St James Primary Okehampton

02/09/2026

02/09/2026

Secondary School Admissions for September 2027 are now open!!

If your child is starting in Year 6 this term, you can now apply for their secondary school place via Devon County Council. Apply online using the link below.

⏰ Deadline: Midnight on 31 October 2026

https://oneonline.devon.gov.uk/CCSCitizenPortal_LIVE/en?fbclid=IwY2xjawUEvctwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMExXTHluQUZ2Mkd5SVk1ZVZzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEebbJbXM4Z2PmdFuDPq_QRRp3UmP9abXx8bYfkc_wthVSYGeI9poXnIPlQYrs_aem_wiv44n9ixrRYx2WllmUekg

The Citizens Portal allows parents/carers of children, to make applications for school places (including in-year admissions), two year old funding and free school meals.

28/08/2026

WHEN PEOPLE COME TOGETHER, AMAZING THINGS HAPPEN… 💜

Tuesday was one of those days that reminds us exactly why we started this journey.

A HUGE thank you to the incredible teams from Devon Highways for giving up their time, travelling into Okehampton, planning, organising, building, digging, grafting and getting stuck straight in! 🪏

Together with MGroup, Devon Highways have helped create wonderful new experiences and opportunities for our children at St James, from those travelling in to those based locally at the Okehampton depot, every single person who contributed today has helped us take another huge step towards transforming our outdoor spaces.
And they worked HARD!
- Digging and preparing our sensory garden
- ⁠Working in and developing our Forest School area
- ⁠Building and creating new play opportunities
- ⁠Creating and installing our large notice boards
- ⁠Turning plans and ideas into things our children can actually use, explore and enjoy
These aren’t just piles of wood, signs or freshly dug areas. They are the foundations of something much bigger.
A place where children can imagine, explore, make music, get muddy, take risks, solve problems and simply be children.
And there is SO much more to come…

🎶 Wren Music have also been working with us to design and construct amazing musical instruments for our new music walls in EYFS and the main playground.
They worked together to ensure the instruments reached the perfect notes, bringing music, creativity and play together in a completely different way. 🎵

Our mud kitchen, sensory garden, Forest School and wider OPAL spaces are continuing to take shape.
Slowly but surely, we are turning our vision into reality.
But this transformation isn’t happening because of one person.
It’s happening because people are choosing to get involved.
Businesses. Volunteers. Families. Staff. Local people. Community organisations.
Everyone bringing whatever they can.
And THAT is what makes this so special. 💜

A very special thank you to Jade and Jake, two of our St James parents who work for Devon Highways, for helping make this incredible day happen and for bringing their workplace and our school community together.

We are so grateful.

So to Devon Highways, MGroup & Wren Music…
Thank you for your time.
Thank you for your hard work.
And thank you for believing in what we are trying to create for our children.
You have left a little piece of yourselves here and hundreds of children will benefit from it for years to come. 💜
And we’re only just getting started…
If you would like to join us on this journey of transformation, we would LOVE to hear from you.
Whether you can donate materials, volunteer your time, share your skills, provide resources or simply help spread the word, every contribution can help us create something extraordinary.

📧 [email protected]

Together, we can transform play.
Ignite. Explore. Believe. Together. 💜

28/08/2026

We hope that you are all having a wonderful summer!

We have heard that a few parents have had issues sourcing uniform. There is no expectation for children to wear school labelled uniform. Purple jumpers/cardigans can be purchased from many high street retailers that are in line with our uniform policy.

We have been in touch with a local supplier who have confirmed they can make branded uniform if you wish to purchase. They will add a wider selection to the school shop as the term progresses.

Cut off point for Friday 4th Sept delivery to school will be Tuesday 1st Sept at 1pm. Parents will then be given a time to collect uniform from front of school. Anything ordered after this date will be available for collection the following Friday.

https://www.brandableclothing.co.uk/school-uniforms

We also have pre-loved uniform available in the FOSJ uniform room.

Thank you to those who brought this issue to our attention.

25/08/2026

💜🐾 A message from Diane 🐾💜

🐾 Could you volunteer with me and Sweep? 🐾

Hello everyone,

I am looking for one or more friendly, reliable volunteers to join me and Sweep, my 5½-year-old Cockapoo therapy dog, on Wednesday mornings (9:00am-11:30am) at St James Primary School, Okehampton.

We have been visiting the school for the past 3 years through Empathy Animals, supporting selected children through calm, one-to-one sessions. Therapy dogs can help children build confidence, reduce anxiety, improve emotional wellbeing, encourage reading and communication, and provide a safe, non-judgemental friend to spend time with.

To continue this valuable work, I need a volunteer to accompany us. The role could be shared between two or three people, for example on alternate Wednesdays, and it can be filled by anyone outside the school - you do not need to be a parent/guardian or an employee.

🐶 What's involved?
• Collecting the children for their session and returning them afterwards.
• Being comfortable around a friendly Cockapoo.
• Maintaining complete confidentiality at all times.

✅ A DBS check is required (arranged by the school), and the final decision on appointments is made by St James Primary School.

If you are interested or have any questions, please email [email protected] to register your interest.

20/07/2026

Congratulations Miss Hazlewood!

Our wonderful headteacher got married on Saturday and she promised to share some photos with the children so they can see her looking beautiful on her wedding day 🤍

A huge congratulations to Maria and Jason! We wish you both a lifetime of happiness and wonderful memories together!

17/07/2026

Good luck Deer Class ! Class of 2026!

Wishing all of our wonderful Year 6 pupils the very best of luck as they begin their next exciting chapter at secondary school. We are so proud of everything you have achieved during your time at St James and know that you will go on to do amazing things. While we will miss you greatly, we are excited to see what the future holds for each of you.

Thank you all for the most wonderful leavers service this afternoon!

💜💜💜

17/07/2026

Deer Class have been busy creating their beautiful Leavers' Legacy Stones with Miss May. A huge thank you to FOSJ for kindly donating the stones. These special creations will be placed in the school’s sensory garden, leaving a lasting reminder of this wonderful group of pupils for years to come.

16/07/2026

Can you help bring play to life at St James? 💜

Summer Holidays are starting but our project is ongoing…

Our St James’ OPAL Playground Project is transforming playtimes into exciting opportunities for imagination, creativity and adventure – but we need your help!

We’re looking for donations of materials to help us create:
🎵 A music wall for our main playground & EYFS
🏕️ Den-building areas
🌿 A sensory garden
🍳 Mud kitchens and messy play spaces
🚧 Construction and role-play zones & more!

Have you got any unwanted items, surplus materials or end-of-line stock that could be given a new purpose? Every donation, big or small, helps us create an incredible outdoor environment for our children.

Please take a look at our wishlist below. If you think you can help, we’d love to hear from you!

📧 [email protected]

Please note: We are unable to accept items left at the school without prior arrangement.

💜 If you can’t donate, please share this post. You never know who might have exactly what we’re looking for!

Together, we’re creating a playground where imagination comes to life. Thank you to those who have already supported our project.

16/07/2026

Goodbye and Good Luck!

Wishing all the very best to Mrs C, Ms Sparshatt and Mrs Bagg, who will be leaving us this week.

You will all be greatly missed, and we wish you every success and happiness in your next adventures. Thank you for everything you have done for our school and children!

💐💜