WORK in English at Oakwood Park Grammar School has been judged outstanding by Ofsted. A new report says attainment


is high at the end of Key Stage 4 and has been consistently ris- ing. In the past two years, al- most all pupils gained GCSEs in English language and literature at grade C or above, with A or A* grades well above average. Inspector Tony Byrne said his


visit in March to look at work in English had provided valuable information which would con-


Oakwood Park wins Ofsted accolade


tribute to Ofsted’s national eval- uation and reporting. With regard to the subject, he considered that achievement, the quality of teaching, curricu- lum, plus leadership and man- agement were all outstanding. Mr Byrne was impressed by classroom doors painted as cov- ers of Penguin paperbacks to an- nounce the department’s “infec-


Wembley star scores a double


FA CUP final day was an extra busy one for the daughter of a Maidstone gym owner. Singer Kirsten Joy, whose mum Phillipa Gill, runs Curves in Senacre Square, ap- peared with Stacey Solomon at Wembley and went on to per- form for the Queen that evening. Kirsten (24), is lead vocalist with the


ACM Gospel Choir, who helped to enter- tain theManchester City and Stoke fans at the big match. In the evening, she sang with the choir at


the Royal Tattoo atWindsor, which was at- tended by the Queen. Kirsten, who trained at the Academy of Contemporary Music at Guildford, is in de- mand for session work and has provided backing for top artists including Gary Bar- low, Alison Moyet and Lol Crème of 10cc.


Campsite given go-ahead MAIDSTONE Council has granted planning permission for a tented campsite to be es- tablished on the garden lawn in Lock House at Allington Lock, Maidstone, on condition of no occupancy beyond three-week stays and between November and February. Lock keeper Tim Benger said in corre- spondence: “We envisage the maximum number of pitches to be available at any one time to be no more than 20 two-man sized tents. Thiswill ensure sufficient spacing be- tween tents.”


CALLING all women. Mothers, daughters, sisters and girl- friends are being asked to make a date in their diaries for the fifth annual sponsored Moonlit Walk in aid of The Heart of Kent Hospice, Aylesford, on July 16. More than 800 women of all


tious passion for reading”. He noted that pupils study


both good quality contemporary fiction and a very good range of poetry and pre-1914 literature. Mr Byrne reported on his sur-


vey in a letter to head teacher KevinMoody. He suggested the school could improve further by adapting its highly successful approaches to supporting pupils’ confidence and plan- ning in Years 7 to 11, to help sixth formers gain even more of the highest grades at A-level.


Fun of the fayre ROLL up for Maidstone Men- cap’s Grand Summer Fayre on Saturday, June 11. The free event at Cobtree


Hall, Mote Park (School Lane entrance), will run from 1pm to 5pm and will be opened by Helen Grant MP. Attractions will include arena displays, side shows, children’s games, barbecue, real ale tent and prize draw. Info – 07903 196333.


Hedging screen for Pauline’s land gift


AN 800-metre hedge will be planted to mark the boundary of a major bequest to the BearstedWoodland Trust. It will run along Ashford Road and down Roundwell, enclosing the land that Pauline Moore plans to leave to the charity. A total of 4,000 bare root hedging speci-


mens will be planted, interspersed by trees at least every 50m. About 100 volunteers will be involved in


the mass plant- ing during the autumn months. BWT life presi-


dent Peter Will- son said Pauline, who is in her late 80s, had re- cently requested that this job was done during her lifetime. She ran the neighbouring riding school in Sutton Street for many years and has always been a keen supporter of BWT, to which she is be- queathing 10 acres of land adjacent to the trust’s existing 16-acre holding. MrWillson said: “Plans are now in place


for this large project in the late autumn. It will be along the Ashford Road, Thurn- ham, from Gore Cottage entrance to Roundwell. “Pauline always wanted Bearsted Wood- land Trust to be protected from the


Carol to cheer on night walkers Over the years, the walk has


raised £265,000 and it is hoped that thousands of women will line up for this year’s start, at 10pm from the David Lloyd health and fitness club at Kings Hill.


ITV’s ‘Loose Women’ presen-


ages took part in last year’swalk to raise cash for the hospice and remember friends and loved ones in their own special way.


ter, Carol McGiffin, who en- couraged the walkers last year, will again be cheering them on, following an energetic warm-up presented by male dancers from Mandy Ellen School of Dance in Maidstone. The 10 and 6-mile well-lit routes will be fullymarshalled, with regular water and re- freshment stops along the way. Walkers need to reg-


Carol McGiffin with aMoonlit walker.


ister in advance, for £15, to secure their places. Info – www. moonlitwalk.org 01622 790195.


busy Ashford Road. It’s lovely to be able to do it in her lifetime so that it will be well established when her bequeathed land eventually passes to BWT.” He added: “Total cost for materials will be


about £5,500-£6,000. The cost of installing; zero, all done by volunteers.” The hedging will include hawthorn and blackthorn, hazel, holly, field maple, guelder rose and wild cherry.


Local county councillor Jenny Whittle said: “I am allocating funding from my member commu- nity grant to this extremely worth- while project. Volunteers will be made up of ‘friends’ of the


trust and members of different organisations in Bearsted and Thurnham. Schoolchild- ren from Thurnham Infants and other schools in Bearsted will be involved, as with all the BWT projects.” During the 1990s, the former orchard, off Church Landway, was under threat of de- velopment for housing. But residents fought against it and in 2003 the site was pur- chased by a local family and donated to the trust, which manages the land as public open space.


Appeal against Purple Flag snub


A SHORTAGE of public toilets and public transport letdownthe county town in its bid for the Purple Flag Award. Judges of the nationally recog-


nised night-time award, which assesses an area’s crime rates, hy- giene standards and range of vis- itor attractions, also mentioned that there was too much empha- sis on the night-life for young clubbers, despite praising the town’s art venues and restau- rants.


However, the night-time polic-


ing and safety of the town was praised, as well as the partner- ship between CCTV and volun- teers.


However, Maidstone lost the


bid, which was submitted by Town Centre Management along with Maidstone Council and po- lice. Towncentre manager Bill Moss


has lodged an appeal against the decision and refutes the idea that Maidstone is all about clubs, since there is a theatre, a bowling alley and numerous restaurants.


Library plan was ‘always a fantasy’ KCC has abandoned its plan to build a library as part of the origi- nal development of Grove Green. When planning permission was granted for the new estate to be


built in 1982, a Section 52 agreement was signed for the provision of a new library in the Penhurst Close area. However, this requirement has now been deleted with the ap- proval of Maidstone Council’s planning committee. Cllr Clive Eng- lish said the notion of a library for the area was “always a fantasy”. The land,which is designated as open space, is currently the sub-


ject of an appeal after Maidstone Council refused planning per- mission for the development of 14 new homes.


Visit Downs Mail’s website — downsmail.co.uk East 11


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