Damers is a vibrant and friendly school based in Poundbury, Dorchester. The school moved to a brand new building in April 2017 and was opened that year by Prince Charles. We have fantastic school grounds with an outdoor classroom, two gardens, a shepherd’s hut, forest school area, bird hide with a nature area. A pond and chickens are planned.
Eco Schools is at the centre of the life of our school. We want every child to leave Damers with a real awareness of the local, national and global environment and how each person can make a real difference to the quality of the environment for everyone. Eco work is integrated into our curriculum and there is a real enthusiasm across the school for all our eco work and also recognition that it has financial rewards too.
Young Enterprise plays a huge part within our school with children winning the national Young Enterprise Fiver Challenge for the last three years with their eco products. The children design, make, market and sell their product at different events locally which have included Farmers’ Markets, the County Show, Food Arts Festival, outside local supermarkets. Money raised has bought a giant solar powered stopwatch for the playground and a nature area with pond.
Working with the community is a huge part of our success whether it is the community support provided by gardening volunteers or recycling ink printing cartridges, biscuit wrappers, writing instruments, toothpaste tubes, toothbrushes. Damers is leading a campaign with the Town Council to help businesses, schools and organisations to help Dorchester to achieve Plastic Free Community Status.