St Clement's praised for Christian vision and "culture of belonging" St Clement's Church of England Primary School has been praised by inspectors for a Christian vision that "responds directly to the challenges of the local context" and for creating a strong culture of belonging among pupils, families and staff. The school, in Leysdown, near Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey, was inspected last month under the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools framework. Inspectors found the school "living up to its foundation as a Church school and enabling pupils and adults to flourish." The report highlighted the school's support for pupils and families through extra pastoral care and a free breakfast club, describing this as helping pupils to "overcome barriers, grow in confidence and develop a stronger sense of possibility for their future". Religious education came in for particular praise. The report found pupils "talk confidently about their learning” of Christianity, Islam, Sikhism and Humanism, and said RE "makes a positive contribution to pupils' understanding of diversity." Collective worship is “a valued and inclusive part of daily school life,” the inspectors said. St Clement's, which has 160 pupils, is part of Aquila, the Diocese of Canterbury Academies Trust, a family of 17 primary schools across Kent serving more than 4,000 pupils. The trust, founded in 2014, has grown from a single school to become one of the largest primary academy groups in the county and works with Canterbury Christ Church University on classroom research and school improvement. Kelly Lockwood, Headteacher of St Clement's, said: "This report reflects the heart of what we do every day. We want every child here to feel valued, to be curious about the world and to believe in what they can achieve. It's wonderful to have that captured so clearly by inspectors." Annie Wiles, Chief Executive Officer of Aquila, Diocese of Canterbury Academies Trust, said: "St Clement's shows what it means to put a Christian vision into practice every day. The compassion shown to pupils, families and staff at this school reflects the very best of what we want for every school in our trust."

Archbishop Courtenay Primary School praised for its approach to playtime Archbishop Courtenay Primary School has won a national award recognising the work it has done on how children play at break and lunchtime. The school in Tovil has been awarded Platinum status, the highest level available, by Outdoor Play and Learning, a national programme that helps schools give children more freedom to play during the school day. Assessors praised a "significant increase in the confidence and ability of the children" since the school began the programme and said every child spoken to during the visit was "happy and engaged." They noted how pupils can safely and confidently use large loose parts, build dens, use swings and dig and understand how to weigh up risks and keep themselves and each other safe while playing. The school's staff were praised for creating an inclusive play environment where children are "well regulated". Archbishop Courtenay is part of Aquila, the Diocese of Canterbury Academies Trust, which is a family of 17 primary schools across east and central Kent. Sue Heather, Headteacher of Archbishop Courtenay Primary School, said: "Our children have grown so much in confidence and independence through this programme and it's brilliant to see that recognised in this way. Play is such a vital part of childhood and this award reflects the hard work of our whole school community in making sure every child can enjoy it." Annie Wiles, Chief Executive Officer of Aquila, Diocese of Canterbury Academies Trust, said: "This award shows what's possible when a school commits fully to giving children the freedom and space to play. Archbishop Courtenay has set a brilliant example for schools across our trust."

St Laurence CE Junior Academy Pro Strike event raises £2.7k for new play equipment St Laurence Junior pupils, families and staff are celebrating the fantastic success of their Pro Strike fundraising event, which raised an outstanding £2,702 through sponsorship. The event brought a real buzz of excitement to the school in Ramsgate, with pupils taking part enthusiastically, cheering each other on and celebrating their achievements. Children were thrilled to receive their well-deserved prizes and there was a wonderful sense of pride across the school. The money raised will go towards new playtime games and equipment, helping to make playtimes even more active, enjoyable and engaging for all children. Alongside the impressive fundraising total, pupils also took part in a football challenge to test the speed and power of their kicks. There were some fantastic scores across the school, with children showing determination, skill and plenty of competitive spirit. Staff also joined in the fun, with Mr Bottle recording the highest staff score of 104 kph. A special mention goes to all children who raised £100 or more individually, including Bertie (pictured below), who was the school’s top fundraiser with an incredible £157. Headteacher Mrs Buckland said: “We are incredibly proud of all of our pupils for the enthusiasm, determination and team spirit they showed during the Pro Strike event. “To raise £2,702 is a fantastic achievement and reflects the generosity of our families and the strength of our school community. The money raised will make a real difference to playtimes, helping us provide even more opportunities for children to play, be active and enjoy their time together.” Every contribution, no matter the size, helped to reach the fantastic final total.

Ofsted praises Aquila primary school's 'palpable sense of ambition'   School inspectors have praised an Aquila primary school for its rapid improvement and “highly ambitious” curriculum. In their report, published this month, Ofsted inspectors rated Charing Church of England Primary School in Ashford as ‘Strong’ in six of seven areas and ‘Expected’ in just one. Inspectors said leaders have "an almost palpable sense of ambition for every pupil". They found that all pupils, including those with multiple barriers to learning, achieve very well and are "very well prepared for their next steps". The report highlights that pupils become fluent and confident readers, with the school prioritising reading from the early years. In the most recent national tests, 93% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined - well above the national average of 62%. Nearly half of pupils at Charing are eligible for free school meals - well above the national average of 26%. Yet 88% of those pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, against a national average of 47%. Inspectors also praised the school's early years provision, noting that leaders "ensure that children have a very successful start to their education". They described the early years as a “purposeful and happy environment”. The report said that staff have very high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and that this helps pupils to “behave very well”. The only area to receive an expected standard rating was attendance. Inspectors acknowledged the school's high levels of pupil mobility, with many children joining mid-year, and noted that attendance has improved steadily. They asked leaders to maintain the work already under way to raise it further. Tom Bird, the school’s Headteacher, said: "We set high expectations for every pupil from the moment they arrive, whatever their background or starting point. To see that reflected in what Ofsted found - and in our results - is enormously pleasing. The real credit belongs to our staff, who work every day to make this a welcoming and wonderful community where every child succeeds." Annie Wiles, Chief Executive Officer of Aquila, the Diocese of Canterbury Academies Trust, said: "These findings are testament to Tom and his team's commitment to the pupils and community they serve. The rapid improvement Charing has made is something the whole Aquila family is proud of." For the full Ofsted report click HERE.

Brenzett Primary School to open new nursery to meet growing demand for childcare places. Brenzett Primary School is expanding its offering with a new nursery to help meet growing childcare demands in the local community. There are currently no nursery provisions in the village of Brenzett, with The Nursery School in Brookland being the closest available setting for families.  As such leaders at Brenzett Primary School, which is part of Aquila Trust, have announced it will launch a nursery from September. The new nursery will be based within the main school building and is expected to provide 21 places for children aged between two and four.  Brenzett Primary submitted a community consultation last summer, when it was suggested there was a “clear demand” for additional early years places in the area. Rowan Wright, head teacher at Brenzett Primary School, said: “The nursery aims to give young children the best possible start in their education by offering a nurturing, play-based environment from the age of two. We want to ensure our children feel supported at every step. Starting that journey earlier will help children build confidence and develop the foundations they need to thrive.” Twelve places have already been filled and two new members of staff will be employed. The “teacher-led” nursery is set to be located directly next to the school’s current Year R classroom. This decision was taken because both reception-aged children and nursery pupils fall under the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) of education. Staff currently working in the school will work closely with the new nursery team from September to help create a 'seamless' start to school life. Brenzett Primary School has worked in collaboration with Northfleet Nursery School on the project, with comprehensive support from Aquila Trust and other schools within Aquila. In January 2025, Brenzett Primary School was rated ‘Good’ by educational watchdog Ofsted, with inspectors saying pupils are “blossoming academically and emotionally”.

Ofsted heaps praise on small Kent primary school School inspectors have praised a small Kent primary school for its “high expectations” and “happy and harmonious” atmosphere. In their report, Ofsted inspectors described St Mary of Charity Church of England Primary School in Faversham as “highly ambitious for pupils, staff and the community”. The inspectors said relationships in the school are “respectful and kind”, that teachers have strong subject knowledge and that classrooms are “calm and purposeful”. Overall the school was given a “Good” rating, with its early years provision awarded “Outstanding”. “Children get off to a flying start in the early years,” Ofsted’s inspectors said. “Staff skillfully help children to develop increasing independence, curiosity and resilience in their learning.” Inspectors singled out some of the school’s clubs, such as judo and yoga, and its School Council, which they said all “develop pupils’ interests and talents”. The school, which has just one class in each year, is part of Aquila, the Diocese of Canterbury Academies Trust, which is a family of 16 primary schools across Kent. Louise Rowley-Jones, the school’s Headteacher, said: “It is an immense privilege to lead this school and we are delighted with Ofsted’s comments. We are proud of the highly ambitious curriculum we have developed and the fact that our school is highly inclusive - it is somewhere where everyone is valued for their individual qualities.” Annie Wiles, Chief Executive Officer of Aquila, said: “Ofsted’s findings were “testament to the hard work, commitment and expertise of St Mary of Charity’s superb staff and the support of the wider community.”  

Trust of 16 Kent primary schools celebrates 10 years A school trust with more than 4,000 pupils across Kent has celebrated its 10th anniversary with a service at All Saints Church in Maidstone. Since 2014, Aquila, the Diocese of Canterbury Academies Trust, has grown from just one primary school, Archbishop Courtenay Primary, to 16 across the county. The school trust has built up a successful reputation for rapidly improving schools, ensuring they reflect their local communities and have strong relationships with them. Two Aquila schools are in the top 1% of primary schools for their Key Stage Two results, one of which had previously been named as one of the one of the worst schools in Kent before joining the trust. The trust works closely with Canterbury Christ Church University to ensure it is informed by the latest research on what works best in the classroom. To mark Aquila’s 10th year, each of its 16 schools put forward 10 pupils to sing in a choir of 160 young voices at All Saints Church last week. Aquila’s schools’ music leaders selected the songs. Each school also produced a piece of art for the church’s gallery. The church was filled with invited guests, parents, pupils, ex-pupils and teachers joined in the celebrations, with the pupils leading the majority of the services and giving readings. The Bishop of Dover, Rose Hudson-Wilkin, blessed the congregation and all the schools. Annie Wiles, who has been Chief Executive Officer of Aquila since 2015, said she was “incredibly proud” of all the schools in the trust and “privileged to work alongside committed and inspirational staff and children”. “We have had many successes and I know the next 10 years will see many more. We are committed to ensuring our schools work together, share their strengths and provide a great education for every pupil. “Our schools design their coverage of the curriculum to provide challenging and exciting learning experiences in a caring and nurturing environment, which is based on our strong values. We want our schools to serve their unique local communities, developing links with churches, each other and wider networks enabling staff and pupils to flourish. Through developing leadership at all levels, we want the pupils in our schools to become happy, successful, well-rounded individuals who develop into lifelong learners.” Andrew Gould, one of Aquila’s trustees, said: “The children were amazing, their singing, their confident reading and their behaviour were a credit to their families, teachers and the schools.”

6 Year Old Pupil Wins £15,000 for Primary School Six year old Jemima has won £15,000 for Sandwich Infant School by winning a competition to design a school for the future. Jemima entered a national competition to come up with a design for an “exciting and creative sustainable school of the future”. In Jemima’s imaginary school of the future, the roof would double up as a classroom for outside lessons, honey and food would be grown on school grounds and pupils would each have litter-pickers and would ride bikes to create electricity. “In my imaginary school, we will learn to be kind because when you are kind, you look after the planet and try to save it,” Jemima said in her competition entry. The competition, Get Set for Positive Energy, is run by British Gas, Team GB and Paralympics GB. It was held to help young people understand the role we can all play to save energy and create a greener future. Paralympic 100m champion Thomas Young and former Team GB 100m sprinter Ashley Nelson presented Jemima with the £15,000 cheque for her school. Leanne Bennett, Headteacher of Sandwich Infant School, praised Jemima’s “incredible design” and said the school was “absolutely thrilled” to receive the funds. The school is considering spending the money on LED lighting or double glazing. “We are also thinking about which of Jemima’s ideas we can implement at Sandwich Infant School,” Ms Bennett said. Sandwich Infant School is part of Aquila, the Diocese of Canterbury Academies Trust. To listen to Jemima's interview on Radio Kent click here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_kent  (10:52-10:57)

Kent Primary Pupils Awarded Engineering Prize Two Kent primary pupils have won a top engineering prize for inventing a remote-controlled turtle-shaped car. Barnaby Vicks, 9, and Emily Aylett, 10, from Temple Ewell Church of England Primary School in Dover, were praised by judges at the Primary Engineering Challenge this month. The engineers judging the prize gave Barnaby and Emily top marks for leading a team that designed and created the remote-controlled turtle car, which has turbo boosters and thrusters. The competition was held at Canterbury Christchurch University. Barnaby and Emily say they would like to have jobs that use creativity, technology and science when they are older. “The experience showed us what it was like to be an engineer,” Barnaby said. “Turtles are normally slow, but ours has thrusters and goes really fast,” Emily said. “We would love to make a robot next.” Rachael Williams, Science Leader at Temple Ewell, said the pupils had shown “great imagination and perseverance”. “We are incredibly proud of their achievement and excited to see what they create next,” she said. Primary Engineering works with more than 1,200 schools across the country. To listen to their interview on BBC Radio Kent, click here, and skip to 12:16.

A pupil at one of Aquila, the Diocese of Canterbury Academies Trust, schools has made an astonishing five years’ progress in his reading in just four months. Luke Rogers, 11, went from reading only 143 words per minute to a fluent 309 words per minute in only 16 weeks after his school, St Clement's Church of England Primary School in Leysdown, adopted a new approach for some pupils. The school experimented with Reading Plus, a programme that encourages healthy competition among pupils and uses AI to improve reading fluency.  The primary school already has a strong emphasis on reading, with a dedicated daily time for pupils to read each day and reading challenges and competitions over the holidays.  Kelly Lockwood, St Clement’s Headteacher, said Luke had “worked his socks off” and was “a model of persistence for his classmates”. She said the 11-year-old, whose favourite author is David Walliams, is “highly motivated, persistent and has an excellent work ethic”. She said the school had found a number of its pupils were highly motivated by the Reading Plus programme “because it seems to provide a different approach to reading, which has helped some of our more reluctant readers, as well as those who were already enjoying a good book”. “Luke really wanted to be top of the leaderboard in reading,” she said. Gemma Rogers, Luke’s mum, said her son now has “much more enthusiasm for reading, especially with the friendly competition between him and his classmates about who can read the most words”. “It has really increased his motivation and his reading ability.  We are very proud of him and his dedication to his reading," she said.

Ofsted inspectors say Kent junior school is 'rapidly improving' A Kent junior school has been judged 'outstanding' for its pupils’ personal development and 'good' in all other areas. Ofsted inspectors visited St Laurence in Thanet Church of England Junior Academy in Ramsgate last month. The school, whose pupils are aged seven to 11, was previously judged 'good' overall in 2018. The inspectors said that since a new leadership team took over, the school has been on a 'rapidly improving trajectory', with 'much achieved in a relatively short period of time'. In their report, which has just been published, the inspectors found the school’s governors and the academy trust that the school is part of - Aquila, The Diocese of Canterbury Academies Trust - have played a 'significant [role] in supporting leaders at all levels to improve the school'. “Large-scale changes in the way mathematics is taught and how pupils who struggle to read are supported is proving effective,” the inspectors said. “The significance of this is clear to see … it is impacting positively on the wider curriculum and helping to build the confidence and resilience of pupils, the large majority of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds.” The inspectors described pupils’ personal development as “strong”. “This does not happen by happy coincidence,” they said. “Much of this work is based on the reality of pupils’ everyday lives and mitigates the challenges they face outside of school.” The inspectors had some suggestions of how the school could further improve, including by continuing to raise expectations of what pupils can achieve and by continuing to reduce absence rates. Sarah Graham, the school’s Headteacher, said: “St Laurence in Thanet offers a supportive, inclusive, nurturing and inspiring learning environment where children are encouraged through an aspirational and engaging curriculum to develop their knowledge, skills and character. It’s a privilege to work here.” Annie Wiles, Chief Executive Officer of Aquila, The Diocese of Canterbury Academies Trust, said the school’s improvement was “down to the hard work, enthusiasm and experience of its inspirational team”.

Schools Minister praises two schools in our trust for exceptional results The Schools Minister Damian Hinds has praised two Kent primaries in Aquila, Diocese of Canterbury Academies Trust for being in the country’s top 1% for reading, writing and maths. Hinds sent letters of congratulations to Charing Church of England Primary School, which is near Ashford, and Temple Ewell Church of England Primary School, in Brookside, for their “very high standards of achievement”. Both schools are part of Aquila, The Diocese of Canterbury Academies Trust. Some 16 primary schools across Kent are part of the trust. At Charing, 100% of pupils in Year 6 have reached - or exceeded - expected standards in reading, writing and maths, while 94% have at Temple Ewell. In his letter, Hinds said: “The government wants to ensure that every child has the fluency in reading, writing and mathematics necessary to prepare them for a successful secondary education and beyond, which is why I was delighted to see your results. “Thank you for your work in continuing the drive towards higher academic standards, and congratulations again to you and your staff for your commitment and success.” Annie Wiles, CEO of Aquila, The Diocese of Canterbury Academies Trust, said: “Our schools provide exceptional learning experiences and we are so proud of Charing and Temple Ewell for this achievement. “Our schools design their coverage of the curriculum to provide challenging and exciting learning experiences in a caring and nurturing environment which is based on our strong Christian values.” Angela Matthews, Headteacher of Temple Ewell, said: “These results have been achieved through a tireless and unwavering focus on ensuring that each and every child receives an outstanding education, and by providing a rich and varied curriculum that enables pupils to progress and achieve their very best, whilst still retaining a thirst for knowledge and an enjoyment and love of learning.” Tom Bird, Charing’s Headteacher, said: “This is testament to the hard work and dedication of our wonderful pupils and our caring and committed staff. “Every child in our school is valued and we have a supportive, nurturing team to make sure that each one of them feels supported and happy at our school.”