FOR 300 years, Dr South’s has been at the heart of Islip village.

Founded by the Rector of Islip as a school for 21 poor children in 1710, it is now four times the size and draws children from a wider area – including the outskirts of Oxford and Bicester.

When current headteacher Helen Barnard was appointed from SS Philip and James Primary in North Oxford three years ago, she set herself three main tasks: l to improve relationships with the community, l to attract more pupils, l and to improve teaching and learning by making the curriculum more creative.

With just 54 pupils, the school had to expand in order to be able to sustain its four-class set-up.

There are now 87 children on the roll and four teachers.

Ms Barnard said: “We want to welcome everybody and give them all the opportunity to ensure they reach their potential.

“One of the benefits of being such a small school is that all the pupils have enhanced chances to perform on stage or represent the school at sports.

“We want to offer a broad and balanced curriculum, so pupils are ready to take on the next stage of their education and life, but also to strive for academic excellence as well.

“We have put a huge emphasis on teaching and learning, including professional development for staff.”

Embracing the hands-on creative curriculum, the school is small enough that every class can study the same broad topic for a year, linking subjects including literacy and maths round an overarching theme.

In 2009, the focus was the village, and professional film-makers worked with youngsters to create a short films about life in Islip, which were shown at the summer fête.

Last year, the school celebrated its tricentenary, giving it the opportunity to adopt the 18th century as its year topic.

A celebration day in July involved the whole village, and included dressing in historic costume, re-enacting the school’s founding, country dancing to 18th century music and a hog roast.

The focus this year is on biodiversity and sustainability, run in conjunction with Oxford University’s Botanic Garden and Harcourt Arboretum.

A garden – complete with chickens Malcolm, Ruby and Rachel – is tended by the children, who also visit a villager’s field during the summer to learn about the countryside.

Dr South’s runs a breakfast club from 8am and after-school clubs including needlework, drama, tennis, clay, gardening, French, rugby and football.

Ms Barnard added: “The emphasis going forward has to be on continuing to improve teaching and learning.

“In the profession, it is well recognised that you can never be good enough. We have to keep on with this process.”

Alice Bickley is spending her first year of teaching overseeing Key Stage One pupils at Dr South’s.

Having trained at Oxford Brookes University, the 24-year-old decided to stay in Oxfordshire to start work as a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT).

She joined the school last September.

Miss Bickley said: “The first year of teaching is difficult to describe, because it’s so intense. It’s very demanding, but very rewarding.

“We have mixed years in the school, so in my first year, I’m the only teacher doing Key Stage One.

“You instantly have a lot more responsibility than in a larger school, because you have two year groups to think about and are a member of a much smaller group of staff.

“In a bigger school, I would be one of a number of Year One teachers working together. Here, I have to do all of it.

“It has been a huge ‘hit the floor running’ kind of experience.”

Miss Bickley has also thrown herself into Dr South’s creative curriculum, which themes the whole school’s lessons around the same topic, this year focusing on biodiversity and sustainability.

She added: “I like the community aspect of Dr South’s, and the fact the children all relate to each other, whatever age they are. It’s not in many schools that you see Year One and Year Six children play in the same game of football at lunch time.”

Headteacher Helen Barnard said: “As an NQT, she has been very passionate about the curriculum and that was one of the things that attracted her to the school. I think she has the makings of an outstanding teacher.”