Town Talk


ONE of the most successful head teachers in Kent has launched a scathing attack on the Government’s education policy as he announced his retirement. IanHobson, executive princi-


pal of the Holmesdale Technol- ogy College/Malling School Federation, is retiring in July. “We are successful despite everything the Government tries to throw at us,” he said. “Policy changes constantly, al- most on a daily basis. “We call it the Radox policy.


The minister has an idea in his warm bath at the weekend and by Thursday it is law. “It is a good time to retire. Ed- ucation is just silly. The gov- ernment


just wants


examination results, English, maths, science and geography. There is no IT in it and, in this day and age, IT is every- thing. There is nothing for what employers are looking for.” Mr Hobson joined Holmesdale Commu- nity School as head master in September


A Downs Mail supplement produced specially for the residents of Snodland and Halling. Produced in conjunction with the Snodland Chamber of Commerce


Retiring head’s attack on changes by Peter Rimmer


1998. He was previously deputy head of Carshalton High School and spent his early career working in the Inner London Educa- tion Authority. Holmesdale had 389 pupils with 44 in year 7. Nowthe school has 950 pupils with 180 in year 7, which is over-subscribed. “The school was on the verge


of closing and had the biggest budget deficit in Kent,” he con- tinued. “That was whywe had to sell the farm. The year be- fore last we had the biggest sur- plus in Kent. In February 2006 Mr Hobson


was asked to help at The Malling School, East Malling, and a year later the two schools became a federation with one governing body and Mr Hob- son as executive principal. “The federation has worked


really well,” he went on. “There are so many teams working across the two schools and we have got good quality people. “This school is fantastic, brilliant. We


have embraced the community and made the people of Snodland proud of it.


Alison hands over shoebox effort


MORE than 10,000 Christmas shoeboxes have been sent to needy chil- dren in east European countries in the 10 years Operation Christmas Child has been running in Snodland. Alison Tompsett, of Roberts Road, the local representative of


Samaritan Purse, the charity which oversees the operation, said 21 boxes were sent in the first year; last Christmas the total was 1,318. But Alison has had to resign from her position due to poor health. “It is an all-year round project,” she explained. “You finish


one year in January and start again for the next year in Feb- ruary.” Local residents, businesses and schools take part every


year. The presents are collected at Christ Church and the contents are checked by a group of volunteers be- fore being taken to a depot at Ashford. Boxes from all over the country are then trans-


ferred abroad and distributed among children in hos- pitals, orphanages, homeless shelters and impoverished neighbourhoods. Very often the box is the child’s only Christmas present. Alison described the shoebox appeal as a big com- munity event and hoped it would continue in Snod- land. She thanked all the people who have helped and given their support.


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Town Talk 1 “I have every confidence in Julia (Julia


Campbell, new school principal at Holmes- dale) who is taking the school fromstrength to strength. I will miss the kids and the ca- maraderie of the people who work here.” In his last few months Mr Hobson iswork-


ing on the school becoming an academy by September. In retirement he will possibly do consul-


tancy work, might buy an old house and “do it up” and will do some touring in his old camper van. But he is most looking forward to his


main hobby of rock and mountain climbing which he has only been able to do during holidays. The highest he has climbed is Mont Blanc, a height of 5,000 metres, which he intends to beat. Chairman of school governors, Richard


Sams, said: “Ian is a gifted headteacher who manages detail as well as planning strategy. He has put Holmesdale on the map for all the right reasons. “One of the challenges the governors has


is to find a replacement, and we are working hard on that at the moment.” Mr Sams added that Mr Hobson had given


41 years’ service to teaching and has earned his retirement.


Town council is


a member short SONIABoakes has resigned from Snodland Town Council after four years. She is moving away from the area and the council de- cided not to co-opt a new mem- ber as there is an election on Thursday, May 5. Elections for Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council will be held on the same day. Nominations will open on March 22 and close at noon on April 4. A spokesperson for the bor-


ough council said anyone wish- ing to stand at the town council election should contact the bor- ough council for details by emailing electoral.services@ tmbc.gov.uk or calling 01732 876022.


Nomination forms and infor- mation packs will be available from early March.


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