Thornton Dale CE School

We are very proud of our school which is at the heart of the community. We currently have 133 children on roll most of whom come from the village but our catchment area extends to the surrounding villages of Ebberston, Wilton, Dalby, Ellerburn and Allerston from which children are bussed to school. Our school comprises of five classes with children ranging from 4 years to 11 years.

As a Church of England school we have close links with All Saints Church and also with the local Methodist Chapel. Members of both churches visit school listening to readers and delivering collective worship through ‘Open the Book’ Bible stories. Our distinctive Christian ethos is a strength of the school and governors, parents and staff work in partnership to provide a broad and balanced education based on Christian values, inclusive of all.

Our parents are very supportive of school and organise a variety of fundraising events such as our annual summer and winter fairs, providing us with the means to purchase such things as, our adventure playground and visits to the theatre. Our active School Council gathers the views of the children and also plans charity fundraising activities such as Children in Need Day.

We are very fortunate to benefit from extensive grounds which provide us with a large sports field, pond, sensory garden and woodland walk. As a school on the edge of the National Park we make the most of our beautiful surroundings. Outside learning is a feature of the school and much learning, particularly for our youngest children, takes place outdoors. Much of our learning is enquiry based and children are encouraged to learn through first hand, real life experiences. We have established links with the National Parks and class works every year with the wardens learning about caring for the environment. We also work with Cedar Barn, the local farm shop, where children learn about farming and locally sourced food.

We enrich the curriculum with a number of visitors and visits to places both locally and further afield. We are always keen to use local talent and skills to enhance the curriculum. As a small rural school we feel it is important to widen our knowledge of schools in the UK. Each class has established links with schools as far away as London. In order to introduce a global dimension we are also working towards achieving The Global Schools Award.

We are regularly involved in local activities and take part by singing carols at the Christmas Lights Switch On and producing entries for the Thornton Dale Show. A number of school clubs, which are well attended, run throughout the year. Children have access to such clubs as Running, Film Club, Country Dancing, Zumba Dancing, Football, Craft, Gardening, Computer Club, Maths Club and Farm Club.