Students from the Skinners’ Kent Academy travelled to London yesterday to hand in a petition to Number 10 Downing Street, protesting at the Government’s recent announcement that the Academy’s planned £21 million new building is to be reviewed.

The petition, supporting the view that the building is vital ‘to meet the educational and community needs of Tunbridge Wells, was signed by a large number of students, staff, parents, local primary and secondary schools, community groups, members of the general public and many other supporters.

The petition was presented to Number 10 at 12.30 yesterday by Year 9 students Adam Bannister, Bethan Pierce and Yasmeen Soudani, accompanied by Academy Vice Principal Matt Topliss. A copy of the petition was also handed in to the Houses of Parliament, where they and fellow students Whitney Malyon, Kennedy Blakeley, James Dobbs, Chelsea Styles, Chloe Frew, Abigail Harmsworth, Jabin Garung, Oliver Fordham, Prashant Rana, Christopher English, and Callum Puttock, accompanied by Academy Governor Lynda Myers, enjoyed a brief tour with Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark.

Sian Carr, Academy Principal, commented: “We felt the petition was a good way of not only trying to ensure that our voice is being heard, but of communicating the huge breadth and depth of support for our plans, which will benefit the whole community of Tunbridge Wells. This is a subject that our students are passionate about, so we thought it was entirely appropriate that they should be given the opportunity to present the petition.”