SUN hats and summer sports kits populated the playground at Chesterton CE Primary School as last week’s mini heatwave hit.

The 130-pupil school near Bicester relishes its small village setting, but still encourages children to dream big.

Headteacher Iain Horner said: “We are proud of our small school status, but offer as many opportunities as we can so they have a wide-ranging education.

“There is definitely a community feel and parents are very supportive - we have a very active association that fundraises extensively for the school.”

Fundraisers have paid for ICT equipment and interactive whiteboards for the classrooms, which sit inside a picturesque Victorian building.

School life centres on six values suggested by pupils: respect, compassion, resilience, generosity, integrity and humility.

Sport is a particular focus for the school, which has a successful girls’ football team coached by Mr Horner.

He said: “We are really keen on sport and we take part in a huge number of local partnership events.

“We punch above our weight for the size of our school in taking on bigger schools.

“We make sure girls are encouraged to take part and that nothing is out of reach for them.”

Mr Horner spoke passionately about the importance of a good education early in life.

He said: “That’s why we do what we do.

“We feel we have got the children for seven of the most important years of their lives.

“If we can give them all those opportunities and a broad curriculum exposing them to different things ready for secondary school, they will hit the ground running.”

Mr Horner said although SATs are important, schools should be about finding the ‘right balance’ and not focus solely on academic skills.

The school has a variety of student councils including an eco-council, which last week joined the head on a trip to the garden centre, to find plants to put in hanging baskets.

Pupils can get involved with an active choir group, which has sung at venues including St Edburg’s Church in Bicester.

Chesterton is also partnered with a school in South Africa, and some staff members flew over to visit in October.

Pupils are taught by six teachers and five teaching assistants, who Mr Horner hailed as a vital part of the team.

Children are split into four different ‘houses’, each named after historical village figures such as the school’s founder.