|
|
|
Oak
Meadow is a primary school in Ashmore
Park, a housing estate on the north
east side of Wolverhampton, a city in the West Midlands region of England.
Our school has both infant and junior classes. The school was built about
30 years ago on the edge of the estate.
There
are about 400 children at our school, in 14 classes, with two classes in
each year group. The children start in Foundation class when they are 5
years old and leave to go to secondary schools at the end of Year 6 when
they are 11 years old.
Many
people work at our school. There is a Head Teacher, deputy Head Teacher and
15 teachers as well as nursery nurses, classroom assistants, secretaries,
dinner ladies, cleaners and a caretaker.
|
|
On
entering the school you first have to see the school secretary in the school
office. Our school secretary knows lots of information about the school and
helps children, parents and visitors everyday.
|
|
|
|
In
our reception area you can sit on comfortable chairs. On the walls there
are tiles on which the children hand painted their self-portraits. There
are even tiles showing the teachers in the school. There is the “Roll of Honour” showing the names of the children who have
produced excellent work in school.
|
|
As
you walk down the corridors you will see many interesting displays, showing
many different things from around the world. Here you can see a display all
about The Buddha and Buddhism, one of a number of displays about different
world religions.
|
|
|
 
|
On
the left is the display of tactile materials – everyone is invited to feel
this display!
Here
is one of the colourful displays about the
different regions of the world. This one celebrates the colours
and styles of Africa.
|
|
Our
school has 14 classrooms, 6 in the infant school and 8 in the junior
school. They are big and bright with large windows. The walls are decorated
with our work and lots of colourful posters.
There is a school office, first aid room, staffroom and Head Teacher's and
deputy Head Teachers rooms.
|
|
|
|
We
have a small school library where we borrow our books to read or study. To
manage all the books (there are over 6000 items available to use) we have a
computer which scans the bar codes on all the books and tapes which we take
out or return. The computer also has a scanner that scans our thumbs so we
don’t need library cards to use the library.
|
|
There
are two halls, one is used for PE (Physical Education) including gymnastics
and dance, and the other is used for creative arts including assemblies,
and drama and music lessons. Every year we put on performances at
Christmas, Easter and in the summer. We all wear costumes and sing and
dance under the set of stage lights bought for the school by the Friends of
Oak Meadow. On the left a year 3 class enjoys a gym session and on the
right the crew of Blast Off meets the UFOs.
|
 
|
|
|
Here
a year 6 class try out their own compositions on percussion instruments.
Children throughout the school also enjoy recorder and violin lessons as
well as their singing and music making. This year 6 group are composing
their ”school blues”
|
|
We
have a computer area where children can use their computer skills to
complete their school work or surf the Internet using the Wolverhampton
school’s broadband connection. This year 6 group are working on their
Egyptian presentations. The children use ICT equipment in their classrooms
too, as well as the interactive white boards; they use laptop computers, digital
cameras, computer sensors, floor turtles and microscopes.
|
|
|
|
We
have all kinds of lessons at school, some of which are exciting to take
part in. Each year group studies a different topic in their history lessons
such as the Ancient Greeks, Tudors, Romans and the Victorians. To help them
understand what life was like at different times in history we act them out
in school. These year 4 children, taking part in a “Victorian school day”,
are making sure their sums are correctly written on their slates before the
strict teacher checks them – none of them want the cane!
|
|
We
have different kinds of practical lessons too. We create some wonderful art
work and make all sorts of things in our design technology lessons.
We
also have many interesting visitors to our school and go on many
interesting trips and residential visits to places in Britain and even France. Here the children enjoy
their snails and frogs’ legs supper.
|
|
|
 
|
In
the centre of the school is the dining room where the children eat their
school meals or sandwiches if they bring them. The walls are covered with
pictures of funny sea creatures, here are the octopus family.
Every
day the cooks serve a range of healthy food. At Christmas they cook a
special Christmas dinner too! “Can I have the roast dinner today, please
miss?”
|
|
We
have separate infant and junior playgrounds where there are areas set out
for play, and sitting areas with benches and tables. On the junior
playground the children love to play with the games equipment including
volley ball, basket ball, hand ball and ten pin bowling.
|
|
|
We
have a large school field on which we play football, cricket and rounders.
The field joins the playing field of the local secondary school, called Coppice High School, and our cross country
course winds round the whole area.
We
also have a small environmental garden with a pond, a bridge, and play
apparatus for the reception classes. Around the school we have planted
trees and bushes to attract wildlife including an area of silver birch
trees, a prickly hawthorn hedge, conifers and mixed tree areas.
|
