downsmail.co.uk
Education|News Help school tomake a splash
ASPECIAL school inMaidstone is hoping peoplewill ‘create a ripple and make a splash’ as it looks to raise funds for a vital hydrother- apy pool. The pool at Five Acre Wood
Schoolwill cost £850,000 and, so far, the school has managed to raise £600,000 through applications to trusts and charitable foundations. But rather than holding one large
fundraising event, it hopes that lots of smaller endeavourswill bring in the £250,000 needed to finish fund- ing the project. School fundraiser Alex Meaders
said: “I am seeking support from local businesses, schools, societies, organisations and individuals to do what they can. “Whether you throwa small peb-
ble or a large stone into a pool of water, the ripple effect created is felt onwards and outwards. Similarly, whether someone raises £50 or £5,000, the effectwill be felt.” The school, on the same campus
as New Line Learning, has more than 390 pupils aged from two to 19, allwith a variety of special edu- cational needs. The costs for the school are phe- nomenal, with more than 270 staff
Five Acre Wood School is hoping to raise the final funds forits much- needed hy- drotheraphy pool
needed to provide the right educa- tion for the children, who attend fromall around the county. Staff themselves are helping the
initiative – they were all given a tube of Smarties, courtesy of Sains- bury’s, and once they have eaten the treats, they have been chargedwith filling the tubewith 20p pieces. Mrs Meaders added: “The staff
costs are all funded as they would be in any school, butwe have to find the funds for all the extras. “This is things like the sensory
room and iPads for children who are unable to speak but can use technology to communicate, aswell
BEDROOM & KITCHEN FLAIR LTD Est since 1978
as toys for themto playwith. “Every penny really does count –
our needs are endless.” Among the initiatives planned for
2018 are a London to Paris bike ride, with a teamof 15 riders – including staff, parents and supporters – set to undertake the trip in July. Although the riders themselves
are all committed to raising at least £300 each, the school is seeking a corporate sponsor to cover costs. Anyonewho can help the school,
either with the London to Paris jaunt orwith any other idea to help raise funds is asked to email
ameaders@five-acre.kent.sch.uk.
area’s top school MAIDSTONE and Malling have the best and the worst perform- ing schools in Kent, says new data released by the Depart- ment for Education. The new leagues measure per-
formance on different criteria, with classroomstandards ranked against newindicators. These are called progress 8 and attainment 8, and are considered a better as- sessment of pupil performance across ability ranges. Invicta Grammar School is
rated sixth, Maidstone Girls’ Grammar School ninth and St Simon Stock 14th in the top 14 best-performing schools. These are rated “well above average”. The top two are TonbridgeGram- mar School and Tunbridge Wells Grammar School. Those falling short of expecta-
tions andwhich could receive spe- cial attention from Oftsed are The Holmesdale School, Snod- land, Aylesford School – Sports College and Cornwallis Academy.
Invicta is ranked
Free design & quotation
Bespoke fi tted or freestanding furniture Extensive range to suit all styles and budgets
Full kitchens, refurbishments & home offi ce also available
WWW.BEDROOMFLAIR.CO.UK 01622 729855 169 TONBRIDGE ROAD, MAIDSTONE, KENT ME16 8NA Malling March 2018 29
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
