School News
Sponsored Walk
14 June 2013
Congratulations to everyone who took part in our successful sponsored walk yesterday. An amazing 616 laps of Albert Park were walked, that is 265 miles in all.
A superb effort by all. There will be a slide show of photos of all the happy walkers in the foyer next week.
There is still time to get more sponsors to make every lap worthwhile. Remember we are trying to build a new classroom for our sponsored school in Mwalimu so every penny counts.
Can all monies be in school by Monday 1st July please.
Together we are making a difference.
The Giving Machine Fund Raising
19 April 2013
The Unicorn School has signed up to http://www.thegivingmachine.co.uk/ to help raise extra funds for the school.
Over 400 top online shops pay TheGivingMachine a sales commission for directing shoppers to them, including Amazon, M & S, eBay etc. They then convert commissions generated into free cash donations for the school.
It doesn’t cost you anything, but if we can get everyone to search via The Giving Machine whenever shopping online, a small percentage of the purchases will come directly to our school.
Wonderful Result Easter Fair
21 March 2013
A huge thanks to Cait and all our wonderful parents, children and teachers for running stalls at the fair. Everyone had a lot of fun spending their pocket money.
We raised £608 so far which is phenomenal!
Open Morning Tuesday 19th March
19 March 2013
Open Morning Tuesday 19th March.
We were delighted to welcome many enthusiastic and knowledgeable visitors to our school this morning - we hope, in due course, to be able to include their children in our school.
If you were unable to get to our open morning, we do have an 'open door' policy and are always pleased to welcome visitors and show you our unique school.
Semi Final Result
12 March 2013
We are delighted that our football team are playing so well this academic year. Despite losing in the semi final last week Mr Pickett is still really pleased with the sporting attitude and determination to succeed he has seen over the last few months in all of his players.
Our first Unicorn team to make it to a semi final! Maybe it will be the finals next year?
Very well done to all of our players.
Mwalimu School Solar Panels Installed
28 February 2013
We are thrilled to hear that the solar panels have now been installed in the Mwalimu school in Tanzania that we are supporting and raising funds for. The children now have electricity in their classroom.
Thank you to everyone for your contributions to this important cause so far. We will keep you informed of our next fund raising event, a whole school sponsored walk in the Summer term.
To find out more do use the attached link
Arthritis Research Fundraiser
21 February 2013
We are delighted to say that the enthusiastic children of Oak and Willow classes managed to raise £164.80 for Athritis Research UK with their cake sale and non uniform day.
All the children and staff paid to wear orange for the day and happily bought the delicious cakes on sale at playtime to raise money for this important cause.
Well done to Zenor and friends for organising this day and thank you to everyone who donated money.
Happy new year and welcome back!
10 January 2013
We are delighted to welcome you all back to the Unicorn and a particular welcome to our new families, the Sextons and the Balchins.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Christmas fair to raise money for our new minibus. As most of you are aware, thanks to your amazing generosity, coupled with that of a wonderfully generous benefactor, we have now raised enough money to start our search for our new bus.
The weather is about to turn cold so please send your children into school with warm clothes so that we don't have to huddle together like penguins! Please also keep an eye on the website if it turns snowy over the next three weeks in case we need to take action.
Many thanks.
Nicola Blackwood MP visits the Unicorn
12 September 2012
We were pleased to welcome our local MP Nicola Blackwood who came to visit us to find out more about life at the Unicorn.
To find out more please use this link
Upper School French Residential
31 May 2012
Cedar, Lime, Beech and Redwood classes enjoyed an excellent week in Hardelot de Plage, France.
The itinerary included trips to a typical French bakery, a chocolatier and a glass factory. Many happy hours were enjoyed on the beaches in Hardelot and Le Touquet. The children also enjoyed spending their pocket money at the market at Etaples and buying typical French foods in the Auchan supermarket.
Welcome to Ric Egington Olympic Rower
16 May 2012
The Unicorn were delighted to welcome Ric Egington today to our special assembly. Ric, who is even taller than Mr Pickett at 6ft 6ins, is a world champion at rowing and won silver at the Bejing Olympics. He let all the pupils hold his medal and even ty it on!
We wish him the best of luck in 2012 and will all be watching him on August 5th.
Ric was inundated with questions from our children and answered as many as he could and was a great role model by saying that it was really important to find your talent and then really work at it until you succeed.
Ric was then "mugged " for autographs. We are really honoured to have him visit the school and his easy manner talking to the children was very welcome.
Thanks to Mark Hatlee for organising the visit today.
Lower School Residential
14 May 2012
If you missed our open day, you are still welcome
19 March 2012
Come and see us at the Unicorn during any normal working morning. We will be delighted to welcome you into our school and talk to you about your child's strengths and requirementsThank you to all parents for the excellent response rate for the questionnaires from our inspector, Mr Fisher Smith
19 February 2012
Appreciation for The Unicorn's Fundraising Activities
24 January 2012
The Nomad Trust have posted several acknowledgements on their website blog for our excellent fund-raising activities.
With over £3,750 raised for the Mwalimu School it's great to hear about our funds successfully reaching their target.
Read the fund-raising blog by clicking here and click here for some more images and information about our partner school.
Next time you are in school look for the scrap book on the reception desk which has lots more information and some excellent pictures.
Keep up the good work Mr Pickett!!
Shop and Drop - at Waitrose in Abingdon!
16 January 2012
Next month (February), The Unicorn School has been chosen by the Waitrose supermarket in Abingdon to be one of the 3 charities to benefit as part of their monthly Community Matters Scheme.
Each time you shop at Waitrose you are given a green token to drop into a box for your chosen charity from the 3 for that month. At the end of the month the £1,000 pot is divided up among the charities according to the proportion of tokens they have in their respective boxes.
So, when you shop at Waitrose next month please don’t forget to drop your token into The Unicorn box and support the school.
Robots Arrive At The Unicorn School
28 November 2011
Pupils from The Unicorn School years 4 and 5 classes have teamed up with engineers from Faringdon Community College to build robotic dogs using Lego ‘Mindstorms’ kits to complement this term’s creative curriculum entitled ‘The Rise of the Robots’.
Two teachers and a technician from FCC are delivering the programme which runs for 5 Tuesday afternoons at The Unicorn.
“The aim of these courses is to bring engineering into the classroom in a fun and interesting manner”, commented Denis Scott, FCC course leader, “Within the Lego ‘Mindstorms’ module, the pupils build a robotic dog and learn the programming language necessary to control the robot in the completion of a number challenges.”
This module is linked to the Keystage 2 National Curriculum with other programmes available in podcasting, mechanisms, electronics and animation.
Meet the New Staff Members
07 November 2011
The School is very pleased to welcome Clare, Mary and Vita to the teaching staff this term. They further strengthen the team with their teaching abilities. Let's find out a little more about each of them:
Clare Carlini -
I have been teaching on and off for the last twenty six years. I began my career in Bicester and I went on to teach in Birmingham and Abingdon. Most recently I was teaching at The Manor School, near Abingdon, as a reception teacher.
I live locally and I am married with three children, two of whom are at university and the youngest is at a local school.
I have always been interested in dyslexia as it has affected family members and I know first hand how it can make life more difficult. I recently completed a postgraduate course at Oxford Brookes on literacy difficulties. I feel privileged to be working at such a caring school with such a hardworking and dedicated staff.
Vita Collier -
Kia Ora! (Hello in Maori) I am the new teacher of Cedar class this year. I am all the way from New Zealand, home of the famous 'All Blacks' rugby union team.
I enjoy the outdoors, going for bush walks, bike riding and doing anything outside. I enjoy watching sport and I supported the All Blacks in their recent World Cup success! I also play touch rugby myself to keep fit and have fun.
I went to University in my home town of Wellington straight after I finished Secondary School to study psychology. After I completed my degree I took a year off to spend some time living and working in Western Australia. When I returned from Australia I went back to Victoria University in Wellington to complete a Post-graduate Diploma of Teaching.
After I qualified as a teacher I was lucky enough to get a job at the school I went to as a child in the small sea-side town of Eastbourne in Wellington. Some of the teachers who taught me were still there!
I taught Year 3 for two years at this leading school which was the first school in New Zealand to be recognised by the 4D for Schools programme as being Dyslexia Friendly.
I was very sad to leave such a highly regarded school but in December of last year I moved here (with my boyfriend who is doing a PhD in Geophysics at the University of Oxford) for my first ever White Christmas!
For the past 10 months I have really enjoyed living in Oxford and travelling around the UK and Europe. I am looking forward to many more exciting trips in the future.
I am so pleased to have the opportunity to work at the Unicorn and I am looking forward to learning a lot and getting to know all of the staff, parents and children of this fantastic school during the year ahead.
Mary Pegler -
I specialise in working with children with developmental language difficulties, speech and phonological problems and social communication difficulties. I have worked as a Speech and Language Therapist in London and Oxford with both NHS and private clients. My sessions involve an enjoyable variety of games and group activities, popular with children.
Prior to Speech and Language Therapy, I enjoyed a career as an actress in theatre, film and t.v. as well as research work for the RSC. I 'trod the boards' in West End Theatres as well as a brief trip to Hollywood. My first clinical employment as a Speech and Language Therapist was with Great Ormond Street Hospital in the Community, working in local clinics and outreach centres in north London.
Now settled in Oxford, with three children, aged between 14 and 7, I am able to indulge my love of reading as a member of two local book groups. I am also a contributor to the Good Schools Guide Special Educational Needs section.
I am delighted to be working at The Unicorn School, and have felt warmly welcomed by both staff and children.
More Images
See the Unicorn School in Action!
04 October 2011
The Unicorn School is holding its next Open Morning on Tuesday 18th October between 9.00 and 12.00.
Come and take a look round and see the fantastic progress and achievements that are made by our pupils, our multi-sensory, hands-on and one-to-one teaching methods and the whole school in action.
Head teacher, Jackie Vaux, will be presenting a short talk, 'The Uniqueness of the Unicorn', at 10.30.
Staff will be available for personal discussions and our pupils will be happy to show visitors around until 12.00.
If you would like any further information please do have a look round the website or alternatively give the school a call.
We look forward to welcoming you to The Unicorn.
School Art Exhibition at the North Wall
26 September 2011
Illustrator Kate Brown officially opened the school art exhibition at the North Wall in Oxford on 20th September. There was a great audience of parents, pupils and staff who all enjoyed seeing the pupils' work beautifully displayed in the theatre's foyer.
Kate spoke about the love and freedom she got from her illustrating work and how privileged and lucky she felt to be able to earn a living from doing what she really loved. Kate urged all the pupils to be involved and to work hard at developing their clear abilities in the artistic world.
The pupils' work is complemented by pieces from dyslexic artists based around the country and it is interesting and inspiring to see the achievements these artists have been able to make.
The exhibition continues until Friday 30th and the school would urge all parents, pupils, staff and friends to go along and take a look; much of the work has already been sold contributing greatly to the school's bursary fund.
More ImagesCongratulations
08 September 2011
Congratulations to former pupil James Helm for his success in getting into university to study engineering.Sponsored Walk
18 July 2011
Our sponsored walk to raise money for our linked school in Tanzania went ahead on Wednesday, June 29th. It was lovely to have so many parents and friends walking with us as we experienced the long distance the children in Mmalimu school had to walk each morning. We finished tired but happy.
We are delighted that we have raised £2,550 from sponsorship money which will go a long way towards the funds needed to build the Tanzanian children their new classroom. Well done to everybody who walked and supported us in this event.
Mwalimu School Fundraising
11 March 2011
Thank you to all children, parents, staff and visitors for all your spare coins which we have collected over the last few months to raise money for a school in Tanzania which has virtually no resources. We managed to achieve our aim of going right the way round our school building. We can now use our pocket money to buy basic resources such as paper, pencils and crayons for the Tanzanian children.
Thank you!
