Our Community Multi-Academy Trust - OCMAT

16/10/2026

✨ Wonder is all around us! ✨

Following our live poetry lesson, our pupils have been busy creating their entries for the OCMAT Poetry Competition, inspired by the theme Wonder. 🌟📚

We’re delighted to share some of our wonderful entries with you and celebrate their creativity, imagination and love of poetry. 💫

Good luck to all our young poets! 📝💛

16/10/2026

🎨🎶 The children were so excited to welcome Jenny from Make It Groovy back yesterday!

Through a wonderful mix of crafts, songs, dancing and so much more, our Willow, Maple and Cherry class children enjoyed a fun-filled session inspired by their class book. 📚✨

A fantastic time was had by all! 💛

15/10/2026

There are still a few spaces for next week's open day tour at Lynsted & Norton Primary School.

🌿 Looking for a little school with a big heart?

Small school. Big childhood.

Just outside Teynham, Lynsted & Norton Primary School is a welcoming village school where children are known, nurtured and encouraged to flourish.

From traditional Sports Days and summer fayres to festive celebrations, enrichment trips and everyday classroom discoveries, we believe childhood should be filled with opportunities to learn, grow and make happy memories.

Our close-knit school community means relationships matter. We want every child to feel safe, valued and ready to take their next steps in learning.

✨ Thinking about Reception for September 2027? Come and meet us!

📅 Tuesday 20 October 2026 🕤 9.30am

Come and meet our team, discover our school and see what makes Lynsted & Norton special.

🏫 Part of a close partnership with Borden CE Primary School. Discover both schools and find the right fit for your family: www.lynsted-norton.kent.sch.uk and www.borden.kent.sch.uk

📩 Book your Lynsted & Norton visit here: Lynsted & Norton Primary School - Booking Form: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/MFJ0VW0tuG

We'd love to welcome you!

14/10/2026

October half term is coming...

🎃 Kids Eat Free (or for £1) October Half Term 2026 👻
Updates here 👉 https://moneysavingcentral.co.uk/kids-eat-free

13/10/2026

Choosing a school is about finding the right fit for your child.

Every child is different, and every school has something special to offer. ❤️

Whether your little one is starting Reception in September 2027 or you're thinking about moving your child to a different school, we encourage you to look beyond what's closest to home and discover what might suit your child best.

At OCMAT, our schools share a commitment to Community, Compassion and Inclusion, but each has its own character, strengths and opportunities. The best way to discover what makes a school special is to visit, meet the people who make it what it is, and get a feel for the community your child could become part of.

✨ Come and see for yourself! Our schools have open days and tours taking place throughout the autumn, giving you the chance to ask questions, explore the classrooms and picture your child learning, growing and making friends.

📅 Take a look at our useful dates guide to remind you of important admission dates for children born between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2023.

You might discover a school you hadn't considered before — and one that feels just right for your child.

Borden Church of England Primary School, Sittingbourne
Bredgar Church of England Primary School, Sittingbourne
Lynsted & Norton Primary School, Sittingbourne
Milstead & Frinsted C of E Primary School, Sittingbourne
Minterne Junior School, Sittingbourne
The Oaks Infant School, Sittingbourne

Selling Church of England Primary School, Faversham
Petham Primary School, Canterbury

Dymchurch Primary School, New Romney
Lydd Primary School & Bluebells Nursery, New Romney

Discover more here: https://www.ocmat.org.uk/Our-Schools/

09/10/2026

Come and join our OCMAT family!

We have a range of exciting vacancies across Our Community Multi Academy Trust. If you’re passionate about making a difference to children’s lives and want to be part of a supportive school community, we’d love to hear from you!

📢 Explore our current opportunities and find your next role: https://www.ukteach.com/job-search-results/our%20community%20multi%20academy%20trust/oo-kw

08/10/2026

📚 We have some rather exciting news to share…

We’re in the FINAL of the National Read Aloud Challenge — and OCMAT is officially in the top six Trusts nationally! 🎉

After a summer filled with stories, pages turning and children reading, reading and reading some more, we’ve made it all the way to the final six.

The winner will be announced at the National Read Aloud Challenge awards ceremony in London on 23 November — so we’ll be keeping everything crossed! 🤞

But whatever happens on the day, this is already a proud moment for OCMAT.

Because this achievement belongs to our amazing pupils who spent time reading throughout the summer, kept reading and took on the challenge — and to the families who encouraged, supported and made time for reading at home.

That’s the bit we’re most proud of. ❤️

Now… wish us luck! 🏆📖

08/10/2026

✨ What happens when ten schools, hundreds of children and a little bit of WONDER come together? ✨

This morning, something rather special was happening across OCMAT.

Our children in all ten schools joined together for a Trust-wide online assembly to celebrate National Poetry Day. And while we couldn't all be in the same room, it certainly felt like we were.

From each of our schools, one pupil stood up and shared a poem they had written around this year's theme: WONDER. 🌟

One by one, we listened as the children shared their words, ideas and imaginations with pupils and staff across the Trust. There were poems that made us think, poems that made us smile and some wonderfully imaginative ways of looking at the world around us.

And what made it particularly special? These were their words. Their ideas. Their voices.

It was wonderful to see children from right across OCMAT listening to and celebrating one another's creativity. A real reminder of how much talent, imagination and individuality there is across our ten schools.

And the poetry doesn't stop there! 📖✏️

Following our live poetry lesson, our pupils are now busy creating their entries for our OCMAT poetry competition, inspired by the theme Wonder.

A huge well done to every child who has taken part so far — and a very special thank you to the pupils who bravely shared their poems with the whole Trust this morning.

We can't wait to see where your imaginations take you next. 💫

Keep wondering. Keep writing. Keep sharing your words. ❤️

A big thank you to Ms Raby for organising this event.

07/10/2026

Wellbeing Conversations

Talking to a pupil about their wellbeing can feel daunting, particularly when you are unsure what to say or worried about hearing something concerning.

Our latest guide reminds educators that they do not need to be specialists to provide meaningful support.

The guide explores:
• Building warm, trusting relationships
• Choosing a safe and appropriate place to talk
• Using side-by-side conversations to reduce pressure
• Staying calm when a pupil shares a concern
• Being clear and honest about confidentiality
• Knowing when to involve safeguarding colleagues or seek support yourself

It also includes practical conversation starters to help staff open discussions gently and give pupils space to talk when they are ready.

Read the guide here: https://vist.ly/5mbvi

05/10/2026

A little online safety reminder for families 💻💬

Children are growing up in a world where being online is part of everyday life. As parents and carers, we can't always know exactly what they're seeing, watching or talking about — but we can make sure they know they can talk to us.

This month, a few simple reminders:

🔹 Ask, don't assume – take an interest in the apps, games and platforms they use.
🔹 Talk about what feels right and wrong – help them recognise when something online makes them uncomfortable.
🔹 Check in regularly – online safety is an ongoing conversation, not a one-off chat.
🔹 Remind them they won't be in trouble for telling you – knowing they can come to you is one of the most important safety nets.

And sometimes, simply sitting alongside them and asking “What are you doing?” is a good place to start.

This month's visual is Rosie’s wonderful poster from Borden Church of England Primary School — a lovely reminder of something that deserves our attention all year round. 💚