centres in Devon, Scotland and to France. In addition the children receive visits from local agencies such as the police, fire brigade and lifeguards to enhance their learning through the PSHE programme We are always pleased to receive any offers of help from parents interested in supporting local activities. Those of you with specific skills that might further increase our range of after-school opportunities would be welcomed too! |
| The school is organised into four Year Groups. In Year 5 your child will come predominantly under the care of one teacher, the class tutor, but will also be taught by a number of other specialist teachers in specialist rooms. A transition occurs gradually in which
there is a movement towards more subject-orientated teaching. In Years 7 and 8 your child will spend a
significant amount of time with the specialist teachers. For actual teaching purposes, the size and composition of the group can vary according to the age and ability of the child and the nature of the subject. As children progress through the school there is a gradual increase in the number of teachers, to permit smaller groupings and, for some subjects, setting according to ability. The range of subjects
taught is that laid down by the National Curriculum.
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