Placing ‘community’ at the heart of schooling has proved to be a rewarding lesson for pupils at Buckholme Towers as its headmaster Iain Robertson explains
‘Happiness through education, education through happiness’ is the motto teachers and pupils at Buckholme Towers School in Lower Parkstone live by. However education is just one of many parts involved in schooling and supporting local causes ensures that pupils become well-rounded individuals. To this end we try to encourage pupils to get involved with a range of different charities in all kinds of ways so they understand that helping others can be fun. They also gain lots of valuable experiences in the process.
In March this year staff and pupils at Buckholme Towers School experienced first-hand what it is like to receive community support when our school was devastated by a fire. Thanks to help from the local community, teachers were able to continue lessons within 48 hours. Temporary classrooms were set up in the hall at Parkstone United Reformed Church and a safe pathway from the back of the church to the school was created so the pupils could avoid the busy road.
Experiencing such tremendous kindness and support from other people at this moment of crisis made me realise just how important it is for our pupils to go the extra mile and give something back to the community. In light of this, the school has already helped a number of local causes.
This September, when the refurbished school opened, Buckholme held a fundraiser for a number of charities including The Butterfly Foundation in Bournemouth, a charity working for families who have suffered domestic violence; IrisCambodia.org - an orphanage in Cambodia and Poole’s Forest Holme Hospice which had provided support for the school’s much loved caretaker, Alan John, during his last days.
Pupils and their families also filled more than 100 bags with clothes, toys and books to boost stocks in the British Heart Foundation’s charity shops. In addition, they worked alongside local radio station Wave 105 as part of the charity’s national ‘Bag-a-Thon’ campaign to encourage others to donate items to the Foundation.
Most recently, Buckholme teamed up with Churchill Retirement Living for ‘The Big Little Bake-Off’ - a series of events hosted by the retirement company to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. Ten pupils from Year Five judged cakes made by apartment owners and awarded a handmade rosette to the winner.
As a headmaster I believe that nurturing a sense of community spirit really helps pupils with their future academic career. A large percentage of Buckholme pupils achieve places at local grammar schools and this is undoubtedly one of the success criteria for many of our parents. However, just as importantly, pupils leave Buckholme confident and eager to learn. Connecting with their local community means they become good communicators and they understand that by giving a small amount of their time they can do wonders for people in less fortunate situations. These things, as much as the academic results, are how we measure our success.
Buckholme Towers
Buckholme Towers is an Independent Day School and Nursery for girls and boys aged 3 to 12 years, situated in the heart of Lower Parkstone, Poole. For more information please call the headmaster Mr Iain Robertson on 01202 742871 or visitbuckholmetowers.co.uk.
