Slingsby's big adventure (From Gazette & Herald)

Slingsby's big adventure

SLINGSBY Community Primary School is enjoying a period of exciting change.

Last September saw phase one of a two-stage development completed, when the new adventure playground at the side of the school was officially opened.

This will be followed this August by an extension to the infant classroom, providing extra play facilities for youngsters. In addition, negotiations are currently taking place which could see the school gain its own main hall.

The Howard family built the school in Victorian times for those who worked on Castle Howard estate. The family also put up an extra building next to the school to house a series of reading rooms, which nowadays contains the school's kitchen and dining room.

However, part of the building remains vacant. Negotiations are ongoing between Castle Howard and North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) with a view to transforming this unused section into a main hall for the school.

Such a facility would accommodate gym classes and storage space for gym equipment, special assemblies, visits from theatre groups, and it would also provide a much larger dining area for pupils. The hall could also be used by the community.

A process of transformation may be taking shape but one feature remains constant - the school remains very much at the heart of Slingsby village life.

The children are currently practising to take part in the long-held May Day village tradition of dancing round the maypole - which stands proud in front of the school and is believed to have existed in Slingsby since Viking times.

As it has done for the last two years, the school is also organising a scarecrow trail in the village over the three-day bank holiday period. On the Sunday (May 5), it will be serving afternoon tea in the village hall.

While funds for a new hall would come from NYCC, the school has had to fund the new playground and classroom extension itself.

It could not have done this without the support of the community, which helped to raise around £10,000. A big fete, which was opened by Simon Howard, at the beginning of last September was the centre-piece of fundraising activities.

Head teacher Barbara Bennett said: "The community is really supportive towards us and we're really thankful to them."

And she had a special word of thanks to Simon Howard for devoting considerable time towards the school's new developments and for allowing it to sell tickets for fund-raising events at the nearby stately home.

Regular visitors to the school include David North, from Malton Evangelical Church, and Rev Mike Smith from the Methodist Chapel. Each year, the school holds special services in the chapel and in All Saints' Church. Mrs Bennett added that the school would like to receive visits from members of other faiths.

School secretary Jackie Magson reports that an amazing 37,000 used stamps have been sent in by the community since September to help with the school's collection for guide dogs for the blind.

Tokens to help the school buy new books and computers are constantly being received from villagers, while recycling appeals always receive a good response.

The school also has an active Parent Teacher Association, which helps to fund the cost of school trips and also pays for swimming lessons at the St Albans Centre in Ampleforth during the summer term.

Being a very small school - Slingsby has just 36 pupils - it has strong links with schools in nearby Hovingham and Terrington, with whom it shares sports days and theatre group visits. This cluster also enables the youngsters to mix socially with children from other schools.

Gifted pupils from the school have also taken part in masterclasses involving a wider cluster of primary schools from the area.

Mrs Bennett was relishing the prospect of Malton School gaining science college status. As a feeder school for Malton, Slingsby pupils would be able to visit the school regularly for science lessons during the week and also receive more science-based resources.

While Slingsby school is looking forward to its end-of-term holiday, the impending Easter break will also be tinged with sadness.

The school must say goodbye to its Japanese teaching assistant, Keiko Takigawa, who has come to the end of her international internship programme which has been ongoing since October.

Over the last six months, the children have had an authentic insight into Japanese culture from Keiko, right from learning oragami to making their own miniature kimonos.

"She's really brought the topic to life," said Mrs Bennett. "We'll be sorry to see her go."

Mrs Bennett said the school was passionate about teaching a second language. All pupils, including the foundation year, learn French.

"The children love it. It's amazing how quickly they pick it up," said Mrs Bennett, adding that learning language was a particularly natural process for the younger children.

Having joined the school back in January 2000, Mrs Bennett has clearly enjoyed her three-and-a-bit years.

"It's been absolutely brilliant. I have a wonderful staff, a really good board of governors and a supportive community."

But, perhaps most importantly, she reserved her biggest praise for the children. "They are so positive and so enthusiastic. They never cease to amaze me."

Updated: 16:10 Wednesday, April 09, 2003