School History/Background
The Town
Bovey Tracey is a small but expanding town just outside the south eastern edge of the Dartmoor National Park. The South Devon coast a few miles away, coupled with the moors, make this an attractive area in which to live and work.
There is a good range of small shops, restaurants and pubs, and a dominant feature of the town is the exhibition centre for the Devon Guild of Craftsmen, housed in the old riverside mill.
The School
There are ten classes. There is a strong emphasis on teamwork, with staff helping and supporting one another, both in and out of classrooms. The staff are enthusiastic, and work long hours to ensure a high standard of learning and teaching. The school had successful OFSTED inspections in March 1997, June 2001 and, most recently, in February 2007. The most recent inspection graded the school as ‘good’ with some outstanding features.
The original buildings date from 1910, but in 1986 they were remodelled and refurbished. Further major remodelling and extensions were carried out in 1995 due to rising numbers of children on roll.
The accommodation currently comprises ten classrooms, a good level of resource/storage areas, library, hall, ICT suite, music tuition room, special needs room, kitchen and an administrative wing consisting of a staff room, meeting room, administrators’ office, reception area and head’s office.
In 2004, the hall was extended and refurbished. Stage lighting, an air cooling system and roof lights were installed, creating a large, inviting and well equipped teaching space.
The school playground is divided into four discreet areas:
- an adventure playground
- a creative playground with an extensive range of stimulating playground markings
- a quiet courtyard area with seating and picnic benches
- a ball games area
As well as the play areas on site, there is a school field a few minutes walk away. Facilities there were extended and improved in 2008 and now include:
- a pavilion with a classroom, toilet facilities and storage area
- a fenced hard court area with flood lighting
- a field and amphi-theatre
- a wildlife / eco area