Arundel & South Downs MP Andrew Griffith visited Camelsdale Primary School, in the village of Camelsdale, Haselmere on Friday (22nd November), this has been part of his programme of visiting schools that feature in the new part of his constituency since the parliamentary boundary changes in July.
Mr. Griffith was shown around the school (which was built in 1904) by Headteacher Mrs. Sarah Palmer and had the pleasure of seeing firsthand the children playing enthusiastically and undeterred (although the weather was freezing) in their morning break outside in the superb playground, which includes a sunken boat to play in, a memorial garden, tower and slide, adventure play trails and garden to play in.
The school boasts a very impressive eating area called ‘Humphrey’s Cafe’ which was completed in 2018 and where the children can enjoy a hot meal at lunch time and on special days parents / grandparents can join the children to enjoy the tasty homemade food. The school boasts a very impressive corridor of photos and memorabilia from each decade that the school has been open with black and white pictures of the class attendees to present day. The children were asked by the MP a variety of questions about what they liked about their school, one answered, ‘the teachers’ which was fantastic to hear and many others spoke of their joy and excitement about upcoming visits the school have planned for 2025 to London and oversees.
Mr Griffith said: “It was a pleasure to visit Camelsdale Primary School and spend time with Headteacher Mrs. Sarah Palmer walking around the school grounds and having the privilege of seeing the children in their classrooms and even getting a sneak preview of them singing and rehearsing for their upcoming winter performances. It is abundantly clear that the children are happy, engaged and thriving in this wonderful environment that has been thoughtfully created and led by the dedication and passion of Mrs. Palmer and her staff at the school.’