Address: School Road, Stoke Fleming
Tel: 01803 770244
TOP FIVE FACTS:
Number of pupils: 140
Number of teachers: 8
School motto: Aim high
School pet: Buster the rabbit
Ofsted rating: Outstanding
Paul Girardot is relatively new to the job. He’s only been the head teacher for a year
and says
so far he’s ‘really enjoying it’. He is used to a bigger, more suburban school setting, as his previous job was head of a 500-pupil school near Heathrow.
He saw the role advertised in the summer of 2016 and decided to go for it, attracted by the prospect of being by the coast with some cleaner air. He and his family moved down last summer.
“There are just as many challenges to meet in a rural school, but I’m lucky to have such great teachers and truly lovely children,” says Paul. “Pupils here are happy, confident and self-motivated - they really want to strive for the best and we’re here to help them.
We are a ‘Rights Respecting’ school which means staff guide and support pupils and help them feel safe, nurtured and in control of their futures.” He says it’s often the children coming up with project ideas. Last year they held a mock General Election where some pupils created manifestos and canvassed around the school.
He says staff want the children to become ‘global citizens’. They discuss current affairs each week in assembly – President Trump and North Korea have been major talking points. There are eight house and vice captains who represent the school at various events and, more importantly for the children, get to wear blazers!
This term the year five children (9/10 year-olds) are studying World War Two and will be evacuated to Plymouth! They’ll spend a day at the theatre with actors who will replicate an authentic wartime experience.
Paul said the whole process has been quite emotional: “Mums and dads sent goodbye letters which were read aloud in class – they brought a few tears to everyone’s eyes I can tell you!” But things get a bit more light hearted towards the end of term when the whole school will be going to the panto at Dartmouth Academy.
Paul is training for the 2018 London Marathon. He’s running for Great Ormond Street Hospital, as a child at school is currently under the hospital's care. He hopes his attempt at healthy eating and regular exercise will be a good example for the children who maybe inspired to take on similar, smaller scale, challenges. Paul’s favourite school dinner is the chilli; he often eats his food on the playground benches whilst chatting to the children.
Oh, and there’s a beach in the playground! This shingle area features a café, surfboard and deck chairs – and it’s all been paid for by the PTA (parents and teachers association).
First published By The Dart magazine December 2017
