A HAVEN for learning has been created at Helme C of E Junior and Infants School.
Situated in fantastic grounds, which it shares with the church, this is a school which has a strong outdoor focus and children enjoy its family and community spirit.
“Helme is a magical place and that is why our children call the grounds a green paradise,” said headteacher Michele Cardnell.
“We have a pond, orchard and memorial garden for former pupil Hannah Mazzotti, and children grow their own fruit and vegetables and are always in wellies outside, or in the ‘hug-a-bug corner’.
“Many schools are good places with good and excellent teaching but what we want to do at Helme is give our children that little bit extra. We try to add the whiz and wow factor to their education.”
Modern foreign language is another area of the curriculum where children are “wowed” by their experiences at Helme.
French is a real strength and is taught from reception with fashions shows, coffee afternoons and plays adding a little “je ne sais quoi” to their studies.
Children from class five are also involved in an exchange project sending letters to children in a school 30 km outside Paris. Photographs and handwritten letters have already been sent with children comparing their life and school experiences and it is hoped that eventually a trip will be arranged so children can get a first-hand experience of French life.
Music and the arts are also actively encouraged and embraced throughout the school with members of the school choir taking part in the Kirklees Music Festival in June.
Many children have music lessons and all class four are learning to play the clarinet as part of the Government’s ongoing Music for All scheme.
Children also get the change to work directly with artists in residence who visit the school regularly. Mick Kirby-Geddes worked with pupils to create fantastic gates which enclose the school pond and Sarah Branson to create natural pictures in the style of environmental artist Andy Goldsworthy.
A cross-curricular project has also involved children throughout the school painting in the style of Pablo Picasso.
With just 136 pupils, Helme is a small school, but its church links enrich the lives of children through joint services, which are just a short walk away through the grounds. The church is even used for fire drills by the school!
The school has a strong family feel with every child and every adult knowing each other and there is genuine care and respect for each other. Personal development is therefore another strength of the school.
Children are made aware of cultures other than their own through a twinning partnership with Mount Pleasant JIN School, which has a very different cultural mix to the rural Helme community.
Mrs Cardnell, who has been head at the school for 10 years added: “We have a very inclusive, caring community here in the school and the teaching and support staff provide an amazing amount of support to the children and each other.
“At the end of the day, English, maths and science are important at Helme, as are all areas of the curriculum, but what I really want our children’s lasting memory of their school days here is to be playing under the large oak tree in our green paradise.”
