Prom pupils raise cash for their big night


YEAR 6 pupils at Brookfield Junior School, Larkfield, have been busy through- out the year raising money to make their leavers’ prom extra special. The youngsters have organised a range of


fundraising events including after-school film nights and running their own stalls at the summer fair. Their next venture is a plant and cake sale over two days in the school grounds


in Swallow Road. Pupil Stephanie Woods said: “The chil-


dren have been busily planting and nur- turing a huge variety of flowers as well as some vegetables and herbs that will be on sale, along with some delicious, fresh cakes.” The sale is open to the public and takes


place from 3.15 to 4.30pm on Friday, May 27, and from 9.30 to 11.30am next day.


‘Free school’ bid wins backing


A BID by a group of parents to open a “free school” to ease the primary school place shortage at Kings Hill has been gatheringmo- mentum. A group of five parents whose children at-


tend the estate’s two oversubscribed schools, Kings Hill and Discovery, are making an ap- plication to the Department of Education to set up a third school. Their initiative has gained the backing of County Cllr Richard Long and the authority has been assisting with relevant information. The group is proposing the former univer-


sity of Greenwich building as a home for the state-funded school. The site had been ear- marked for a third school byKCCbut the idea was dropped because of spending cutbacks. Angela Vincent, a member of the King’s


Academy steering group, said: “We are de- lighted with our children’s educations in Kings Hill and this move is not to undermine either school in any way. This is about the fu- ture for Kings Hill primary demand and it does seem to offer the only real alternative to KCC’s own budgetary restrictions.” Demand for places at the two existing


schools led to Discovery taking 30 extra re- ception pupils in September 2010. Tempo- rary classrooms are being added to cope with similar intakes in 2011 and 2012. The pressure has resulted in parents trans- porting children to schools at Mereworth, Ryarsh, Wateringbury and East Malling. There have also been complaints about places in Kings Hill going to siblings of chil- dren from outside the estate who started be-


Pre-school earns Ofsted praise A WEST Malling pre-school has been praised by Ofsted for pro- viding a good range of activities to support all areas of learning. Mrs B’s, which operates from two rooms in the village hall at Nor-


man Road, was rated good overall for the effectiveness of its early years provision. Inspector Jane Wakelen, who visited in March, considered the pre-school’s capacity to continue improving was also good. She commended the day centre for its diversity and equality ac- tivities such as celebrations for the Chinese new year when chil- dren tasted various foods, made lanterns and created a dragon to go on display. The inspector noted that the children behaved well and together


and were learning to share toys. The centre’s partnerships with par- ents were strong and parents were well informed of their child’s progress. The children displayed excellent role-play skills as they acted


out scenes from home such as cooking dinner and making cups of tea.


The youngsters develop well in numeracy and use mathematical language in their play, talking about tall giraffe and the small duck. They are encouraged to count in all activities and are able to sort by colour and object. Areas for improvement included giving individual children more


of a challenge and making the setting richer in signs, notices and numbers to develop the learning environment.


Walkers out in force for Bluebell event MORE than 1,300 people took part in the annual BluebellWalk which raised more than £20,000 for the Heart of Kent Hospice at Aylesford. The hospice’s 24th walk


covered an 8.5-mile circu- lar route across the Downs and through privately- owned woodland opened specially for the event by the Torry Hill estate. There were around 500


fore the current shortage. Steering group member Carla Loveday said outdoor classrooms were far from ideal and did not provide a long-term solution. “The situation will only get worse as more homes are sold.” The group says the new school would have


a Christian ethos, but not be a church or faith school limited to Christians. Outside school hours, the site could also provide a much- needed church space for church meetings and worship. Cllr Long said as there were already two completely secular schools, he welcomed some diversity of provision. “There is much to do and some challenges to overcome but themuch-needed third school makes itworth the effort.


Pizza thieves beat up delivery boy


A LARKFIELD teenager was part of a gang involved in mug- ging a delivery boy for three piz- zas.


Three young men were locked


up and four others, including Anthony Stanley (19), of Plover Road, were given commu- nity orders. The seven plot- ted to steal food from Pizza Hot 4 U in Maid- stone in No- vember 2009, Maidstone Crown Court heard. Prosecutor Allister Walker


Judge Jeremy Gold QC said the victim was working for a living while the accused were smoking cannabis and drinking alcohol, "thinking of filling your stomachs with free pizza".


said the pizzas were ordered for a false address at Summerdale Court flats in Square Hill Road, Maidstone, where Adam Chawner had once lived. When Afghanistani immigrant Hussain Safari (19), arrived there he was surrounded, beaten with a rolling pin and the pizzas were stolen. The victim later left the coun-


try and played no part in the trial. Wayne Acott (21), of Sum-


merdale Court, was jailed for 21 months; Chawner (20), of Coombe Road,was sentenced to 21 months’ youth custody; and Joshua Allchin (18), of Melville Road (all Maidstone), to 14 months’ youth custody. All three admitted con- spiracy to rob. The four others - Stanley, together with Jimmy Brooker (18), of Cleveland House, Woodford Road, Maidstone, Dean Cundall (21), of


Hubbard Lane, Boughton Monchelsea, and Duane Brown (20), of Windmill Street, Tun- bridgeWells - admitted conspir- acy to steal. Stanley and Brooker were


given supervision orders with a drug rehabilitation requirement and 150 hours’ unpaid work. Cundall was given supervi-


sion with a drug rehabilitation requirement, Brown was given a community order with 200 hours’ unpaid work. They were each ordered to pay £200 costs.


Police body names new chief THE man who managed the Met’s campaign to cut knife crime is the new chief executive of Kent Police Authority. Graham Hooper, who starts his new job in


Walkers Nichola Aleen, Lynne Hornby and LouiseWilliams


more walkers this year than last,which delighted staff, volunteers and supporters of the hospice. New faces joined regulars at Harrietsham Village Hall for the start. Each walker was rewarded with a ploughman’s lunch at the end, donated by Tesco staff at Grove Green. The hospice’s patron Lady Monckton, who attends every year, thanked “all the gallant walkers and their dogs” and the many ded- icated volunteers who helped “on this glorious and enjoyable day.”


July, coordinated Operation Blunt across 32 London boroughs. He also spent 10 years in policy roles in Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, the Home Office and National Policing Improve- ment Agency. Mr Hooper, who was most recently a senior lecturer in criminol-


ogy at Thames Valley University, will work with KPA chair Ann Barnes and the 17 members, made up of local people and council- lors, who hold the Chief Constable to account. He succeeds Mark Gilmartin, who had spent five years working for KPA and departed to take up a new role at Metropolitan Police.


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