Church plans new primary school
MAIDSTONE-based Jubilee Church wants to open a new primary school locally by September 2014 – but will not be identify- ing a site until funding is confirmed. The church, which also runs a training centre and organised this year’s Celebrate Maidstone event, has joined a Government programme to help set up the free school. Members of the group have been out pro- moting the idea at events such asMaidstone Mela and the Bearsted and Thurnham Car- nival and Fayre, and claim that response from the public to the idea has been “phe- nomenal”.
Spokeswoman Barbara Faulkner said in-
terest had been particularly high in the Bearsted area, where there is strong compe-
Homes permitted KING & Johnston Homes has been given permission for two detached homes, following the demolition of a property at 46 Salts Avenue, Loose. Maidstone Council granted consent on condition that all first-floor windows in the side elevations have obscured glass to protect neighbours’ privacy.
Protection for bats A PROPOSAL to convert an oast house into a three-bed- room home at Ely Court, Goud- hurst Road, Staplehurst, has been accepted on condition that measures are taken to pro- tect nesting or roosting bats.
tition for primary school places. The initial application is for a two-form reception class school, with 60 places in total, and although classes will be of a standard size, organisers say the school will be offering a “person- alised approach to education”, with strong community links at the heart of its work. All members of the Jubilee Primary School steering group belong to the Jubilee Church in Maidstone, but the schoolwould be open to children of all backgrounds and describes itself as having a faith ethos. Jubilee Primary School is one of only 30 groups nationwide selected by the New Schools Network (NSN) development pro- gramme, a charity set up by the Government to provide advice on opening a free school.
The school would specialise in creative
arts and sports, and the NSN would check and provide feedback on the school’s appli- cation on December 7, which is the first stage in its bid for Government funding. If successful, it will follow in the footsteps
of Maidstone’s first free school, Tiger Pri- mary School, which opened in September on the site of New Line Learning Academy, and is run by the Future Schools Trust. Ms Faulkner said: “We see Jubilee Pri-
mary School’s adoption of the National Cur- riculum as a springboard for an exciting and dynamic education, tailored to meet the needs of the individual and providing a small class experience with an emphasis on nurturing.”
Strength and weakness laid bare Calendar Girls – YOLO Productions at The Hazlitt Theatre
REMEMBER the film? Annie’s husband was dying of cancer and her WI friends wanted to raise funds for a sofa in the hos- pital waiting room. Director, FranceneHarris, took
JOHN
MUNSON SHOW TIME
it at a fast pace, and as a result, we lost some of the tender feeling and some dialogue. It is important that an audience can follow the story. Not all of
the cast had strong enough projection, but what did work well was the scene where the photographs are taken. David Waters was excellent as Lawrence the photographer. The cast are to be congratulated on their timing. The village hall set was excellent, as was the costume and lighting, but when the loud hailer was in- troducing ladies to the hall, why no sound from the hall audi- ence? An enthusiastic crack at a difficult play by a new group.
GB Lister
Traditional Butchers, Fruit & Vegetables in the heart of Lenham Village
Show go-ahead PLANS for next year’s Kent County Show are underway and organisers are determined it will not be a washout like this summer’s event. The event’s website is already counting down the days to 2013’s show, from Friday to Sunday, July 12 to 14. Torrential rain during the
2012 show turned car parks into bogs and forced organisers to turn away visitors. But show chairman George
Jessel said car parking was being improved and attractions and sponsors had already started signing up.
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