PEOPLE from the Okehampton area are being invited to share their views on the town’s second primary school at a public meeting tomorrow morning.

The Diocese of Exeter, sponsoring the new St James Church of England Primary School to open in September, will unveil its plans at 9am tomorrow, Friday, at Okehampton Primary School.

There will be further public meetings at the existing primary on Glendale Road – which will work closely with the new school – at 6pm on Monday, February 26 and 9am on Monday, March 5. The consultation runs until March 16, with opportunities to view proposals online and at venues in the town as well.

The Diocese is seeking to reassure people in the community that the school, currently being built off Exeter Road, will include outdoor activities on Dartmoor on the curriculum. There was disappointment in some quarters that a Devon Wildlife Trust-backed plan for a forest school lost out to the Diocese in the tendering process to run the new school.

The Diocese has also stressed that ‘it will be a community school in the widest sense and faith will play no part in the admissions process’ of the free school academy. Applications are now open for places at the school in September. It is being built on a site to the north of Crediton Road, to serve the town’s growing population as new estates are built to the east of the town.

Diocesan Director of Education John Season said: ‘We are delighted to be moving forward with our plans for the new school and we welcome this opportunity to talk to local people about what they want to see. Dartmoor provides the perfect backdrop for our unique focus on outdoor education and learning to develop a range of skills and attitudes that will equip children for life. I look forward to welcoming our first pupils.’

The Diocese is working in close partnership with Okehampton Primary School and the wider Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust (which includes those schools formerly under the umbrella of the Dartmoor Federation). In common with all new schools, it will be a free school academy.

Headteacher of Okehampton Primary School, Hazel Fox, said: ‘I am thrilled to be working with the Diocese of Exeter to establish the new school. Our partnership approach will enable us to embed a strong educational foundation whilst allowing each school to develop its own unique character and specialisms. This will give parents in the town more choice in their children’s education and that is a really positive step for Okehampton.’

A spokesperson for the Diocese added: ‘As a Church of England school, St James will be underpinned by a strong Christian ethos in which every child is valued for their unique talents. It will be a community school in the widest sense and faith will play no part in the admissions process. The school will make the most of its Dartmoor setting by specialising in outdoor education and learning to develop character and resilience.

‘Alongside the more traditional oppor-tunities in art, drama, science and music, children will benefit from a range of activities not normally available at the primary stage including moor walks, gardening, kite flying, orienteering, willow-weaving and pond dipping.’

The full proposals can be viewed at www.dartmooracademy.org to review the proposals and complete the online survey.

The consultation document can also be seen at Okehampton Primary School, Okehampton College, Okehampton Library and the Ockment Centre, where paper copies of the survey will be available.

The school is now accepting applications for reception places for September.

Provision for nursery and Key Stage One children is currently being considered.

School leaders of both Okehampton Primary and St James have pledged to work together to minimise inconvenience for families who have children in both schools during the bedding in stage.