This means that pupils will be able to play sports all year round rather than having activities cancelled due to inclement weather. The pitch represents an investment of £200,000 and highlights Folkestone Academy’s commitment to ensuring pupils get every opportunity to pursue physical activities.

The facilities are also available to local residents for hiring during weekday evenings and at weekends for local residents. For more information visit www.folkestoneacademy.com/contact/facility-hire

Colin Thapa, Year 13 pupils, said:

“It’s made a difference in our ability to play football. It’s a smoother pitch and the length of the grass makes it more realistic as if you were playing on a grass pitch.”

Kieran Cahill, Head of PE at Folkestone Academy, said:

“We all know how frustrating it is to lose out on valuable sporting time because the pitch is unplayable due to the weather conditions. Particularly with the British climate, having this all-weather pitch means that our young people won’t have the same barriers to enjoying their matches, can keep on being active, and learning those valuable lessons which come from team sports. The pitch will make a huge difference to the sporting opportunities we offer our pupils and will help in our bid to promote a healthy and active lifestyle to all our young people.”

Steven Shaw, Head of School at Folkestone Academy, said:

“Having this new pitch is a fantastic development for our young people as it means they can play outdoor sports whatever the weather. We know how important it is to promote physical activity among young people and this means that our plans won’t be stopped by bad weather.

“We also want to ensure Folkestone residents use this pitch as much as possible because we see it as a fantastic resource for the local community. We really value our role as a cornerstone of the Folkestone community and see offering facilities like this out as a key part of that.”

Pupils across all year groups attended lively and interactive assemblies, hosted by BBC Radio and Kiss FM’s Alex Mansuroglu. Pupils heard from two of the BBC’s ambassadors, Charlotte Frazer who is a Researcher for children’s television and Annie Chisambo, a Production Management Assistant for BBC Sport. Both ambassadors talked about their journey from childhood through to the roles that they have now, including the challenges that they have faced and overcome in order to achieve their dream jobs.

Pupils were encouraged to take ownership of their future and to ‘write your own story’, rather than letting someone else write it for you. Annie talked about the challenges of changing career paths after being made redundant and Charlotte spoke about the difficulties of not meeting your parents’ expectations and wanting to veer away from her family’s tradition of working medicine.

Katy Tibbles, Stakeholder and Community Engagement Manager at Turner Schools, said:

“The visit from the BBC was an insightful experience for us all. Annie and Charlotte’s stories were thought provoking and inspirational, and whilst the messages were very serious, the whole event was delivered in a fun and engaging way by the host, Alex.”

Harry, Year 11 pupil, Turner Free School, said: 

“I really enjoyed the talks from the BBC ambassadors, it has encouraged me to pursue my goals and made me believe that I can achieve anything if I try hard enough”.

Steve Shaw, Head of School at Folkestone Academy said: 

“We always enjoy welcoming external speakers into our school and the BBC was no exception. It’s important that our pupils have the opportunity to hear from people that have a range of experiences and stories to share; each of these encounters plays a part in influencing and shaping their future and encouraging them to be the best that they can in whatever pathway they choose.”

Over the two day visit, he coached nearly 2,000 young people on how to train their mind using powerful techniques to improve speed, retention, concentration, and comprehension when studying for exams.

As well as being a world record holder, David is also a World Memory Championships medallist and a Sunday Times bestselling author with his book ‘Tell Me Why Mummy’, which tells his personal story of overcoming adversity.

 Katy Tibbles, Community Engagement Manager, Turner Schools, said

“We are always looking to  provide unique opportunities for our pupils that develop their learning and motivation both inside and outside the classroom. David’s visit has been an incredible experience for our young people and he has had a huge impact in a short space of time. Pupils came away feeling inspired and believing that they can take control of their future.”

 Alfie, Year 9 pupil said: 

“It was a great experience listening to David talk. He really inspired me to concentrate on my exams and to think about my future.”

 David Thomas said:

“Having been going into schools for the last 25 years, the two Turner Schools in  Folkestone have been among the very best that I’ve visited. They have dedicated teachers, students who are willing to learn and engage with an external speaker,  and get involved in the process of improving their education. It would be an honour and a privilege to return.”

Notes to Editors

The visit was funded by Strategic Solutions Financial Services, who have offices in Folkestone, as part of their commitment to support local communities. The mission is driven by Strategic Solutions’ Community Foundation, which is chaired by Jeff Steninger. Every year the foundation offers advisers at Strategic Solutions a voluntary scheme to give up part of their gross income to contribute to the fund. This is matched by Strategic Solutions.

To find out more about Strategic Solutions’ Community Foundation and how you can apply, please visit www.ssfs.co.uk/community.

We have always known that this year was a ‘transition year’ between 2021 (when assessments were graded directly by schools and colleges) and 2019 (the last year exams took place). This means that overall grades will be about halfway between the two nationally.  Whilst year on year comparisons are not possible, we do know that pupils' results across many subject areas have enabled them to access Sixth Form and other level 3 courses and apprenticeships. 

Many pupils are celebrating individual success stories having made excellent progress during their time at Folkestone Academy. Amongst a host of year 11 pupils who have attained a number of top grades, the pupils below particularly excelled in the following subjects: 

Ivan Miloch (English Language, French and History)

Jochen Lisabeth (ICT and Maths)

Jack Reynolds (English Language and English Literature)

Chloe Straw (Business and ICT)

Vinni Wildey (ICT, HIstory and Science)

Riley-James Harradine (Art and Design and Maths)

Maddison Fisher (History and Science)

Head of School Steve Shaw said “Once again, our pupils have done themselves, their community and our school proud. Seeing our pupils again to celebrate their success was a real pleasure. This particular cohort have been on a rollercoaster ride throughout their GCSE courses and it has been remarkable how they have adapted and applied themselves. They have worked incredibly hard and should celebrate their well-earned results. I would also like to pay tribute to our superb teachers who have worked tirelessly to minimise the impact of Covid-19 by providing pupils with first class support throughout lockdown and upon their return to school.”

Vice Principal Ben Williams added on behalf of the Year 11 pastoral and tutor team “We have been delighted to see so many of our pupils wearing huge smiles, and knowing that their hard work has paid off. The buzz of conversations throughout the school today has been overwhelmingly positive and it is great to hear all the exciting destinations our pupils have planned for next year.”

We would like to wish all of our pupils well for the next phase of their education.

This year is a transition year, grade comparisons between either last year or 2019 are challenging due to the differences in assessment methodology.   What we do know is that 100% of our students who applied to university have successfully been placed and all other pupils have planned destinations in training or employment for September. 

Some examples of where our students are moving on to include Brad Elliot, who gained two Distinction* and a Distinction, is completing an IT apprenticeship at ADM computing.   We are proud of our University applicants who have accepted offers on varied courses including Dylan Spratley, two Distinction* and a Distinction, studying Cyber Security at De Montfort, George Cooper, with two As and a B, and will be studying Psychology at Surrey.   Ella Hughes and Sydney Marsh, both who gained three Distinction*, to study Paramedic Science &  Criminal Investigation respectively at Christ Church Canterbury and Alameen Lawal with a Distinction* and two Distinctions will be studying Finance at Northampton.

Trust Director of Sixth Form, Hannah Turner said:

“We are thrilled that our pupils have secured excellent results in both A-level and Vocational qualifications and have therefore have such fantastic destinations to go to.  This is a product of all their hard work. We are confident that all our pupils are well prepared for their exciting futures ahead and we wish them all the best of luck.”

Over the course of Community Day, pupils from all year groups spent their time making a positive impact across Folkestone. Different children were given different opportunities to give back to society so that every pupil across Turner Schools was able to participate and do their bit for Folkestone.

Activities included litter picking across the local area, children reading to members of Age UK Folkestone, creating ‘kindness parcels’ for residents of Folkestone care homes, and hosting tea and card games for grandparents and pensioners and much more.

Seamus Murphy, CEO at Turner Schools, said: 

“It is so important to us all that pupils are encouraged to be generous members of their community. We wanted to take this day to show them how they can enjoy giving back to those around them and to help them understand the positive impact they can make. We expect our academies to contribute to their communities and across society in general, and to support our young people in becoming kind and open-hearted adults.

“The Community Day was a stunning success, and we are very excited to do this again in the future. We had a real range of different activities taking place and I know our pupils really enjoyed taking this time to make a difference for the wider Folkestone community. Hopefully the pupils’ hard work made a real impact on their community, and everyone across Folkestone enjoyed it as much as we did!”

 Katy Tibbles, Stakeholder and Community Engagement Manager, said:

“Community Day has been a fantastic opportunity for our pupils to develop  their knowledge and understanding of the wider community and for them to consider ways in which they can become active citizens who make a positive contribution to the town in which they live.”

Year 8 pupil, Folkestone Academy, said:

“I really enjoyed making the gift boxes that we delivered to local houses. I hope they put a smile on everyone’s and brightened up their day.”

Year 4 pupil, Folkestone Primary, said: 

"I think it is important to be thankful to our community because they do a lot for us. I’m happy that we could do something nice for other people.”

In addition to the range of artwork on display, pupils from the three primary schools as well as Sixth Form pupils from Folkestone Academy performed a series of live shows. The Folkestone pupils sang, played the piano, danced and busked throughout the evening. After the performances there were speeches from notable dignitaries followed by prize giving. 

Councillor David Monk, Leader of Folkestone & Hythe Council, and Deputy Mayor Councillor Belinda Walker attended the exhibition, along with school governors and other notable figures from across the trust. Councillor Walker and Turner Schools CEO Seamus Murphy presented prizes to the winning pupils.

 The theme of this year’s exhibition was ‘We Are Folkestone’. This theme has allowed pupils to examine the town in which they live, looking at the past, present and future and creating a body of work which puts young voices at its heart.

 Seamus Murphy, Turner Schools CEO, said:

“I’m incredibly proud of the resilience and strength of character that our pupils have shown throughout the past year. The quality of work that they have continued to produce both in school and via home learning has been fabulous. This exhibition was an opportunity to showcase just some of the talents that they have demonstrated throughout the year. I am especially pleased that we also have the creative scholars showcasing their work this year, a new initiative at Folkestone Academy.”

Michelle Foxwood, Turner Schools Creative Arts Director, said: 

“We are not just five institutions working independently to tick off Ofsted criteria, but instead, a united collective invested in the continual regeneration of our town through its most important asset: young individuals who as a community will take us into the future.”

Exhibitions:

• Superworm is Super-Long by Reception, Year 1 and 2 pupils

• My Folkestone by Years 3 and 4

• Folkestone of the Future by Years 5 and 6

• Objects of Childhood by Years 7

• Folkestone Year 7 Creative Arts Scholarship display

• Generation Regeneration by Years 8 and 9

• GCSE Fine Art by Years 10 and 11 

• GCSE Graphic Communication by Years 10 and 11

• A-Level Fine Art by Years 12 and 13

• A-Level Graphic Communication by Years 12 and 13

 Shortlisted categories - Prizes presented by Deputy Mayor, Cllr Belinda Walker

• Best in Reception / Key Stage 1 - won by James in Year 2 Martello Primary

• Best in Key Stage 2 - won by Libby in Year 5 Morehall Primary

• Best in Primary - won by Benjamin in Year 3 Martello Primary

• Best in Key Stage 3 - won by Myrtle in Year 9 Folkestone Academy

• Best in Key Stage 4 - won by Dailly in Year 11 Folkestone Academy

• Best in Key Stage 5 - won by Pedro Year 13 Folkestone Academy

• Best in Secondary - won by Maria Year 7 Folkestone Academy

• Murphy Prize (Awarded by Seamus Murphy CEO of Turner Schools) won by Claudia in Year 12 Folkestone Academy

As in last year’s event, the pupils were supported by coaches from a range of different local clubs. The Hockey matches were supported by the Folkestone Optimists, Athletics by the Folkestone Junior Athletics Club, Cricket and Football by The Sports Trust and the Street Dance event by The Right Step Dance Company.

Pupils took part in all five activities so that they could try sports they may not previously have played during their time at primary school.

Sarah Green, The Sports Trust Project Manager for Schools and Folkestone School Games Organiser, said:

“The Sports Trust is a charity creating inclusive and inspiring environments for people to love sport and exercise. One way we aim to achieve our mission is to connect schools and sports clubs in the Folkestone and Hythe district. Today's Olympic event at the Folkestone Academy is one example of creating these connections while also using the power of sport to support primary school pupils' transition to secondary school.”

“We are very pleased that the day has been a success for the second year in a row and we hope all these year 5 pupils will go onto secondary school next September motivated to maintain their involvement in sport or take up a new sport to support their academic studies.”

Steve Shaw, Head of School at Folkestone Academy, said:

“It was a real pleasure to welcome pupils from so many of our neighbouring schools to Folkestone Academy and to give them the opportunity to compete across a range of different sports. While some of the children had never before tried these sports, they were expertly supported by the fantastic coaches from The Sports Trust and local clubs.

“We have been delighted to host the Folkestone Academy Olympics for the last two years and look forward to continuing to do so. It’s a wonderful opportunity for these young people to experience a range of different activities and we hope will lead to these children taking up new sports in the future.”

The five schools who competed in the Folkestone Primary School Olympics are as follows:

• Mundella Primary

• Christ Church CEP Academy

• St Mary’s CEP Academy

• Folkestone Primary

• Castle Hill Community School

In particular, Ofsted rated leadership and management at Folkestone Academy as Outstanding – the top possible grade - highlighting the work that school leaders and Turner Schools have done to ensure every pupil is able to learn. The report states they have worked “tenaciously to improve the school”, and that they are unwavering in their determination to ensure that pupils are provided with the very best education. 

Other key highlights recognised in the report include:

• Staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and the school is calm and purposeful. Pupils behave well and are respectful to each other, while those who need extra support to manage their behaviour respond well to this. Behaviour in the classroom and around the school is strong, while leaders’ changes to the behaviour systems have significantly reduced the proportion of pupils receiving fixed-term exclusions.

• School leaders have carefully designed an ambitious curriculum which is well structured to enable pupils to learn to their full potential. This allows pupils to study a broad range of subjects, while teachers’ strong subject knowledge makes learning interesting and engaging. This has led to pupils achieving well across a wide range of subjects.

• Turner Schools provides high-quality training for all teachers to help them be as effective as possible and staff recognise this. Teachers work closely with each other and with their counterparts across the trust, which helps them reflect on and improve their teaching. Staff agree that they feel very well supported by school leaders and by the trust. Leaders do well to design school policies to make staff workloads manageable.

• Reading has been recognised as a priority with extra support put in place for those pupils who do struggle here. The school has brought in a phonics-based approach which has been beneficial in supporting weaker pupils, including some who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). 

• Pupils with SEND receive high levels of support from staff all levels of the school. They achieve well because school leaders identify their needs accurately and quickly, and then teaching staff use thoughtfully constructed education plans to support them.

• Turner Schools offers a ‘Turner 25’ programme which provides 25 extra curricula activities for pupils. The Ofsted inspectors recognised the wide range of additional opportunities available, in particular the Year 7 creative arts scholarship programme which offers opportunities such as subsidised trips to dance performances. They also benefit from high-quality careers guidance so that they can make well informed choices about their next steps after Year 11 and Year 13. 

• Pupils feel safe and understand who to speak to if they do have any concerns. The school has introduced an online ‘worry button’ on its website as well as physical ‘worry boxes’ in school where pupils can ask for help anonymously if they do have any concerns. Bullying is uncommon but when it does take place it is effectively dealt with by staff.

• Turner Schools’ trustees and governors are experienced and highly reflective. They are committed to ensuring the wellbeing of both staff and pupils and are well supported by the trust to make sure this happens. Trustees understand where the school still needs to improve and have plans in place to make sure that happens.

Steven Shaw, Head of School at Folkestone Academy, said: 

“We are all thrilled to have Ofsted recognise the great work which takes place here every day by saying we are a Good school. I am constantly impressed by how hard our staff and pupils work and it is fantastic to see the Ofsted inspectors report so positively on everything that we do here. I am very proud of every member of this school community and am looking forward to building on this foundation for the future.”

Seamus Murphy, CEO at Turner Schools, said:

“Congratulations to Steven and his team on this really encouraging report which fairly reflects their hard work and commitment to our children. It is clear to see that everyone at Folkestone Academy is committed to ensuring the best possible education for their pupils, and I am delighted that Ofsted agree we are on the right path to making sure this happens. Well done to all on this fine achievement.”

The challenge took place following a two year hiatus due to the pandemic. Over the course of the all-day event, pupils competed in a range of Maths-based activities including a speed test, murder mystery quiz, code breaking, number crosswords and a relay quiz to finish. 

The competition was hosted by Folkestone Academy, and was organised by the Maths Department there, led by Keith Denchfield. In total, a record-breaking sixteen primary schools took part. All pupils went away with a goody bag and certificate.

Keith Denchfield said:

‘I was very impressed with the high abilities of the Year 5 pupils who responded well to a number of challenging questions which really stretched their mathematical minds. I look forward to seeing them here in a few years and working with them to develop their maths skills even further!”

Steve Shaw, Head of School at Folkestone Academy, who presented the winners’ trophy to the St Martin’s CofE Primary School team, said: 

“It was wonderful to have so many primary school children in the Academy and to see such a range of activities, with so many pupils clearly enjoying themselves.I am delighted that we were able to host this competition once more after a couple of years of not having it, and am already looking forward to the next one!

“Congratulations in particular to the St Martin’s, Stella Maris and Palmarsh mathematician, and for those primary schools that fell short this time don't worry, there is always next year! Well done to all involved.”

The full list of schools to take part is as follows:

Folkestone Primary, Morehall Primary School, Martello Primary School, Hythe Bay CofE Primary, Castle Hill Community School, Lyminge CofE Primary School, The Churchill School, All Soul’s CofE Primary School, St Eanswythe's CofE Primary, Christ Church CofE Academy, Mundella Primary School, St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School and Selsted CofE Primary School.

This outdoor classroom will ensure teaching can take place in all weathers. School leaders plan to use this for Year 10 and Year 11 pupils as part of Folkestone Academy’s alternative education provision, while Key Stage 3 pupils will have one horticultural lesson a week.

The HES building will be designed to industrial agricultural warehouse standards, but with the capacity for classroom growing stations to provide hands-on experience for pupils. Photovoltaic roof installations will enable the classroom to be self-powered to further enhance the building's green credentials as well as demonstrate climate reduction strategies

During school holidays the HES building will be used as a base for horticulture themed holiday clubs for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. These will target children who become more vulnerable during holiday periods and those who are least likely to have access to outdoor space when at home.

Turner Schools also plans for this classroom to provide new opportunities to engage with the local community. An area will be allocated for specific use by community groups such as the local Age UK gardening group, and Turner staff are in discussions with South Kent Mind about delivering wellbeing and mindfulness workshops using this space.

Michael Pearce, at Friends of Folkestone Academy, said:

“We are delighted to work with Folkestone Academy to ensure they receive this grant which will prove transformative to their practical outdoors teaching. This will ensure Folkestone pupils are able to receive high-quality environmental science and horticulture teaching throughout the year as well as offering a hugely valuable community space. Above all this project will be a critical element in Folkestone Academy becoming a flagship ECO school and leading on this educational initiative across the town. 

 Steve Shaw, Head of School at Folkestone Academy, said:

“The new HES building will prove hugely beneficial to our plans to offer a great range of practical outdoor learning for our pupils. We have employed an experienced horticulturalist as lead teacher and have two experienced teachers currently training. We also see the HES building as a training centre for primary staff from our trust and feeder schools. In the long run we also see the building as a base for L3 provision locally.

 “We also see this becoming a flagship building for promoting environmental issues and highlighting careers and progression opportunities in the horticulture and environmental science industries. We are planning to organise a series of talks and workshops led by industry specialists in partnership with external agencies to promote the benefits of this.”

Following the success of previous years, the event was kindly awarded another free day at the Leas Cliff Hall by Folkestone and Hythe District Council, allowing more people from the wider community to attend. All profits raised from the show were donated to Academy FM Folkestone, a charity radio station working with people in the local community.

There are also performances by pupils from five primary schools: Folkestone Primary; Martello Primary, Folkestone; Morehall Primary, Folkestone; St Eanswythe’s CE Primary, Folkestone and Sibertswold Primary, Shepherdwell in Dover. Finally, seven dance schools including Instep Dance Company, Studio Six, Julia’s School, KDanceStudio, Tahmineh School of Dance, Chloe Scott and Beddow Academy, Dover.

Patricia Cullen, Head of Dance at the Academy, has been organising the event over the past six months working with schools from all over East Kent. The evening combined a variety of genres of dance including jazz, ballet, urban, commercial, lyrical and contemporary. This was a collaborative event with performances from secondary school performers from Folkestone Academy; Turner Free School; Brockhill Performing Arts College, Hythe; Spires Academy, Canterbury; Astor College, Dover and The Duke of York's Royal Military School, Dover.

Daniel, aged 7, who performed in the showcase, said: 

“I kept thinking there was so many people as I looked out into the audience, I was really excited dancing on stage for the first time.”

Patricia Cullen said: 

“I am absolutely thrilled that we were able to give these young people the chance to perform live to an audience in such a wonderful theatre. Seeing the dancers beaming with pride as they exited the stage was so emotional for me and is something I will never forget. 

“All of the groups, from newly-formed groups to established companies, delivered performances of such a high standard. Having more than 300 dancers perform to a sell-out audience was an incredible sight, and I loved watching them showcase their talents across a range of styles. It was particularly special for me as my new dance school ‘Tahmineh School of Dance’ took part, as well as my oldest son Daniel. 

“Having taught at Folkestone Academy for 12 years now I have seen Breaking Waves grow each year, with this year’s event the biggest to date. Thank you to everyone that took part, from the teachers who choreographed brilliant pieces to the dancers who took to the stage with confidence to showcase their talent. 

“I am so proud of everyone who took part in the showcase. The talent was exceptional and the atmosphere in the room was amazing.”

During the final showcase prizes were awarded by a panel of judges including renowned actress Jessica Hynes, Seamus Murphy, CEO of Turner Schools, Krissy Yates, Principal at Turner Free School and Local Councillor Jackie Meade.

 The Turner’s Got Talent crown was taken by winners Holly, Peter, Zach and Josh from Folkestone Academy who performed ‘Come as you are’ by Nirvana. 

 In addition to the grand prize, Adela from Morehall Primary School was named Best in Primary for her cello performance of Spring Song by Frank Bridge, while Isabelle from Turner Free School won Best in Secondary for singing ‘Traitor’ by Olivia Rodrigo and Sienna from Martello Primary won The Murphy Prize, a prize that recognises potential talent in the future,  for her rendition of ‘Try Everything’ by Shakira. 

Holly, Year 9 Folkestone Academy pupil, from the winning band, said: 

“I was very happy to win this great prize! We rehearsed this song for a couple of months and it’s nice to see that our hard work paid off. We have named our trophy ‘Benny’.”

 Jessica Hynes said: 

“Well done to all the performers, there was a fantastic amount of talent on the stage. We chose the winners because they showed incredible talent, dedication and amazing potential.  We all agreed they had a kind of magic and an alchemy of fantastic performance skill. I really hope they go on and keep doing it because they really have got something.”

She continued: “Nothing is impossible, it’s really important thinking about performance and the Arts it sometimes seems unreachable. It isn’t! All you need is talent, focus, dedication and to keep on working. Any dream, no dream is too big.”

Seamus Murphy, CEO at Turner Schools, said: 

“Congratulations to Holly, Peter, Zach and Josh on being named winners of the Turner’s Got Talent competition, and to every single one of our performers for their hard work. The competition was a resounding success and really highlighted the depth of talent across Turner Schools, which was absolutely fantastic to see. I’m sure these pupils will continue to showcase their skills over the coming years and I look forward to watching them do so.”

The initiative, organised by The Queen’s Canopy, calls for schools to get involved and celebrate their outside spaces. In total more than one million trees have been planted in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The project is a unique tree planting initiative and invites people from across the country to plant their own trees to celebrate this historic milestone.

The Turner Schools team sourced their trees through Kent Historical Trees from Brogdale Collections, planting five trees, including two cherries, two acers and one ornamental plum in total. The pupils were also warded a commemorative plaque by the Queen’s Canopy initiative in honour of their efforts.

This is just the latest action by Turner Schools pupils to raise awareness of climate change and to look at how they can be more environmentally responsible. Pupils at Folkestone Primary and Martello Primary School have formed an Eco Council to look at addressing the school’s environmental impact, while their peers at Morehall Primary voted for Eco Champions to represent them and to decide which eco-friendly projects they should implement.

Cayden Collins, newly appointed Head Boy at Folkestone Academy Sixth Form, said:

“I feel very privileged to be a part of the tree planting at Folkestone Academy.  The Year 7 pupils that accompanied the Head Girl and myself will get to watch the tree grow during their time at the Academy.  I’m looking forward to coming back in years to come and seeing the progress the tree has made, knowing that I was a part of its beginning.”

Seamus Murphy, CEO of Turner Schools, said: DRAFT

“It’s fantastic to see our pupils are so keen to find out more about nature and the joys of spending time outside. They are really environmentally conscious and are so keen on doing what they can to raise awareness of climate change and to make a positive impact on the natural world around them.

“The Queen’s Canopy initiative is a fantastic means of getting schoolchildren out in the fresh air and to highlight the great wellbeing benefits of spending time with nature. These trees will form a lasting monument to this historic milestone.”

The initiative, which is running throughout March, is a wonderful opportunity for pupils to meet people who live or work in the town and to benefit from the stories, backgrounds and experiences that they can share. It aims to:

• Celebrate Folkestone’s diversity;

• Encourage pupils to feel proud of their town;

• Promote empathy and cultural awareness;

• Prepare pupils for life in a modern world.

Over 70 members of the community have committed to participating, including representatives from the Nepalese and Roma communities; various churches and religious groups; councillors from the town and district council; and the Rotary Club. The events are run in a ‘speed networking’ style where small groups of pupils spend 10 minutes with each guest before moving on to the next person. So far, events have been held at Turner Free School, Morehall Primary and Martello Primary, with dates set for Folkestone Academy and Folkestone Primary later on in the month. By the end of the series, over 900 pupils will have participated in the events.

Katy Tibbles, Community Engagement Manager, Turner Schools, said: “I’ve been overwhelmed by the support that’s been shown by the community towards these events. It’s a fantastic way for our pupils to meet the wide variety of people that play a part in the town and who help to make Folkestone a great place to live and work. At Turner Schools, it’s part of our mission to strengthen communities and I feel that these events have been successful in doing that.”

Haydee Blaskett, Environmental Enforcement Officer, Folkestone and Hythe District Council, said: “We thoroughly enjoyed the morning and would like to say how wonderful and polite all the children were. They were really engaged and were asking some brilliant questions that were really relevant to our role and about the town.”

Mick Cronin, Community Liaison Officer, Kent Police, said:  “I’ve very much enjoyed taking part in the Folkestone Talks events across the Turner Schools. It’s been a great opportunity to bring together different groups from the community and to celebrate the diversity that exists in the town. Initiatives such as these play an important part in developing community cohesion.”

Noah (Year 4, Morehall) said: “I really enjoyed meeting lots of new people and finding out about their lives, feelings and jobs”.

Parent (Turner Free School) said: “As a parent I would like to thank you as a school for not only helping to shape my daughters academic future but also herself as a person with activities like this. “

The children were supported by coaches from a number of different local clubs. Over the course of the event they took part in skateboarding with coaches from Shepway Sports Trust, athletics with coaches from Folkestone Junior Athletics Club, hockey with coaches from Folkestone Optimist Hockey Club, football with coaches from Gillingham Women Football Club and boxing with coaches from Olympia Boxing.

 In addition the schools welcomed Megan Maslak from the Gillingham Women Football Club, the top Kent women’s team. Megan supported pupils during the morning’s football activities and passed on her expertise of playing at a top level.

 The Olympics were particularly important in supporting pupils to be active after the lockdowns, and to help them realise the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. For many pupils it was also the first school trip they had been on in more than 18 months.

 Sarah Green, School Games Organiser​, said:

“Here at the Folkestone Academy we believe sport is a vehicle for change and a tool to improve quality of life. This event is a perfect example of the new School Games ethos of influencing schools to use sport and physical activity to achieve wider school outcomes. This event, although a lot of fun on the surface, has supported the current year 6 pupils to start thinking about their transition from primary to secondary school which have been so limited for the past 2 Year 6 cohorts due to the pandemic.”

 Steve Shaw, Head of School at Folkestone Academy, said: 

"We were delighted to welcome so many Year 6 pupils to Folkestone Academy, and to offer them the opportunity to experience the real variety of sports that we offer here. Some of the pupils had never experienced these sports before, and it was a real pleasure to watch them be so positive in trying new things.

 “Thank you to Shepway Sports Trust and all the coaches involved for their hard work. They really made the day one to remember for so many of these young people, who we hope will be inspired to pursue more of these sports in the future.”