Close community has wide horizons

By [pburton]

A little village school with wide horizons is looking forward to a new era.

For when the tired temporary pre-school building at Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary is replaced next year, the new building will provide extended services for the whole community.

It is good news for families living in a rural area of small villages and scattered farms, and it is an exciting time for the staff and 71 pupils.

The gabled brick school, with its walled garden full of vegetables and fruit, grown by the children, is in an idyllic setting, with views over the rolling Somerset countryside. It even has a school show-jumping team – because so many children in the area ride, one of the mothers, a school governor, suggested that a group of youngsters should enter competitions under the school name.

All small schools understand the need to reach out to give their pupils a broad education, and Lydeard St Lawrence's motto is "close community, wide horizons." Mrs Gill Stripp, who has been head teacher for five years said: "We make sure the children are involved in lots of group activities off the school site.

"They are in sports leagues, go cross-country running, orienteering and play rugby and football, and our rounders and football teams were both runners-up in the small schools league last year. More than 20 children are learning guitar, and others learn clarinet, piano and recorder.

"The whole school learns French and the reception class is learning Spanish because they have a Spanish-speaking teacher.

"The children have lots of opportunity to excel at music, or sport, or art, and to take responsibility, and it's a lovely, happy, school.

"Last week the Gardeners' Club made lunch here and we had vegetable soup, and Somerset apple cake and custard.

"When we have the new pre-school building next September we will hopefully also have a proper kitchen for hot meals. At the moment, children are bringing in sandwiches for their school lunches.

"We have our own long-established healthy eating scheme too, giving the children a cup-full of fruit or vegetables every day, some of which, like runner beans and strawberries, come from our garden. It's a good way of introducing the children to new things and one of their favourite fruits are kumquats.

"We already have a breakfast club, which helps parents who have to drop their children off at school early, and when we have the new pre-school building we will be able to provide an after-school club as well.

"The building will also be able to provide a base for outreach work for Wiveliscombe Children's Centre, and there may also be a Dad's Club so it will be a real base for family."