School's revamp bid has village behind it (From Witney Gazette)

School's revamp bid has village behind it

7:00am Saturday 14th July 2012 in News By Fran Bardsley, covering Education, East Oxford and Cowley. Call me on 01865 425439

A PRIMARY school desperate to win £7,500 of improvements has got the entire community behind it.

Bampton Primary School’s plans for a revamp of its outdoor area for reception-aged children is among those shortlisted for this year’s Leadbitter School Build SOS competition.

It is the fourth time the Oxford Mail has teamed up with the Abingdon-based construction company to offer one school the revamp.

Reception teacher Kate Gardner said: “We have been trying really hard to get it publicised around the village. I have given out posters to governors and they’ve been putting them up, and the Friends of Bampton School held a barbecue last week to raise money to buy papers.

“Lots of the local organisations are involved – the library, the children’s centre and even the pubs have all been collecting them.”

The school is one of six shortlisted in the contest.

If it won, the money would be spent on refurbishing an outdoor area, including creating a Jubilee themed reading room to help create a permanent reminder of the events of 2012.

Miss Gardner said: “The children are very excited about the prospect of getting a new outdoor area, they’re helping with the collecting as well, and thinking about the ways they can help.”

She said the revamp was on the school’s schedule of things to do – but raising the cash themselves would take much longer.

She said: “We have been through three headteachers and a massive amount of change and that could have been a very stressful time.

“Because of all the help of the governors and brilliant people we have had as heads, it’s gone very smoothly so it would be nice for the children to be rewarded for their help.”

Schools have to collect as many tokens as possible, which will be weighted mathematically according to the size of the school.

Each of the shortlisted schools is being profiled and the last token will be printed on Monday, July 16.

Vouchers need to be returned to the schools by the following day and they will be totted up and the winners declared before school breaks up for the summer holidays.

To support Bampton Primary School’s prize bid, buy TODAY'S Oxford Mail and send tokens to the school at Bowling Green Close, Bampton, OX18 2NJ.

THE FINALISTS AND WHERE TO SEND TOKENS: * Outdoor stage and reading house, Bampton Primary School, Bowling Green Close, Bampton, OX18 2NJ.

* Outdoor classroom refurbishment, Charlton-on-Otmoor Primary School, Fencott Road, Charlton-on-Otmoor, Kidlington, OX5 2UT.

* Refurbished outdoor toilet block, Mill Lane Primary School, Mill Lane, Chinnor, OX39 4RF.

* Music room revamp, St Joseph’s Primary School, Headley Way, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7SX.

* Sensory garden, St Nicholas Primary School, Raymund Road, Old Marston, Oxford, OX3 0PJ.

* Indoor-outdoor museum, West Kidlington Primary School, Oxford Road, Kidlington, OX5 1EA