Pupils celebrate in the new school uniform
DAMERS SCHOOL
HISTORY
There’s a new chapter for the 62-year-old
Damers First School, now on the Great Field
WELCOME
DAMERS FIRST SCHOOL
in Poundbury.
The existing Damers School site on Damers
Road, was opened in 1955 but has become
too small for purpose. The children have
transferred to the new site, where the school
will be transferred to Dorset County Hospital.
Celebrating Poundbury went to visit Ellie
Goodridge, assistant headteacher at Damers
First School in the weeks before the big move.
Sat amidst the packing boxes, we discussed
the history of Damers First School and pored
over old photos and newspaper cuttings of
more than 60 years of history.
In fact, the school ran a highly successful
exhibition in March that invited past pupils
Headteacher Catherine Smith with the keys to the new school
by Simon Box at BAM Construction
and staff to help celebrate its history.
The school has had a colourful past from
first opening its doors as Dorchester County
The biggest addition to
Poundbury this year is
the opening of the new
Damers First School building
on the Great Field
T
he long awaited move from
Damers Road has been an
exciting one for both teachers
and pupils, and the new school
is already proving popular with
parents. Headteacher Catherine Smith said:
“This has been four years in the planning and
now we’ve moved in it is suddenly real."
It is the building we needed and will
enable the school to grow into this
great, airy and bright space
She added that the school is already
becoming oversubscribed for this September
due to increased interest from new parents.
Earlier this month the 450 current pupils
of Damers First School walked into their
classrooms for the first time.
Mrs Smith said: “It was great to see the
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The new Poundbury home of Damers First School
reaction of the children as they come through
into the school, and pleasing to see that we
made the right choices in the design.”
Mrs Smith praised the architects and
workmen from BAM for their dedication
throughout the project.
The new school looks out across the
Great Field and there are outdoor story
reading areas, a forest school area, playground
and a playfield.
As well as brand-new learning spaces, the
school will feature a music studio, a food
technology room, two new school halls, a
sensory room and a purpose-built base for
children who have more complex needs.
Mrs Smith said they are delighted with the
new spaces.
“Rooms such as the children’s food tech
rooms are so important; I am a firm believer
with food at the heart of everything.”
Mrs Smith welcomed the support from
Poundbury’s residents and said she is looking
forward to taking part in the community.
The new school will offer more places for
children in a phased way, with pupil numbers
expected to rise from 450 to 600 in the next
five years. Staff numbers are also planned to
increase from 70 to 90 in this time.
Primary School in 1955 to a change of name in
1980 to Damers First School.
In 1955, it had the claim to fame of being the
first co-educational school in Dorchester. It
was also purpose built at a cost of £40,000,
which is in contrast to the new school
building of today that has an estimated cos t
of £10 million.
“The recent exhibition brought out many
stories, memories and a treasure trove of
memorabilia. The most popular memory was
of the wall mural of a battle at Maiden Castle,
which was removed in the 1980s, when it was
decided that it was too frightening," says Ellie.
There was also a special moment when the
school building on Damers Road finally closed
at the end of March.
“Nick Worsley was the first pupil to walk
through the school doors in 1955 and
returned to turn-off the lights when the
building was finally shut,” Ellie added.
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