ABOUT US

We are a 9-13 school set in spacious grounds in beautiful Purbeck countryside on the western outskirts of the Dorset town of Swanage and close to the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. Swanage Middle is the community school for this town and surrounding villages.

• To develop a caring school community where pupils learn to respect others in a sensitive, reasonable and tolerant way, and in which collaboration, responsibility, self-discipline, initiative, hard work and pursuit of excellence is actively encouraged.
• To develop, within the National prescription, a curriculum which is flexible, relevant and meaningful to all pupils at different ages and stages and which is responsive to their individual needs and interests as well as the external demands of society at large.
• To develop those attitudes and skills of learning which equip pupils to become willing, independent, life-long learners; and to encourage by high expectation the development of their academic, intellectual, physical, creative, aesthetic, spiritual and social potential.
• To continue the successful development of close-working links with parents and the local community through shared planning, meetings and activities.

The Curriculum is broad and balanced to reflect the needs of the pupils. It is based on the Dorset Curriculum Policy and the requirements of the National Curriculum, with Years 5 and 6 completing Key Stage 2 and Years 7 and 8 working on Key Stage 3. This necessitates close liaison with our feeder First Schools and Purbeck Upper School, which is a great strength of the Purbeck Pyramid of schools

Every school is different however, and one of the things for which Swanage Middle School has evolved an excellent reputation is the enrichment of our curriculum by educational visits, plentiful resources developed over the years, and varied strategies for teaching and learning. All of these are designed to challenge the pupils in their varying stages of development. All are visits are meticulously planned and are optional.

For example in Year 8 there is an exciting, intensive five day residential visit to Barton Hall a magnificent country mansion set in 46 acres of mature grounds close to Torquay.

There are several opportunities during the year, for parents and other visitors, to come and see the school at work or to see the work produced by the pupils, demonstrations and presentations.