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Dartmouth Primary
Dartmouth Primary - Head Teacher, Rik Meek
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Dartmouth Primary
Dartmouth Primary logo
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Dartmouth Primary
Dartmouth Primary
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Dartmouth Primary
Dartmouth Primary
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Dartmouth Primary
Dartmouth Primary - Head Teacher, Rik Meek
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Dartmouth Primary
Dartmouth Primary
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Dartmouth Primary
Dartmouth Primary
Dartmouth Primary - sustained improvement in a school that closely serves its community
Dartmouth Primary School & Nursery has been changing a lot over the past two years – partly as a result of an energetic and committed new head teacher, Rik Meek (pictured), and partly as a result of the closer ties with Dartmouth Community College arising from the “federation” initiative begun in September 2007.
Those changes have had a noticeable and positive impact on the school, importantly causing standards in the school to rise steadily such that it is now ranked in the top 21% of schools nationally in terms of added value. This year, it is amongst the 100 most improved schools in the UK.
As residents will know, the school shares the Dartmouth Learning Campus with the Community College on the outskirts of the town. Opened in 1974, the current pupil roll is 168, including nursery pupils, a number that until recently had been steadily declining. Rik and his team have reversed that decline and are genuinely optimistic that school numbers will increase in future. Already, the pupil numbers in Reception classes are 50% up on expected levels.
The Nursery has been a great success and a long waiting list has developed. The school draws from Dartmouth and local villages.
This turn-round in fortunes is a result of diligence and hard work but staff feel that their recent “federation” with the Community College has also reaped significant benefits. For a start, the renewed confidence in the campus has won the Learning Campus approximately £800,000 in extra public funding to support modernisation of the combined premises and the construction of a new multi-purpose building to provide a separate facility with flexible learning areas, performance spaces and ICT equipment.
These facilities will also be used by other feeder schools in the area, as well as being available to the local community. This work is in addition to the building of a new Children’s Centre (nearing completion) providing enhanced day-care facilities and services for local families
The federation means that the two schools share one governing body allowing governors and staff to formulate policies and practice that underpin excellent teaching and learning across the entire 0 - 19 age range.
It is, therefore, a more holistic approach to the education and welfare of Dartmouth’s children and allows a more co-ordinated strategic plan to be developed. This is especially important when children are making the all-important transition from primary to secondary school. This initiative is the first of its kind in Devon and is being closely watched by other schools in the county.
Rik and his colleague, Julie Stuchbery-Ullah, Acting Principal of the Community College, have been the main driving force implementing these changes, working closely together and with governors and staff. Rik is a strong advocate of the benefits this will bring to how the school performs academically as well as how it serves the community more broadly. He is a strong believer that schools, such as Dartmouth Primary School, must provide extended services and forge close, mutually reinforcing links, with children’s families.
He recognises that many things can get in the way of a child’s education such as bereavement or family break-up and for that reason the school employs a full-time family support worker to give emotional support to children and a direct link with families. As he says “all schools nowadays are challenged to deliver extended services not just the best SATs results they can. We want to develop successful learners, responsible citizens and confident individuals.”
Having previously worked in Plymouth and South Devon throughout his teaching career, this is Rik’s first head teacher’s role – indeed, he says, he has always wanted to become head teacher of such a school i.e. one that sits in the heart of its community and serves that community closely. He has lived in the South Hams for the past 12 years so knew Dartmouth and the school well before he joined 18 months ago.
Presiding over a stable team of 6 full-time and 1 part-time teachers as well as an excellent team of teaching assistants, Rik is especially proud of their joint efforts in raising standards consistently over the past three years. There is still more room for improvement but strong foundations have now been laid. Indeed, the school ranks as the 33rd most improved school nationally over the last three years, the only Devon school in the top 100.
Built in 1974 and reflecting the then current trends of school design, there has been much modernisation in recent years to provide a dedicated ICT suite and six large classroom areas.
Each classroom has an interactive white-board, a technological innovation that Rik believes adds great flexibility and fun to the manner in which lessons are conducted and information imparted. Between classes are large shared spaces for practical activities such as art. The school is enviably sited in quiet, beautiful grounds with three playgrounds and a large field, plus numerous smaller areas of grass providing ample and safe recreation areas for pupils.
The school has an active Friends Association providing a link between home and school. It encourages parents to get involved in the life of the school and organises fundraising and social events. Every parent is automatically a member of the Friends association and is welcome to come along to any meeting and is eligible to stand for election to the committee.
The School benefits greatly from the work of the Friends’, with the extra money being raised put to exciting projects that directly benefit the children e.g. the Friends are currently raising to money to refurbish the nursery. Furthermore, the Friends’ association is another vital way that parents can communicate their thoughts and wishes to the school.
Dartmouth Primary School & Nursery
Head Teacher: Rik Meek
Milton Lane
Dartmouth TQ6 9HW
01803 833521
E-mail: admin@dartmouth-pri.devon.sch.uk
www.dartmouthprimaryschool.co.uk
First published August 2008 By the Dart
