Wychwood School

Long Service Award

In October Pat Staines was awarded her Long Service Award from Oxfordshire County Council.  In 1996, when her sons were at the school, she was asked if she could be a relief dinner lady. There were only four dinner ladies then, the two Mrs. Hunts, Mrs. Puschnic and Mrs Lambert. 

The following June she was asked if she could help settle a little boy, Louis, into school. She ended up supporting him through his time at school until he left in Year 6.  Working with the same group of children meant she got to know them all very well and has fond memories of them all.  When Louis left, she continued to work in the classroom and has enjoyed many school trips and two residentials at Kilvrough, a lot of things you would never do if it wasn’t for working at a school. 

In 2007, Pat started working in the office, administering the bookings for school meals, organising school trips, etc.  A job which has grown over the years and is now very much more computer based, which she is not so keen on (although she has managed to hang onto the paper registers!).

Asked how the school has changed since she started: The school has got much bigger, the extensions increasing the number of classrooms to accommodate the increase in numbers of children at the school. A library, a room for wrap around care, forest school in the school grounds and the All Weather pitch have all been added in her time here. Technology has also come a long way and we are so much more dependent on it in the classroom and the office.

Pat loves the fact that the children still say hello to her when she sees them out and about, even when they have left.  She’s had such pleasure seeing them grow up and she enjoys hearing how they are doing and the path life has taken them on.  She is now seeing children of those that attended the school when she joined us starting at the school!  The school thanks Pat for her hard work and dedication to the school.

Open the book

Starting back in September one of the highlights of the children’s week has been Open the Book.  Vicar Geoffrey and a few members of the community come into school and act out stories from the bible.  Tobias said, “by seeing the story being acted out it helps me to remember and understand it better.”   It is also lovely to sit in the office and hear the children singing again – life is a lot nearer to normal!

Julie Hemming

December 2021 – January 2022