As part of a week of visits in Holy week, the Archbishop of Canterbury visited Archbishop Courtenay School in Maidstone. It was a huge privilege to host the Archbishop, and for the children to have the opportunity to ask him questions. Watch the video below from KMTV:  

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.”

Ofsted inspectors have heaped praise on a Kent primary school for being a “caring and kind community” where “pupils greet everyone with a smile”. Inspectors visited St Georges Church of England Primary in Sheerness last month. The school has retained its overall ‘Good’ rating in its latest Ofsted inspection, but it has been upgraded to ‘Outstanding’ for the behaviour and attitudes of its pupils and its leadership and management. Inspectors said the school, which is part of Aquila, the Diocese of Canterbury Academies Trust, was “welcoming and inclusive”. “Pupils are proud ambassadors … and show impeccable manners, politely welcoming all, as they open doors and greet everyone with a smile,” the inspectors said. “They speak with delight and enthusiasm about how much leaders and staff care about them. If they have any worries, help is never far away.” Ofsted praised the curriculum, which they said had been “designed with precise knowledge from early years to Year 6”. “Pupils become confident mathematicians, writers, and scientists as they move through the school,” the inspectors said. They added that the school had taken “robust action” to improve achievements in maths and writing after results were weaker than the national average last year. The inspectors also said the school’s leaders were “inspirational, compassionate and successful, always leading by example”. “They embody the school values every day, showing deep care for pupils, families and staff.” Howard Fisher, St Georges’ Headteacher, said: “We pride ourselves on providing a caring, happy and positive atmosphere for all our children to fulfil their potential and grow in self-confidence and respect for the people and environment around them. “We agree with Ofsted that our pupils greet everyone with a smile - it’s part of what makes working at the school so rewarding.” Annie Wiles, Chief Executive Officer of Aquila, the Diocese of Canterbury Academies Trust, said: “Ofsted has rightly acknowledged that St Georges is a highly successful school and that is down to the hard work, commitment and excellent leadership of the school’s community.” Click here for the OFSTED report.

Schools Minister congratulates Dover primary school on exceptional results   The Schools Minister Damian Hinds has praised a Dover primary school for being in the country’s top 1% for reading, writing and maths. Hinds sent a letter of congratulations to Temple Ewell Church of England Primary School in Brookside for its “very high standard of achievement”. Some 94% of pupils at the primary school, which is part of Aquila, The Diocese of Canterbury Academies Trust, have reached - or exceeded - expected standards in reading, writing and maths in Year 6. 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.” Angela Matthews, Headteacher of Temple Ewell, said: “We are delighted with these results and pleased that the hard work and dedication of both our wonderful pupils and our caring and committed staff have been recognised in this way. “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.” Annie Wiles, CEO of Aquila, The Diocese of Canterbury Academies Trust, said Temple Ewell’s results were further proof that the school supported pupils to “become happy, successful, well-rounded individuals who develop into lifelong learners”.

St Nicholas CE Primary School has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence status! We are all very proud of the school and the recognition of their achievement. For the full article from the IQM, please follow this link: https://iqmaward.com/news/st-nicholas-ce-primary-achieves-centre-of-excellence/  

New Romney primary school praised by Church of England inspectors   Church of England inspectors have heaped praise on St Nicholas CE Primary Academy in New Romney, describing it as having “life-changing impact across the community” and “inspirational leadership”. A quarter of all primary schools are Church of England establishments and St Nicholas is one of 16 academies that are part of Aquila, The Diocese of Canterbury Academies Trust. All Anglican and Methodist schools are inspected by the Church of England; this is separate to Ofsted inspections. A Church of England inspection focuses on the impact of the school’s Christian vision and is called a Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools Report (SIAMS). There are no gradings - inspectors simply state whether the school is living up to its foundation as a Church school. Inspectors, who visited St Nicholas in November, said the school was more than achieving this aim. They said the school had “exceptionally strong partnerships” which “impact positively on people’s lives producing lasting change”. “The school values of ambition, community, friendship, perseverance, respect and trust are intrinsically woven through the vision,” inspectors said. “Pupils rightly explain how these values support all to thrive. Everyone in the school aspires to ‘be a Barnabas’, creating a culture of kindness and support.” The inspectors particularly praised how the school’s more than 400 pupils look for opportunities to make a positive difference to the world. “Writing to the prime minister, older pupils show a mature understanding of the plight of child refugees arriving on boats,” the inspectors said, while other pupils have requested a ban on laminating in school after learning about climate change. “Pupils have also worked together to set up a permanent community food cupboard within the school … after recognising that food poverty was an ongoing concern not limited to the season of harvest.” The inspectors praised the school’s curriculum as “exciting, fun, imaginative” and linked to local history and issues. “Leaders ensure that the wide and varying needs of the pupils are met through the broad and rich learning on offer,” the inspectors said. Christopher Dale, St Nicholas’s Headteacher, said: “We are proud to be a welcoming, inclusive and aspirational learning environment with our community at our heart. “We are delighted that the inspectors recognised our many strengths. We will continue to do our very best for our pupils and our wider community.” Annie Wiles, CEO of Aquila, The Diocese of Canterbury Academies Trust, said: “This is testament to the hard work and committed and excellent team at St Nicholas’s who put the needs of pupils at the centre of everything they do.”   Notes to editors:   The SIAMS report can be found here: file:///C:/Users/jessi/Downloads/SIAMS%20report%20St%20Nicholas%20Church%20of%20England%20Primary%20Academy,%20New%20Romney%20142814%20301123.pdf   Please find attached an image of the school attached.   For any further information, please contact Jessica Shepherd on jessica@sparrowhawkcommunications.com or 07957147308    

KCC and KMFM recently ran their 'Be Bright, Be Seen' campaign for 2023, giving away 25,000 reflective keyrings to Kent schools. We are delighted that 5 of our schools were successful in being randomly chosen to receive some of the reflective keyrings, keeping pupils safer now the days are darker! Well done to: All Souls' Primary School, Archbishops Courtenay School, Kingsnorth Primary School, Reculver Primary School and St Mary of Charity Primary School. We are sure the pupils will be excited to receive their keyrings. For those schools who weren't successful, here are some ways you can help your pupils be seen during the winter months: On dull days: Children should wear bright or fluorescent clothing. High visibility vests/jackets can be bought from a lot of retailers, to be worn over clothing. Use bags/backpacks that are brightly coloured or with high-vis strips. At night: Reflective clothing reflects light from headlights - making children more visible to drivers and cyclists. Reflective armbands, clothes and accessories should be placed on clothing and bags, or over it. Remember that fluorescent/bright clothing doesn't show up in the dark. We hope everyone stays safe this winter!

We are delighted to share with you that All Souls' have been awarded a good Ofsted report following their visit back in September. At Aquila, we are proud of All Souls', its pupils, staff, and school community, who have all worked hard to obtain this rating. All Souls' have shared the following message on their Facebook page: We are all so incredibly proud of our school, its pupils, staff and wider school community. We are OUTSTANDING in Early Years Provision We are GOOD in the Quality of Education We are GOOD in Behaviour and Attitudes We are GOOD in Leadership and Management For a copy of the full report, please visit the school's website here.

A primary school has been rated “good” by education inspectors for the first time in its history. https://www.kentonline.co.uk/maidstone/news/primary-school-rated-good-for-first-time-in-its-history-290528/

We are looking to appoint a reliable, hardworking, flexible and self-motivated person in the role of Cleaner with Keyholder Responsibilities. You will be responsible for the cleaning and lock up duties of the school premises.  We need someone who is proactive, flexible and supportive with a can-do attitude. The safety of the pupils and staff is central to this role and we need someone to work closely with the Senior Leaders of the school to ensure our school site is cleaned to the highest standard that will offer all children the best learning environment. 38 weeks per year, 17.5 hours per week, Mondays to Fridays term time, plus additional overtime hours may be required to support with spring cleaning in the school holidays (actual hours to be discussed at interview). Please contact the school office for further details on 01797 344335 or email the Acting Headteacher, Claire Beyzade - headteacher@brenzett.kent.sch.uk All applications to be made via Kent-Teach.

Are you a highly motivated and skilled individual with a passion for pride and excellence in your work as you maintain a safe educational environment? We are seeking a dedicated school Site Manager to join our team at Kingsnorth CEP School.  As the School Site Manager, you will play a crucial role in ensuring the smooth operation and upkeep of our amazing grounds and share our vision for a school which the children, staff and community are proud of.  As we begin our whole school journey with OPaL there are many exciting opportunities to develop the school site for the enjoyment of the children. To apply:  Site Manager Facilities at Kingsnorth CEP School, Ashford (kent-teach.com) 

Apprentice Business Administrator Kingsnorth CE Primary School are looking for a new member of the team to provide general clerical or administrative support to the school under the direction or instruction of the School Business Manager. This is a term time only position, 38 weeks per year. You will be paid a pro-rata portion of the advertised annual rate. Your initial hourly rate will be £5.28 (raising to £6.40 from 1st April in line with the increase in minimum wage) Working week, Monday to Friday 08:30 - 15:30 This is a term time only position Total hours per week: 30 hours a week. Expected duration of apprenticeship is 18 months at Level 3 (A Level) Possible start 25th March 2024. https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeship/1000231753