Page 39 - Enjoy-It 2023

Kingsleigh Primary School is an oasis of learning situated centrally between Poole and Bournemouth.
850 children from the ages of three to eleven years, from all over BCP are literally ‘home from home’ at Kingsleigh Primary School and fortunate enough to enjoy and benefit from the vision, commitment and support of an incredible teaching team. That alongside its exceptional curriculum, and on site academic, artistic, sporting, environmental and drama facilities sets this school apart from the competition.
Since 2019 there have been many academic changes at the primary school (which has been teaching children
for over 50-years), with a change in school leadership alongside some cosmetic yet remarkably game-changing improvements both internally and externally.
Today the teaching and administrative team (approx. 130 in total) remain loyal to its pupils, and extremely consistent in its teaching and learning offering thanks to incredible staff retention figures, and they collectively and proudly watch the pupils grow, learn, and as the school’s motto states ‘...be great’.
The school is also great! Perpetually refining and honing its educational proposition with pastoral and external agencies’ support, the achievements and progress of the children speak for themselves.
Reading has been a strong focus of the school over the past two academic years, and progress in this area has been most impressive. The curriculum of the school has also been vastly improved and relates closely to the local community – ensuring there is real purpose to what the children learn. The staff at KPS work hard to ensure that all the children have real pride in the standard of their work, and it is the school’s ultimate aim that all the children achieve their academic best by the time they reach secondary school.
There are so many different outdoor areas in which to play; on rustic beams, bars, ropes and on the school’s own pirate ship which is a nod towards the school’s proximity to Poole.
There is even a brand-new Forest School in the grounds with ant farms, shrubs, vegetables, seedlings and enthusiastic pupils examining the trees, a Bug Hotel and taking a real interest in wildlife, sustainability and growing their own vegetables!
Speaking of vegetables, the lunches at Kingsleigh are
simply delicious. The recent improvements didn’t stop at re-investment, paint, carpets and artwork – they reached into the kitchens as well! Today lunches are
a comprehensive selection of salads, jacket potatoes, pasta, daily cooked options, vegan choices, fresh fruit and desserts from the highly skilled staff at CleverChefs. This is a world away from school dinners of old!
The nourishment of the children stretches further than the classroom at Kingsleigh, and to burn off that hearty lunch – the sporting facilities assist, most conveniently the primary school’s dining rooms are quickly converted to and from an exceptionally well-equipped gymnasium and drama suite. Outside there is a massive expanse of all-weather pitches, acres of playing fields for cricket and football (with the support of Stars Football Academy). Indeed, if the point needed proving, in the summer of 2023, the Year 6 Kingsleigh Girl’s Football Team qualified for the Primary Premier League National Finals held
at Elland Road and had the opportunity of playing Manchester United, Newcastle, Leicester and Everton! The school was also awarded the Dorset Schools Games Gold Award in 2022-2023.
It’s not only sports that help define the school, but its music proposition also plays an important part in the curriculum as does art, and each year there a number of exciting educational visits, across all year groups to local, relevant and exciting destinations including Bovington Tank Museum near Wareham, and the Titanic Museum in Southampton.
It is the plan, in 2023/24 and beyond, to grow this provision and ensure all children have regular access to the local environment to support their learning journey at KPS. Positioned where it is, in the heart of BCP, the school can easily access both coastal and rural environments alongside more urban areas and collectively give the children of the school a wealth of knowledge about the area in which they live and learn.
The teachers have a way of inspiring pupils at KPS and they like to show them all that they can make a difference and the environment is obviously a huge part of that, and the preservation of beaches, seas, oceans and associated wildlife must be a part of that learning experience for all children. It’s a delight to watch the children really engage with these lessons and educational experiences.
The overall feeling emitted from Kingsleigh is one of care, friendship, inclusion, adventure, nurture and yes, ‘being great’ partnered with education of the highest level that all comes from staff that always work their hardest to ensure the best outcomes for all the children. Ofsted thinks so too, awarding the school a ‘Good’ rating in 2018 and with many improvements taking place since.
You don’t need to take our word for it, Kingsleigh is open to parents and carers to view and tour the school every Friday, seeing the school in action is something else – its offering is transparent, honest, personal and the whole team works tirelessly to maintain that brilliant position of allowing and encouraging its pupils to ‘...be great!’
To book a tour or to find out more about this incredible school, simply email office@kingsleighprimary.co.uk and discover what KPS can offer you and your children.
www.kingsleighprimary.co.uk
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