The school has been opened to meet the need for more high-quality secondary school places in the local area – specifically to educate the children of families moving into the new Chilmington Green development in Ashford.
The brand-new secondary school has opened with a full Year 7 cohort – 120 students - and will grow a year at a time. It will eventually cater for 1,140 students aged 11-18. A new building is under construction on Chilmington Green Road and, until it is ready, the school will be housed in Jemmett Road. The school building has benefited from an extensive refurbishment and redecoration programme to ensure it can deliver a full Year 7 curriculum.
As a part of United Learning, Chilmington Green School will work closely with Wye School and Ashford School. There will be a number of opportunities for students at the three schools to work together and staff will be able to collaborate and share best practice.
Welcoming the students on their first day, Principal Jonathan Rutland said:
“Thousands of students across the country are beginning their secondary education – an important milestone in any child’s life but as the founding students of Chilmington Green School – today has added significance for you all. As our first students, you all have the opportunity to be part of something incredibly special. You will shape the school as it grows and will be trailblazers for what can be achieved.”
Talking about the first day, Mr Rutland said:
“It’s fantastic to welcome the students this morning. We have been in regular contact with our students and their families over the last term keeping them up to date with the latest developments but it is just brilliant to see the students arrive in their new Chilmington Green School uniform. We have a superb staff team who have been working tirelessly over the past few months to develop everything the school needs to run successfully. We have an exciting future ahead as we build a school which delivers an excellent education to children and young people in this part of Kent.”