If you are looking for a fulfilling role that fits in with school holidays, but have not considered working in a SEN setting before, we invite you to come to our Recruitment Open Evening on Wednesday, 25 May, 6pm to 7:30pm, to meet our friendly team and find out about jobs and career development opportunities at St Dominic’s School.  

Following a recent inspection on 28 November 2017, we have received a letter from Ofsted confirming that St Dominic’s remains a `good’ school.

This outcome is a result of our committed, hard-working staff who have ambition for all our pupils and students and are focused on ensuring that each and every one achieves the best possible outcomes.

If you would like to read the Ofsted letter, which captures the essence of our wonderful school, please click here.

Angela Drayton

Principal

You are invited to St Dominic’s  Christmas Fair this Friday, 17 November from 11.30am in the Front Hall.

Our pupils and students have been busy making Christmas craft items and hand printed Christmas cards.  We will be selling rag wreaths, and taking orders for our beautiful natural foliage wreaths, both of which were extremely popular last year.

In addition, our 6th Form students will be running a cafe offering beverages and cakes.

We do hope that you will come and support the school, and look forward to welcoming you on the day.

St Dominic’s School is currently undergoing a consultation process to convert it to Academy status in order to join Orchard Hill College Academy Trust (OHCAT) in January 2018.  This would secure a more certain long-term future for the school, as well as creating new opportunities to raise standards for our pupils and students.  The ever-changing education landscape and funding pressures are presenting challenges for Non Maintained Special Schools (NMSS) like ours and the Government is encouraging NMSS schools to convert to Academy status to safeguard their future.  OHCAT’s vision is entirely focused on pupils and students and is very much in line with St Dominic’s own ethos and values.  We therefore believe that converting to Academy status under the sponsorship of OHCAT is in the best interests of St Dominic’s and its pupils and students.  You can access further information from the Home page of our website www.stdominicsschool.org.uk .

If you would like to have your say on the conversion to an Academy proposal, you can pick up a Consultation Leaflet from the Village Shop.  The Consultation Leaflet contains a postage pre-paid reply slip for you to give your views.  You are also invited to attend an informal Drop-in session on Wednesday 18 October between 3.30pm and 6.00pm for families, staff and the local community.

One of our school governors has very kindly donated a brand new Adam Black Acoustic Guitar to add to our fantastic list of raffle prizes.  If you want a chance to win this, or any of the prizes below, you can buy raffle tickets from the Village Shop until midday Friday, or on the day at the fete.

Adam Black Acoustic Guitar
iPad
£100 cash
Jewellery by Annie Haak (www.anniehaakdesigns.com)
£50 Amazon Voucher
“Share a Shettie” (Shetland Pony) (www.manechancesanctuary.org)
‘Recording Studio’ Party for 10 children in ‘The Music Works’ Music Bus (www.themusicworks.co.uk)
£50 Boden Voucher (www.boden.co.uk)
Rugby Ball signed by, amongst others, Austin Healey
£20 Grayshott Pottery Voucher (www.grayshottpottery.com)
Family Ticket (2 adults + 3 children) to Dunsfold Wings & Wheels Show (www.wingsandwheels.net)
Luxury Hamper

Apologies, but in my haste to get a post on the website about the music line-up I mis-typed the date for the fete and Domfest as 21 July instead of 1 July.  Sorry for any confusion.

Appearing live on The Music Works’ stage:

1.30 Malcolm on Sax – Maths Teacher by Day, Saxophonist by weekend – will be playing Jazz/Blues on the sax

2.00 Phoenix Rising – St Dominic’s staff and pupil band – not to be missed

2.30 The Blues Jamm Project (www.bluesjammproject.com) (Influenced by soul, blues, classic rock and funk)

3.30 Surrey Ukeaholics (http://www.ukeaholics.com/) will be playing a variety of music you might not have heard played on the ukulele before!

4.00 A Night on Broadway – Andy Hart and others from The Music Works will be singing some old favourites from classic musicals

4.15 John Clifton – performs a selection of well known songs by ‘The Rat Pack’ with a big band backing track

4.30 The Unwanted – a teenage band playing covers of popular songs

Please come and support the school and enjoy the fete, stay and listen to the live music on offer, visit our BBQ and Tea/Cake Stand, and quench your thirst at our Pimms and Beer Tent (Soft drinks will also be available)!

Entrance Tickets have been designed by our pupils and students and will cost £1 per person (under 3s and dogs go free), with one lucky  ticket winning a £10 Amazon voucher.

We have some great prizes for our raffle, including:

• iPad
• £100 cash
• ‘Recording Studio’ Party for 10 children in The Music Works’ Music Bus (http://themusicworks.co)
• Jewellery by Annie Haak (anniehaakdesigns.co.uk)
• £50 Amazon Voucher
• ‘Share a Shettie (Shetland pony)’ experience at Mane Chance Horse Sanctuary manechancesanctuary.org/
• £50 Boden Voucher
• Rugby ball signed by, amongst others, former England RU player, Austin Healey

Tickets are available to buy in the Village Shop: £1 a ticket / £5 a book.

Following on from the success of St Dominic’s school’s summer fete and mini music festival (DomFest) in 2015, DomFest is back!  On Saturday, 1^st July we will again be opening our lovely grounds to host the summer fete and live music extravaganza.

We are extremely fortunate to again be supported by The Music Works – the purpose-built music school in Milford (http://themusicworks.co/) – to deliver an afternoon of live music from opera to choral, pop to blues, solo performers to bands.  There will be something to suit all musical tastes.

CONFIRMED FOR OUR LINE-UP OF LIVE MUSIC!!!

We are delighted to announce the Blues Jamm Project (www.bluesjammproject.com) will be appearing at DomFest.  Influenced by soul, blues, classic rock and funk, the Blues Jamm Project play a blend of haunting melodies and hard hitting riffs backed by a solid beat that keeps the energy high and the crowds coming back.  They have regularly drawn crowds in the hundreds to their live shows, have three and a half thousand on-line followers and recently released their first EP, ‘The Powerhouse Sessions’.  An act not to be missed!

Also appearing on the DomFest stage will be the Surrey Ukeaholics (http://www.ukeaholics.com/) who have very kindly agreed to play again this year.  The Surrey Ukeaholics are a small group of ukulele players based on the Surrey/Hampshire border who just love all things ukulele!  They play a variety of music that you might not have heard played on the ukulele before and have been known to throw in some other instruments like bass guitar and mandolin.  They will also be running a ukulele workshop for anyone who would like to have a go.  Timings for the workshop will be released later.

We are also hoping to showcase a staff-supported pupil/student band.  Updates about this and other additions to the line-up on the DomFest stage will follow – watch this space!

In addition to the afternoon of live music, there will be activities and fun for all the family.

And of course there will be plenty of refreshments on offer throughout the afternoon, with a beer tent, PIMMS tent, (soft drinks also available!) cream teas and a BBQ all afternoon.

We are hoping to have lots of new exciting stalls this year as well as our old favourites.  We’d like to start collecting donations for the ever popular Bottle Tombola from Monday 22nd May.  Bottles can be anything from Tomato Ketchup and Washing-up Liquid to Elderflower Cordial and Prosecco!  We welcome all donations – never knowing what you’ll win is part of the fun!  Please drop any donations off at the School Office.  Also, we would be most grateful for details of any contacts you may have who could provide a raffle prize.

We will be charging a nominal sum for entry to this afternoon of entertainment and information about tickets will be posted on the Hambledon Village Website in the next week or so.  Under 5’s and dogs free!  In the meantime, please put 1^st July in your diary and spread the word to family and friends!

All monies raised will go towards equipment for our new Performing Arts Centre.

Due to lack of numbers,  Open Evening scheduled for this evening, 30 March, to view the plans for our new performing arts centre, has been cancelled.

Just a reminder that St Dominic’s are holding an open evening 6:30 – 7:30pm on Thursday 30 March where you will be able to see further details of the proposed Performing Arts Centre over a glass of wine and snacks.

Your views on this proposal are very important to the school.  This is your opportunity to find out more, express your views on the proposed Performing Arts Centre and inform the design before a formal Planning Application is submitted.

The open session is informal and will provide you with the opportunity to view a display detailing the proposals and talk to the designers and promoters of the proposal on a one-to-one basis.  You will also be given the opportunity to complete a short questionnaire.

If you would like to attend, please contact Therésa Jones at the School as soon as possible on tel: 01428 684693 or by email on : [email protected] as we need to know numbers for catering purposes.  Thank you.

Dear Resident

St Dominic’s has recently been successful in the initial stages of the Government PSBP2 (Priority Schools Building Programme 2) bidding process and is now pressing on with the planning and detailed design for the construction of a new Performing Arts Centre providing specialist music and drama facilities. This process also accommodates the removal of our old swimming pool building.

Currently we have no permanent or suitable facilities for music and drama, which are significant areas of the curriculum in which our pupils and students thrive.  Both music and drama are currently being taught in unsuitable and undersized areas, often on an ad hoc basis, which is not only far from ideal in terms of the teaching space, but often also disruptive to the surrounding accommodation.

The Performing Arts can offer a vital outlet for our children and young people. At St Dominic’s we use music and drama as a way of reducing stress and managing anxiety in our children and young people who often choose these activities over and above anything else as a means of helping them manage their emotions. The Performing Arts are a means of children and young people showcasing their strengths, building their self-esteem and interacting with others. These subjects also broaden the range of opportunities our young people will have in the future.

The proposed performing arts centre will greatly enhance the curriculum experience and life chances of many of our children and young people and will enable the school to involve the local community by inviting them up for various music and drama productions and allowing the village to use the centre for local productions.

Informal open evening:-

You are invited to drop in to an open session where you will be able to see further details of the proposal over a glass of wine and snacks:-

Location              St. Dominic’s School, Hambledon

Date                      Thursday, 30th March 2017

Time                      6:30 – 7:30pm

Your views on this proposal are very important to us.  This is your opportunity to find out more, express your views on the proposed Performing Arts Centre and inform the design before a formal Planning Application is submitted.

The open sessions are informal and will provide you with the opportunity to view a display detailing the proposals and talk to the designers and promoters of the proposal on a one-to-one basis.  You will also be given the opportunity to complete a short questionnaire.

If you require any further information regarding the open evening or would like to attend, please contact Therésa Jones at the School on tel: 01428 684693 or by email on : [email protected]

On Friday, 31 March at 11am St Dominic’s will be holding their Easter Fayre.  There will be an Easter egg hunt, and we will be selling pottery items made by our pupils and students. In addition there will be a café serving cakes and refreshments.

All are welcome.  Do please come along and support our school.

St Dominic’s School will be holding their Christmas Fair on 18^th November at 11.30am.  The theme this year will be ‘Ye Olde Christmas Fayre’.

At the Fayre you will be able to buy candles, gift tags, lanterns and other arty/Christmas themed gifts made by our pupils and students, and you can have your photo taken in Ye Olde Victorian Photo Booth.  There will also be cakes, biscuits and refreshments.

We will also be taking orders for our fabulous Christmas Wreaths, which were extremely popular last year.

Please come and support our school.  We look forward to seeing you.