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MARK OAKSHOTT


only be good.” However, despite these clear signs of progression for the village school, the issue of pupil numbers remains an ever-present trial for Mark and his team. “We are in a very inaccessible site. the reason we have managed to stay so buoyant is through our reputation. the activities we provide for the children and the results we get from them – last year our results were outstanding, in the top four in Devon. ” the problem with pupil numbers stems from the fact that there simply aren’t enough young families in the village to sustain a school. Fortunately, a number of children make the ferry-ride across from lower Dartmouth to help boost numbers, as well as several coming in from Brixham. “What we do find is that the parents who do come,


stay,” says Mark. “they love it here and say we do a fantastic job with the children. But it is hard work to try and get pupils through the door. We need to work on that as a school, getting ourselves out there. “We’ve got some unique selling points. We’ve got a phenomenal view, great children with outstanding behaviour, outstanding results – we’ve got everything in place. What we need are a few more pupils. the foundations are superb and I don’t think it’s about expansion. I just think it’s about getting 10 extra children a year. Just to keep us viable.” Besides its magnificent view, the school has use of the playing field at the top of the village, a piece of farmland


loaned to the school by emma and edward Jones and used by the school as a camping site and garden, and a small playground that Mark has plans to expand and upgrade in the near future. “What we do, being such a small school, is try to get out into the local environment as much as possible,” says Mark. “We have fantastic links with the local sailing and rowing and we also do canoeing and kayaking. “the staff always race in the Kingswear regatta. We’ve also got a phenomenal folk band. suzy tressice comes in and runs it. she always plays. Last year we took the children out busking to help raise funds for the school. We went down to the Kingswear railway station and raised around £100. “With restricted pupil numbers it affects our budget.


so we do need to raise extra money to keep us functioning.” As well as the school’s own fundraising, Mark has


found, to his delight, that the Kingswear community has often rallied round to support the school when it has been in need of specific things: “the Maxey trust kindly built one of classrooms, and when we wanted to take our children to London last year, Kingswear Combined Charities kindly contributed towards the costs. these efforts are fantastic. they really help to give our children a better level of education.”


This interview and all previously published interviews in this magazine can be found on By The Dart’s website www.bythedart.co.uk


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