elhamprimary@yahoo.co.uk

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Location of Elham School

 

The school is located in the Elham Valley between the villages of Barham and Lyminge.  You can drive from either Canterbury or Folkestone along the Elham Valley and you will find us just along the avenue in Elham in a small side road.

 

 

 

 

Foundation

 

Our present school in its modern buildings, may not appear to be a typical village school and in many respects it is not, because Elham was once rather more than a village.  In the past Elham was a thriving market town and consequently has had schools within its parish boundaries rather longer than the traditional village where the school usually dates back to the 1850's. Here in Elham the present school can trace its ancestry back to the will of Sir John Williams which provided for the Foundation of a Charity School in 1723.  The Foundation became the responsibility of the National School with which it merged in 1852. This school in turn became the main school for the village.  Many people living in the village today can still remember their school days at the "Old School" for it was not until the 1970's that the new buildings were opened.

 

In 1947 the National School was given the present Voluntary Aided status under the provisions of the 1944 Education Act. It is officially known as Elham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School. The school was founded and continues to be governed by the Church of England through its appointed Trustees. The State, through the Local Education Authority, (i.e. K.C.C.) finances the day‑to‑day running costs and maintains the interior, while the Diocesan Board manages capital projects and premises. The school is very much part of the church here in the village, and is committed to the teaching of the Christian faith.  The pupils regularly take part in services, including Eucharist, and the vicar takes a weekly Assembly in the school. The Methodist Minister also attends on occasions.

 

 

Elham primary school is a mixed Infant and Junior school taking boys and girls aged 4‑11.  The building provides five classrooms, one for Foundation and two for infant age children (Keystage 1) and two for juniors (Keystage 2).  It also houses a fine hall, staffroom, offices, cloakrooms, a library and a fully equipped computer suite.  The school is set in large and particularly pleasant grounds which offer room for a variety of sports and activities.  In order to accommodate some Keystage 2 pupils and keep class sizes below 30, the Governors  hire the Sir John Williams' Hall, the one remaining link with the old school, to run an additional class.

 

Here are some comments from the recent OFSTED report.

 

As soon as you meet the children, sense their enthusiasm for learning, and appreciate the progress they are making, it confirms the school’s view that it provides a good standard of education. Many parents accurately perceive the school as having a ‘lovely nature’ and ‘calm’ ethos.

 

As pupils move through the school, they become confident and thoughtful because of the school’s good care and support for personal development.

 

Pupils notice and appreciate that staff take time to listen to them.

 

pupils’ very good attitudes to each other and their work, excellent standards of behaviour and a good appreciation of pupils’ differing beliefs and backgrounds. One pupil summed up the views of many others by saying, ‘I love school because it feels just like home.’

 

Helping to ensure the success of the school is the good quality of leadership and management provided by the headteacher, senior staff and chair of governors.