Dozens of children enjoyed The Skinners’ Kent Academy primary school netball tournament – A League - at the weekend.

It was a great morning; there were many really close, hard fought matches, some wonderful ball skills and it didn’t even rain!

7 teams from local primaries competed in two groups with the winners of each battling it out in the final for the Winners’ Cup and a place in the Cranbrook Tournament.

Horsmonden V Bishops Down lived up to the promise of a great final, and after 20 minutes of end to end play Horsmonden Primary School were victorious.

A massive well done to all the students taking part and we look forward to the B League tournament on 26 May.

Around 70 female students and staff from The Skinners’ Kent Academy will be entering the Race for Life in Tunbridge Wells on May 27th.

Coming together to support charitable causes is an important part of the Academy ethos. It's the second year we have taken part and we are hoping to raise even more money for this very worthwhile cause.  We are very grateful for any support and if you would like to sponsor the team, you can do this direct via our Race for Life just giving page.

http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/team-ska

race for life team 2011

There were dozens of entries and some really excellent ideas, however, the committee chose Katie's design because they liked its simplicity and the way it reflects both the Skinners' Kent Academy logo and the family ethos of the new association.

1.       Get motivated. Find a source of immense inspiration, whether it is the satisfaction of good grades or the reward that is attached to them.

2.       Take advantage of technology. Personally I use power point presentations and bore my parents with information; they do it enough to me.

3.       Be creative and colourful. Colour-code each subject, use highlighters and colouring pencils. At least your notes will look pretty enough to be noticed.

4.       Paint the room with posters: around the mirror, in your bathroom or even on the side of your bed!  We all love a fairy tale story on the differences between miosis and mitosis …..

5.       Possibly the most favoured revision tip, take regular breaks and rehydrate that hard working brain of yours. Over-doing it or under-doing it does nobody a favour.

Before I move onto P2 6.2 Fuses I must say that revising is not half as bad as failing!

Matt Glassup, the in-house designer from Accent Catering came to show students how the designs had been developed and gave them a sneak peek of the possible final logos. These will now be applied to the signage, packaging and uniforms within the catering facilities when the new Academy building opens in Spring 2013.

Teacher of Design Technology, Mr Blake, said “The experience gave the students an excellent opportunity to see how designs evolve in industry and how graphics can be applied to a range of media.”

The Academy was joined by two Paralympic Judo athletes from Kent on Friday 27th April 2012.  Partially sighted brothers, Dan and Marc Powell, gave an inspirational talk to students and demonstrated their Judo skills to the whole Academy.

Their visit was part of the Academy's programme to celebrate the Olympics. 500 students and staff will be going to the Paralympics in London on 7th September 2012.

Sally Daniells, Assistant Vice Principal, said: “As an Academy we have been incorporating the Olympic ideals throughout our work both in and out of the classroom, and are part of the Olympic Schools ‘Get Set’ network. This visit is a fantastic opportunity for the whole Academy to enjoy this historic event together.”

The Paralympic trip has been made possible thanks to the generous donation from the Jackson Foundation.

The Skinners’ Kent Academy Principal, Mrs Carr, says “ Our stunning Ofsted report with Outstanding and Good judgements across the board is affirmation of the journey travelled since the Academy opened in 2009. The facilities in the new building will empower us to continue our relentless and successful focus on raising attainment and enable our students to flourish.” 

The tour is part of an extensive programme to prepare for the move into the new building in early 2013.  The state-of-the-art building, which will feature the latest computer technology, will also include facilities for The Academy’s Science and Engineering specialism, a lecture hall and drama space.  Additionally redevelopment of The Academy’s 29 acres of grounds will include outdoor learning areas, performance spaces and excellent sports facilities.

Students at the Academy have embraced the Sports Relief cause this year with their unfailingly positive attitude towards raising money for those in need, both in the UK and overseas. 

We had bake sales, a tuck shop, darts competitions, basketball and football shootouts and the ever popular soak the teacher.

Monies raised will be donated to Sport Relief whose main causes this year are to help those communities overseas who need clean water and help tackle gang culture in the UK.

Eleven Year 7 students from The Skinners’ Kent Academy put on a fantastic show with London Chamber Orchestra at Cadogan Hall in Chelsea.

The group performed a six minute piece of music they had written and composed during a series of workshops with the London Chamber Orchestra and two other local secondary schools – Tonbridge Grammar School and Meadows School.  Called, Track to Track, the music is inspired by the train journey from St Pancras Station to the Olympic venue and is part of the  2012 Cultural Olympiad Programme.

This is the second year of a three year project, in which students have the opportunity to play new instruments, play with a professional orchestra, compose music and perform at a range of venues from Cadogan Hall to The Queen Elizabeth Hall.

Charlotte Funnell, Year 7, said “It was fun learning to play a new instrument. When I went on stage at Cadogan Hall to perform I felt excited, nervous and proud at all the same time.”

The Academy is the first secondary school in Tunbridge Wells to be inspected under the new Ofsted framework. Inspectors spent two days at the Academy on 7th and 8th March and observed 25 lessons. In their report they make 9 references to outstanding practice and note many exemplary and exceptional features.

The following direct quotes are taken from the Ofsted report.

• “There has been a relentless and successful focus on raising attainment. Students now make at least good progress and many make OUTSTANDING progress.”
• “Behaviour and safety of students is OUTSTANDING … the high levels of tolerance and respect that students show each other and staff are an exemplary feature of the Academy.”
• “Leadership and management is OUTSTANDING.”
• “Teaching is mainly good with an increasing proportion that is OUTSTANDING.”
• “The Academy demonstrates OUTSTANDING capacity to sustain and continue to build on its improvements.”

In its final judgement on the four new Ofsted categories the Academy was found to be: GOOD in the Achievement of Students, GOOD in the Quality of Teaching, OUTSTANDING in the Behaviour and Safety of Students, OUTSTANDING in Leadership and Management. The judgement for overall effectiveness was GOOD.

The Principal, Mrs Carr said “We should all be very proud of this report and the affirmation it provides of the journey travelled since the Academy opened in 2009. Thank you for the fantastic work and huge commitment of all those involved in our community. This is reflected significantly in this extremely positive report. It provides an excellent platform for the next phase of our journey. I look forward to working with you as we embed all that we have learnt and achieved so far and build and establish The Academy as an outstanding all ability community school. We can be truly proud of our success and be determined to raise the bar even higher as we move into the next exciting phase of the Academy journey.”

Download the full Ofsted report

A team of students from The Skinners’ Kent Academy have had a first tour of their new building. The Year 8 and 9 students, who are the Academy New Build Student Advocates, will have incredible access to the site during a series of tours over the next six months. They will then report back to the rest of the students on how their new Academy is developing.

Year 9 Skinners’ Kent Academy Student, Pauline Westhuizen, says” We can see the site from the windows in the English and Maths block, but it’s a different and more exciting experience to see it for myself. I can’t wait until we move in for good. It’ll be great to be in such a modern building.”

With the foundations laid, work on the concrete frame has commenced and the building is starting to take shape. During the coming months the main construction focus will remain on erecting the frame and the installation of the All Weather Pitch.

The Skinners’ Kent Academy Principal, Mrs Carr, says “It is very exciting to see the building take shape. It will be a wonderful learning environment for all our students and those joining us in Year 7 will be the very first to enjoy these wonderful new facilities for the whole of their Academy life.”

A webcam has been installed to track progress at one of Tunbridge Wells' biggest investment projects – the new building for The Skinners' Kent Academy. The camera streams live footage of the building works on the £21.4 million new building.

The state-of-the-art building, which will feature the latest computer technology, is expected to be completed in early 2013. It will include facilities for The Academy’s Science and Engineering specialism, a lecture hall and drama space as well as the redevelopment of The Academy’s 29 acres of grounds. This will include outdoor learning areas, performance spaces and excellent sports facilities.

We are delighted to announce that The Skinners’ Kent Academy Head of Science, Sarah Fennell, has been awarded runner-up prize for the Pearson Excellence Award for Teaching Leaders.

The award of £500 to Mrs Fennell, and £1000 to The Skinners’ Kent Academy, was presented by Pearson’s Stewart Fields (Sales Consultant). He said: “I am delighted that Sarah has been recognised for the sterling work she has done in delivering initiatives at the Academy, the results of which are evident in the academic success of their students.”

Ms Fennell has been part of the two year programme by 'Teaching Leaders' which has been designed to raise standards of middle leadership in schools.  Mrs Fennell, who to be considered for the award provided detail of the programmes she has been running at the Academy, said “As part of a national focus, I am looking forward to promoting literacy across the whole Academy curriculum with the resources Pearson has provided.”

Budding artists at The Skinners’ Kent Academy have created a work of art as part of the Community Creator’s Project with Tunbridge Wells Museum.

Working with artist Nova Marshall, on Saturdays and during half term, they have made an abstract, tree-like sculpture that represents the growth of knowledge. The students painted the artwork grey to represent the cement of the new Skinners’ Kent Academy building and to symbolise their education, which they feel is organic, but in a grounded structure.

Teacher of Design Technology at The Skinners’ Kent Academy, Mr Blake, says “the students have put a lot of effort into this project. Interacting with an artist has given them the opportunity to embrace the subject and develop their understanding of abstract art.”

Year 10 student, Rabina Pun, says “It was fun making the sculpture. We worked really well as a team and I loved working in 3-D. I’m pretty pleased with the finished product.”

The original work will go on show in a special Community Curators exhibition. The exhibition is open to the public from Saturday 10 March - Saturday 26 May 2012.

The Assembly Hall Theatre in Tunbridge Wells has willingly opened its curtains to give a Year 10 Skinners’ Kent Academy student the opportunity of a lifetime. The fifteen year old student, who must remain anonymous, will visit some of the Theatre’s main performances incognito. “I’m delighted to be given this chance, especially as I know hundreds of others would have loved to do it. It’s a brilliant theatre and it’s right on my doorstep, so I have seized the chance with both hands.”

After a successful project in October, when students helped to build the spinning wheel for the panto season, this is another welcome venture and The Academy is pleased to be working once again with The Assembly Hall Theatre.

Mrs Ahmed, Head of the Communication Faculty at The Skinners’ Kent Academy said: “This is a valuable opportunity for our Mystery Critic. They will be able to use skills learnt within the Academy and apply them to the outside world. Specifically they will develop communication skills and really learn how to write for a particular audience. We will give our full support and encouragement along the way.”

Assembly Hall Theatre Director Brian McAteer said: "The work we do with young people is really important to us and we like to support them. One of our objectives here at the Assembly Hall is to involve young people in the work of the theatre – they are, after all, tomorrow’s audience.”

The Mystery Critic will review a range of exciting shows; the first is the stage production of the No.1 greatest musical Grease on at the Assembly Hall Theatre, Monday 19 – Saturday 24 March www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk

Students and staff braved the elements on Monday for a full day of learning and teaching at the Academy.

The caretakers worked tirelessly to grit the paths and they even had a bit of help from the Vice Principals to make sure the site was safe in time for morning registration.

The Academy Singers took part in the second of their music and singing workshops with the London Chamber Orchestra.

The Music Junction programme also involves Tonbridge Grammar School and Bernardo’s Meadows School and together they are working on a piece of original music that will be showcased at Cadogan Hall in Chelsea on 22 March.

Mother of one of the students taking part said:” It’s been a brilliant opportunity for my daughter to play lots of different instruments. She has developed a genuine enthusiasm for music and although she’s nervous about the performance in March, she’s also really excited.”

With English, French and German now complete the focus is now on History, Geography, Biology, Chemistry and Physics, with the Year 10 students taking their exams as part of a triple Science package.

Vice Principal Progress and Learning, Mr Topliss, says: “Our students have worked incredibly hard to prepare themselves for this very important time in their lives. They know good exam results will give them more choices and better prospects. We wish them all really good luck.”

Over the last two years there has been a stunning increase in The Skinners’ Kent Academy GCSE results. In its two years of operation, the Academy has improved the core measure of students with 5 or more GCSEs at grade A*-C including Maths and English by an outstanding 171%.

There was an excellent response to the invitation and around 20 students signed up to take part. The most popular courses were Structural Engineering, An introduction to Japanese and Movie Maker.

The free sessions were run by experts in their field and were a fun, practical way for Academy students to develop their skills.

Academy student Jack Murdoch, said “It was certainly a different way to spend a Saturday morning. It was good to learn more about structural engineering and it was especially interesting to hear about 9/11 and the technical reasons behind the collapse of the twin towers.”

Vice Principal, Mr Topliss, said “these courses are a brilliant chance for our gifted and talented students to extend their range of opportunities and study outside the Academy with our main sponsor, Skinners’ School.”

Designs for a virtual learning environment in the new £21.4 million Skinners’ Kent Academy building are being finalised. E-learning will become integral to the way students work and will give them many benefits.

• It will allow students to learn in such a way that they become accustomed to informal learning on the web
• It will encourage collaborative and independent study
• It promotes digital literacy which will equip students to thrive in the knowledge society
• It will allow students to access the curriculum if they are unable to reach school because of bad weather, like snow

E learning co-ordinator teacher, Mr Saxby, who is leading the project says: “Students already use ICT in their every-day learning and this new system, provided by Frog the market leader in e-learning software, will further develop their skills.”

Students hosted a fantastic festive lunch for over 19 elderly local residents on Tuesday afternoon.

The guests were treated to a two course meal, a gift and a carol concert by the choir. There was also a flying visit by our very own Academy Father Christmas.

The event was planned and delivered by a group 20 students. They prepared and served the meal, dressed the table and wrapped the gifts.  They also raised all the funds to pay for the event – making a very impressive total of £400.

Academy Assistant Vice Principal, Mrs Pomeroy, said: “We love running this event. Our guests had a wonderful time and it’s lovely to see the students’ pride at being involved in such a successful event.”

The Skinners’ Kent Academy has been chosen by Tunbridge Wells Football Club to become their partner school. The partnership will create close links between Academy students and the town’s local football club.

Academy students will benefit from training sessions with the coach and players, access to the club’s grounds for inter-Academy matches, work experience and family events.

Academy Vice Principal, Mr Tompkins, who was a semi-professional footballer for 15 years, playing for a good number of Kent League clubs including a brief spell at Tunbridge Wells, is delighted with the partnership: “It will improve our students’ footballing skills and fitness levels and give them a chance to become more involved with an important part of our local community. A flood lit game on a full size pitch is also a fantastic reward for our students who have worked so hard this year. ”

TWFC chose the Academy because of the obvious enthusiasm engendered throughout the school particularly when it comes to football.

Chairman, Joe Croker, said: “TWFC is delighted to partner with the Academy because we are excited by the way the school is progressing and wanted to be associated with their assured future success. This link allows us to contribute to the school by helping with their football and use of Culverden Stadium but we will be equally rewarded by the contribution the pupils can make towards the spirit of the club.”

For a fee, students were invited to 'sponge a teacher' in order to raise funds for the OAP Christmas lunch.  Teachers and Learning Mentors bravely endured half-an-hour of wet sponges in the face, whilst students tested their throwing skills at a sitting target.

Well done to Mr Topliss, Mrs Fennell, Mr Low, Mr Wood and Mr Jones for withstanding the onslaugt in aid of such a good cause. 

The Skinners’ Kent Academy students and teachers unveiled the Assembly Halls pantomime sculpture at a special ceremony on Thursday afternoon.

The giant motorised spinning wheel, which will be on display outside the Theatre until January 5th to promote this year’s pantomime “Sleeping Beauty”, was unveiled by local British sculptor Louise Giblin.

12 Academy Design and Technology students helped to build the sculpture in a series of workshops, lead by Trainee Lighting Technician Kester Hulland-Rumley, as part of an enrichment programme at the end of last term.

Their teacher, Mr Blake said ”It was a very valuable experience for our students, they had a great insight into the workings of the theatre as well as the satisfaction of creating this fantastic model. I’m glad to report that none of them pricked their finger and fell asleep on the job.”

Brian McAteer, Theatre Director for the Assembly Hall Theatre said: “ We are delighted the Academy is participating. One of our objectives here at the Assembly Hall Theatre is to involve young people in the work of the theatre – they are, after all, tomorrow’s audience.”

On Thursday 10th November, The Academy welcomed over one hundred primary school students from 9 different primary schools to participate in a Primary Leadership Day. The Sports Partnership event was hosted by The Skinners’ Kent Academy and led by sports partnership staff and Academy junior sports leaders.

The aim of the day was to encourage primary students to become more involved in competitive sport both at school and against other schools in sporting leagues and Kent School Games events. This is a huge government initiative which has stemmed from the need to get more of Britain’s youngsters involved in sport in the lead up to the Olympic games next year. Students and teachers from all the primary schools were involved all day in learning how to organise, lead and deliver different sports. Students were also encouraged to look at the bigger picture, some experienced a sports reporters role, others looked at the impact that music, photography, graphics and art could have on the sports we participate in.

Head of PE, Mrs Nicholson, said: "Our sports leaders represented the Academy in immaculate fashion, they immersed themselves in the culture of the event and were highly praised by teachers and sports partnership staff for the effort they put into delivering a highly successful and popular event that should run for years to come."

Staff, students and guests attended a Remembrance Day Assembly on November 11th to commemorate the fallen and wounded soldiers who have fought in conflicts from World War I to present day.

The assembly depicted the brutal and horrific warfare and appalling conditions the troops had to face, with pictures and a description of life in the trenches. This was followed by a respectful one minute silence and a reading of ‘Remember’ by Christina Rosetti.

The Academy Singers honoured the combatants with an emotive performance and the assembly ended with a slideshow, remembering each of the soldiers who have passed away in the last year defending our country.
Guest of the Academy, Councillor David Jukes, said “Once again, on visiting The Skinners’ Kent Academy I was moved and frightfully impressed by the dignity of all staff and students on this sombre occasion.”

Sian Carr, Principal said: ”It is part of our Academy tradition that we remember the sacrifices made by many, both those who have fallen and the wounded who fight the battle for the rest of their lives.”

Mr Shaw and Mr Ilwahdi started in September 2011 and have already become an integral part of the team. They hit the ground running in and outside the classroom and are excellent ambassadors of the Academy.

Mr Shaw studied History and French at Durham University and has joined the French department.
“I am delighted to be joining the Academy at this time as it builds on the success of the past few years and continues to provide a range of exciting educational experiences to its students.”

Mr Ilwahdi graduated with a Degree and Masters in Economics and has joined the Mathematics Department.
“After completing my studies I worked in finance which was great fun and I learnt a lot about the financial markets. I am hoping to use my experiences to help change and continue to drive aspirations at The Skinners’ Kent Academy.”

Academy Principal, Mrs Carr, says “Mr Shaw and Mr Ilwahdi bring that magic combination of energy and intellect to the classroom. They have only been with us for two months and already they have made a big impact – just imagine what they will achieve in two years. The Teach First programme is a brilliant chance for The Skinners’ Kent Academy to work with committed and able graduates who will go on to have real influence in the community.”

To celebrate this milestone and the £21.4million investment – students, staff and governors were joined by Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark and Kent County Council Cabinet Member for Education, Learning and Skills, Mike Whiting.

The state-of-the-art building, which will feature the latest computer technology, is expected to be completed in early 2013.

It will include facilities for the academy’s science and engineering specialism, a lecture theatre and gallery and the redevelopment of the academy’s 29 acres of grounds. This will include outdoor learning areas, performance spaces, excellent sport facilities and nature trails.

Principal of the Skinners’ Kent Academy, Sian Carr, said: “We have been creating this new school for Tunbridge Wells over the last two years and have achieved amazing results in our old facilities. With the new building we will be able to give our students even better opportunities.”

Kent County Council Cabinet Member for Education, Learning and Skills, Mike Whiting, said: “It is fantastic to see work get underway and the excitement among the students and staff is clear for all to see. This is a significant investment in education in Tunbridge Wells, which will benefit generations to come. In the immediate months, there will be a welcome boost to the construction industry and knock-on effects for the local economy.”

Willmott Dixon Director of Operations, Jason Wellard, said,"Willmott Dixon are delighted to be working with KCC and The Skinners' Kent Academy on what is going to be an excellent learning and working environment. By Christmas we will have completed the ground floor slabs and will be commencing work on the main structure of the building."

Greg Clark, MP for Tunbridge Wells said “This a ground breaking Academy, transforming the educational landscape of Tunbridge Wells.”

Each team demonstrated the great variety of skills needed to bring a product to market but there could only be two winners:

Stylo for their marketing and presenting skills.

Pink for making the most profit throughout the day.

The aim of the game was to give students a firsthand experience of working as a company and to develop their entrepreneurial skills. They also had the experience of working with business people - which is a great way to get careers advise.

Academy Information, Advice and Guidance Co-ordinator Mrs Leighton said: "The day was fast and furious, sometimes stressful, just like the real world, and hugely exciting."

We'd like to say a big thank you to Margaret Royle from SATRO, an education business partnership, for running the event and to all the businesses and individuals who supported the student teams.

Willmott Dixon – Richard Bartlett, Gary Hedges, Russell Hughes, Andew Overson
NatWest – Caroline Beeson
Thompson Snell & Passmore- Joel Kelly, Laura Harman
Assembly Hall – Cheri Strudwick
Halliwell Care Home-Gillian Forsyth
Arena Pursuits – Peter Reeves
Volunteers - Caroline Clark, Peter Oliver, Paul Sarfaty
Governor - Lynda Myers
Nash Harvey – David Smith
 

Hundreds of coppers (and a few silver coins too!) were used to spell out the letters OAP and SKA. 

A big thank you to all the students and their parents for their contributions.

The money will be used towards providing a Christmas lunch for local pensioners.  The annual event is hosted by the Academy and is totally run by the students who cook the food, dress the table and provide gifts and entertainment.  

The Academy Open Evening for prospective parents and students was held on Tuesday 27th September, between 4pm and 7pm.

It was a great success with around 600 attendees on the one night, that's an increase of around 125% on last year. Students from all year groups were superb ambassadors for the Academy, greeting our guests, guiding them around the event and aiding teachers with the interactive teaching sessions that took place.

Guests were invited to undertake practical activities during a tour of the faculty areas, there were two opportunities to listen to the Principals address (including Governor, parent and students) and information was provided about administrative aspects (admissions, uniform, catering etc.) of the Academy.

Visitors came from 40 different primary schools with strong attendance from our some of our key feeders including Claremont, St James' and St John's.

Feedback from parents has been extremely positive:

"I felt excitement. It was very impressive. It has completely thrown the cat amongst the pigeons
regarding choosing a school for my daughter. This is exactly what Tunbridge Wells needs. I will seriously consider and return with my daughter."

"We have taken every opportunity since Tuesday to speak positively to other parents of our experience of the Academy and wish you all the very best in the exciting times ahead with the continued improvement of results and the completion of the new building."

"The Vision and passion is clearly shared by all. I was very impressed with the year 11 student who was showing me round the science block. When I asked what was the difference between the High School she joined and the Academy she is at, she answered without hesitation, “People believe in me, I now have a future”.

Many families have also visited the Academy during the working day with tour attendances up around 180% on last year.