OVERVIEW LOCATED on the edge of Oxford’s Green Belt and in sprawling grounds including its own amphitheatre and wind turbine, Sandhills does not feel like a city school.

But most of its pupils travel there each day from inside the ring road, many of them because schools closer to their homes are filled to capacity.

For three years, Sandhills has taken in 60 new pupils in its annual intake, twice the usual number, with half of them coming from outside its catchment area.

When Ofsted inspectors visited in March last year, they recognised the “strong leadership” of headteacher Stephanie Lovett, who took charge the previous September, had already led to “substantial improvement” and 18 months on, that trend has continued.

Over the past two years, the number of pupils achieving level five in English and maths at Key Stage Two has doubled and level four results have improved by 10 per cent.

She said: “First and foremost, we want to promote Sandhills as a family.

“Each pupils is placed in a “buddy family”, made up of one pupil from each year group.”

At regular buddy science, maths and literacy days, the cross-school groups work together to solve problems and have lunch together, to help younger pupils make friends with older children.

Mrs Lovett said: “We believe that we don’t have to look for role models in society, but look for them in this school, among other children.

“It gives young children someone to look up to, and the parents like that.

“Last year, when one Year Six left in the summer, one of the foundation children who was in his buddy family brought in a present to say goodbye to him.”

The school has also focused on revitalising the curriculum offered to pupils to make it more exciting, engaging and creative.

Mrs Lovett said: “She said: “For every topic, we have introduced a ‘wow factor’ day.

“It could be a trip or a special event at school, usually either at the beginning or end of each new topic.

“Today, our Year One pupils are dressed as aliens and are visiting an alien planet.

“Later this week, our Year Fives are climbing Mount Everest, with base camp in the classroom and the mountain climbing outside.

“Our Year Fours, who are studying the Second World War, will be making gas masks and their parents will be coming in to learn to dance the Jitterbug with them.”

She added: “We want to bring a ‘wow’ to everything we teach, and to engage the parents and wider community with that as well.

“We have turned the curriculum round in the last two years, and we know it’s having an impact.”

The school, which opened in 2003, replaced a Second World War structure originally provided to house evacuee children.

Mrs Lovett said she now wanted to develop opportunities for outdoor learning in the school’s large grounds, which back on to open fields.

She said: “Many of our children don’t get the opportunity to get outside and do things with nature.”

STAR TEACHER YEAR Two teacher Zoe Trinder started her career at Sandhills four years ago.

Leading the school’s personal social and health education tuition, she has organised school council elections and overseen the introduction of the Values Education initiative to link the school’s curriculum with a set of universal principles, such as responsibility, courage, and honesty.

She said: “Teaching seemed the natural career for me to go into from a very young age.

“It is sometimes harder than I imagined, but more rewarding.”

She said: “The atmosphere of the school is very special with a team that works very well together.

“It makes it a really fun place to work, and we try to get the learning across in the most creative way possible.

“The children bring their own personalities into the classroom and very different perspectives that grown-ups do not have the imagination to think of.

“At Sandhills, you can think about how you would love to teach something, and then do it.”

Stephanie Lovett said: “Zoe is part of a team, and all the teachers are absolutely fantastic.

“As a new headteacher coming in, I have found an incredibly committed and enthusiastic team of teachers.

“Zoe has taught a different year group each of the four years she has been here.

“But even though she has been moved around, she gets on with an amazing job wherever she is. The children absolutely adore her, because she is enthusiastic, engaging and creative.”