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Welcome to
“All About Peaslake School”. I hope that you will enjoy reading about
Peaslake School and
the unique part that it plays in the life of our community. Peaslake
School is unique, because we operate a free school for children aged
from 3 to 7 from
Peaslake and surrounding villages, with no government or other official
support. Peaslake
School arose from the closure of the original state school in the
village in 1994 and the
creation of the Peaslake Schools Trust to fund, operate and manage the
school to the highest
possible standards. This is a school run by the community, for the
community. I have had the privilege over the past few years of working with the dedicated teams of staff, parents and volunteers whose efforts have resulted in Peaslake having a very special facility. The school is providing high quality education for children in our village as well as playing a vital role in fabric of our community. We can all be proud of what has been achieved since the foundation of the Trust and I hope that you will gain from this brochure a sense of the excitement we feel for the stimulating school which the village now enjoys. We have set ourselves a real challenge in working to keep what has been so hard won. I hope that in reading this you will also understand that we need all the help we can get in terms of resources of every kind – people, equipment and, most important of all, funding of we are to secure our school into the 21st century. The Trustees, staff, parents and children thank you for taking the time to consider what has been achieved and our hopes for the future. Mark Foster Chairman of Trustees There has been a school in Peaslake for over 100 years. In the 1880’s a school was started in the Old Mission Room at the heart of the village. In 1912 Mrs Blackburn-Hall of Hazel Hall opened a building fund and 200 local subscribers raised the money to build on the land occupied by the current school. In 1913 what was described as “a jewel of a school” was opened by the Bishop of Winchester. At this time the school provided for children aged from five to fourteen in two rooms, that became three with a further generous gift from Mrs Blackburn-Hall in 1929. So from the beginning the school was indebted to local benefactors. The school flourished as an integral part of the community for the greater part of the 20th century, adapting its role with the changing needs of local education, becoming a Primary school in 1950, and a First school in 1973. Many of the current inhabitants of the village enjoyed their formative years in the school and we are constantly approached by visitors to the village who bear testimony to how much they gained from the excellence of Peaslake School over the years. The Fight to Keep the School In 1991 there was a change in policy, resulting in a shift of the age of transfer to seven. The local authority declared that the school, along with others in the region, was too small to be viable and made plans to withdraw its financial support. This stung the local community into action and a vigorous campaign was waged by both parents and villagers to overturn the decision, including a final appeal to the Secretary of State. This appeal was based upon the fact that children from the community would need to be bussed to other local schools from a very early age, and the fact that an influx of new families into the village was resulting in a steady flow of children requiring schooling. There was also a very real fear that, with the closure of the local school, an important part of the fabric of the community, alongside the church, the pub and the shop would result in the erosion of the networks which bound the village together as a community. Despite all the efforts, the appeal failed and in 1994 all government funding was removed and the school closed by the Local Authority. Peaslake did not stand by while this occurred but chose to act. During the year of the planned closure of the school the Peaslake Schools Trust was formed with the express intention of continuing schooling in the village. What began as a meeting in the village hall developed into a robust organization ready to ensure that local children would have free access to schooling close to their homes. The mission of Peaslake Schools Trust was established:
Meanwhile the Trustees worked hard to overcome various legal and ownership issues and to raise £120,000 to purchase the school. This campaign was conducted in the full glare of the national media, who were intrigued at the boldness of the enterprise, and we featured regularly in both newspapers and TV. Some 18 households came together in the end to purchase the buildings on behalf of the Trust in December 1996. The school, which had lain derelict for three years, required significant refurbishment before the children could return. Once again the village pitched in with countless volunteers helping with carpentry, painting and maintenance. Finally in June 1997, there was a triumphant return to the school buildings with a march through the village, by parents, children, Trustees, benefactors and volunteers who had made everything possible. Since this exciting day, the school has operated successfully year-in, year-out, growing to its current role of 50 children, and playing a very full part in the education fabric of the surrounding area, where all other local schools continue to thrive. The staffing has developed into a team of some eleven teaching, support and administrative personnel. The Trust has evolved into a dedicated body, drawn from all aspects of the local community to act as both a Board of Governors and an Executive Committee of Trustees. Since its inception the Trust has raised over £640,000 to operate the school, with annual budgets rising from c£30,000 to over £100,000. These achievements have required, and continue to require enormous generosity of time, energy and money from all involved. It has been a fantastic team effort by the village as a whole. This is the story of a very unique school and one which we are all dedicated to seeing continue into the 21st century. Why is Peaslake School Unique Aside from the story of its inception, our school is unique because it is operated just as if it was a fully-funded State school, with professional staffing levels and free provision of schooling for all those in village who wish to attend. Other “small schools” operated by their communities elsewhere in the country operate on a significantly more voluntary and amateur basis. The Trustees and community of Peaslake have always believed in the principle that the school was only worth maintaining if it could attain and maintain the highest possible standards in all dimensions. It is for this reason that we have over time raised our teaching salary levels to match the national standards, ensuring our ability to attract and retain the best staff. We have continued to keep abreast of policy changes regarding testing and early years education. We have been subject to regular Ofsted inspection and passed these with flying colours. Our school is currently financed without any Government money, aside from the subsidy for Nursery provision which we, like all other nursery schools, enjoy. Our operations depend entirely upon fundraising through covenants, social and other local fundraising events and income from the integral Nursery school. Our independence does however give us many special freedoms to shape and direct the school the way that we and the community wish it to be shaped. We exercise this freedom especially in terms of the scale of the classes and the ratio of teaching staff to pupils, which we like to keep significantly lower than the state system. The school also has a unique relationship with the parents, who are actively encouraged to get involved with school life, both educationally and in terms of volunteer and fundraising activities. The same can be said for the relationship with the community, which having fought so hard to retain this asset is dedicated to its retention. How the School is Run The school is divided into a Nursery class, which is fee-paying and operates during mornings in the Hall, and the free Main school, made up of three year groups (Reception, One and Two) taught across the two classrooms. Nursery Class – for children from the age of three and a half. The school provides a fun and structured environment for learning and play, led by a qualified Nursery supervisor, supported by several assistants. The close links with the Main School allow children to learn about school in a gentle way and prepare themselves for later transition with the minimum of disruption. The Nursery curriculum reflects the requirements of early years schooling. There are fees for the Nursery, which can be offset by Local Authority schemes as they apply. Reception Class and Year One – In the September prior to the children turning five years old, they begin in this class, Pine class. Pine class, includes the five year olds and the younger half of the six year olds, and is taught by a qualified and experienced teacher and is focused on taking advantage of smaller class size to encourage individual attention and development. The children in this class also enjoy weekly music and swimming lessons.The school provides free education for all children over the age of 4 years six months. Year Two - The elder half of the 6 year olds and the 7 year olds are taught in this class, Oak class, by a qualified and experienced teacher. Oak class is for 6-7 year olds and is focused on preparing them for the next stage of their schooling in the State maintained or independent sectors. SATS testing for 7 year olds is carried out during this year. The school provides for special needs teaching as necessary, within the capabilities of the school. Where appropriate, we support parents in application for additional funding for special teaching support across all age ranges covered by the school. Peaslake school can accommodate up to 50 children, which our projections show is sufficient to cover the core catchment area of the school and our intent to provide schooling to Peaslake childen. The school numbers have been growing steadily since its re-opening and now stand at or close to the maximum overall roll. Such is the success of the school in attracting pupils and returning to become the natural village school of Peaslake we now operate a formal admissions policy and waiting list to ensure that our scarce places are available to meet the needs of the school catchment. A Year in the Life of the School In addition to the requirements of the National Curriculum, the school works hard to provide stimulation for the children and encourage their learning through different means. The school offers recorder lessons and swimming weekly. The parish rector is a regular visitor to the school to talk to the children and lead the weekly assembly. The school has invested in state-of-the-art PC and internet technology which the children are able to take full advantage of. We take advantage of our Hall and proximity to the adjacent field to encourage sports. The field is the scene of a lively annual Sports Day. There is also ample opportunity for walks and conservation activities in the nearby Hurtwood forest. The school invites a number of interesting people and groups to visit and speak to the classes. Over recent years these have included farmers, bee-keepers, representatives of the Fire and Police services, Hurtwood wardens and many others. The school makes a number of organized visits each year as well to local places of interest such as Cranliegh Arts Centre for pottery, Guildford castle, Dapdune Wharf and the Weald and Downland museum as well as the regular sea-side trip to Littlehampton. The school performs an annual Harvest Festival and Nativity in Peaslake Church and participates in the Christmas Village evening, as well as playing a very active role in the Peaslake Village Fair each August. The school links up wherever possible with other local schools to allow the children to share experiences with their peers and to understand and prepare for the next level of schooling. The School in the Community The school plays an active part in the local community and parents and children are encouraged to participate in and organize village activities. Peaslake School has taken on responsibility for the Children’s Field of the annual Peaslake Fair for many years. The school also organizes regular events such as Auctions of Promises, Race Nights, Casino Nights and Bridge Evenings in the Village Hall which are well-attended and supported by the whole community. We also organize concerts and the Peaslake Open Gardens have become a regular feature of the local summer calendar. Perhaps more importantly through these events and through involvement in the school, a network of new village relationships has been formed which will be the basis of the cohesion of our community for many years to come. The annual Leavers Party in July, where we give a send-off for the top class to their next schools, has become a regular testament to the new friendships that are the lasting contribution of the school to the fabric of village life. Without the school there would be no reason for this next generation of our village to get to know each other. We see this connection with the village in our annual AGM as well, where supporters of the school come together from across all walks of life to hear about the progress of the school and understand our priorities for the coming year. This well-attended event has also become part of the village calendar. Behind the Scenes Despite the voluntary nature of the school’s inception, the Trustees are committed to operating it in a professional manner. An Executive Committee of Trustees, drawn from all walks of the local community, meets regularly and oversees the working groups of volunteers who perform the critical functions necessary to operate a school. We have teams dedicated to school operations and health and safety, finance, curriculum, and social fundraising among others. The Executive Committee of Trustees also acts as the Board of Governors of the school. The Trustees have obligations to comply with the statutory demands of the Charities Act, Education Acts, Health and Safety and Employment legislation, as well as the liabilities which arise from running a £100,000 a year turnover business. As mentioned before, there is an Annual Review, or AGM, for Peaslake School , which is an opportunity for the village to understand more about the progress of the school, interact with the Trustees and help to shape the role that it plays in the community. The AGM is also the occasion for the election of Trustees and Officers for the year. Our Chairman of Trustees is Mark Foster. Mark is a Group Chief Executive of Accenture, a firm of management and technology consultants. Mark has lived in the area since 1993. Shortly after moving to the village, he happened to be cycling past the meeting at which the school closure was announced by the DFEE. Enticed to get involved with the rescue plan, he has been the Chairman of Trustees, worked closely with the teaching staff of the school, since the inception of the Trust in 1994. The Executive Committee is continually looking to bolster the breadth and mix of skills that it can draw upon and looks to have a balance between parental Trustees and those from the wider community. The Trustee body incorporates both full Trustees and co-opted Trustees. Parental Involvement As outlined above, parents play a key role in both the Executive Committee and in the working groups. In our briefing pack to prospective parents we stress the fact that being a parent at Peaslake school does bring with it special obligations in line with the uniqueness of our school. Parents play an active role in certain school duties and, in particular, form the backbone of our social fundraising initiatives in the village. The Parents Forum is an active body which meets twice a term to discuss key ideas and plans with regard to the school and to share information with the Trustees. The associated CHAPS (Corps of Husbands at Peaslake School) meets monthly in the local pub to plan and coordinate maintenance and fundraising activities for the school. While the school provides free schooling for all children, there are clearly many ways in which parents can help to contribute to the funding burden which we face each year. Aside from playing a leading role in the social event organization which lies behind much of our fundraising, many parents also contribute directly to the school through covenants and other donations, which are gratefully received as a key part of our funding plan. Costs of Running the School Clearly running a professional school today requires considerable financial support. Peaslake School receives no support from the Local Authority or government and needs to find all of its funds each year from the local community. Over the years since its inception the amount to be found has risen as the school has moved further to professionalise its operation and in particular to pay its staff in line with the State guidelines. Our teaching salaries now represent over 85% of our annual costs, which are overall in excess of £100,000. The majority of the remainder of our costs surround the provision of the teaching materials, maintenance of the buildings and the necessary administrative and establishment costs associated with running a school. Over the years since the return to the school site at Colman’s Hill, we have continued to invest in the facilities of the school. We take great pride in the environment we have provided in the school. In the past few years we have repainted the exterior, bought new equipment for outside play in the playground and invested in our nursery as well as wired the whole school for the internet. We continue to look for ways to improve our school and will look to fund these investments as special projects moving forward. The Trustees have established a broad base of funding sources to create the income stream for the school. The majority of the school’s funding comes from covenants, whereby members of the local community and parents make regular donations in a tax-efficient way. We gain significant income from the nursery, which has grown in line with its success. Over the recent years we have honed our social fundraising capabilities to create a major stream of revenue from a series of high quality events which actively engage our whole village and the wider community. The Peaslake 150 Club, which is a regular lottery draw for the school is also a valuable source of funds. We have established a Loan Fund, in conjunction with the Charities Aid Foundation, whereby benefactors can vest excess capital in a flexible account and the school is able to benefit from the interest accrued. This is one of a number of approaches that the school is taking to securing its longer term financial future. We have been successful in meeting all the expenditure needs of the school over the past decade. This has been possible through the generosity of our benefactors of all kinds and through the care with which we have managed the costs of the school. We have a track record of fundraising success and we have been able to build up a small surplus. This means that we can plan each year with confidence, but we do not take this position for granted. We need to be continually creative and vigilant in our search for ways to secure the funding future for our school. A tremendous amount of effort has gone in over the past 10 years to make this dream a reality. We have shown that we can sustain ourselves over the medium term, and we have shown that Peaslake’s commitment to keeping its school is lasting, but we still require every form of help that we can get to ensure our survival into the 21st century. How Can You Help There are many ways in which people can help to support the school and keep this unique story moving forward:
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