The occasion marked a decade since then-Parliamentary Under Secretary for Education and Childcare, and future Prime Minister, Liz Truss MP, officially opened the two new school buildings designed to cater for primary children.

For the celebrations, the school grounds were decorated with balloons and celebratory banners. The clear highlight for the children were the frosted cupcakes, specially decorated in the school’s colours, hand-delivered by Principal Louise Feaver to every child and member of staff.

In addition to the cupcakes, children and staff came together to dance and sing at the end of the day, and even formed a conga line around the playground.

This anniversary was the school’s second celebration in just a few weeks, following swiftly behind Folkestone Primary’s first Ofsted inspection. The school was judged as offering a ‘Good’ standard of education, with ‘Outstanding’ provision in Early Years, Personal Development and Behaviour and Attitudes.

Louise Feaver, Principal at Folkestone Primary, said:

"The last ten years have gone so quickly, and it is fantastic to see how far our school has come. It was lovely seeing children and staff enjoying the celebrations. This anniversary not only marks ten years since we started our journey, but also symbolises a decade of shaping young minds and nurturing future leaders."

Seamus Murphy, CEO at Turner Schools, said:

“I am delighted that Louise and the whole Folkestone Primary community could enjoy such a lovely celebration of the school’s tenth birthday. The school is clearly continuing to go from strength to strength and we all look forward to seeing how it develops over the next ten years."

The opening lines of the heartening report speak about the culture and atmosphere that has been cultivated at the school: “Pupils at Folkestone Primary love the school and feel loved by the school; a close and warm relationship between staff and pupils is present throughout.”

Amongst the highlights, the inspection team point to the school’s exceptional work in Early Years, which is of the ’highest quality’ where sequencing and planning is exceptional, from the very first days of Kindergarten.’  Children do well in reading and maths and the application of knowledge is seen as ‘exemplary’.  Inspectors concluded that “no matter a child’s particular needs or background, they are well cared for and educated at Folkestone Primary.”

The report also recognises that children with special educational needs are well supported as part of an ‘inclusive culture’ at Folkestone Primary, with children achieving the best possible outcomes. 

Inspectors also point to pupils enjoying making decisions about their learning and that they feel encouraged by the lengths leaders go to, going above and beyond to meet the contextual needs of the school.   

More generally, children access a broad curriculum and rapidly become fluent readers, with staff showing expertise in teaching reading. This has helped cultivate a “love of reading” amongst pupils who are “avid readers”, beyond their phonics and reading lessons.

Inspectors also praise the school’s work on pupils’ personal development and behaviour, noting this as exceptional.  The school ‘creates and curates’ a positive environment for behaviour in which pupils are ‘impeccably polite and respectful.’  Behaviour is calm and settled across the school.  There is a deliberately and coherently planned personal development offer and a “cohesive and well-considered approach” to children’s physical and mental wellbeing.  Tolerance and learning how to play a positive role in their local community is also prioritised. 

Finally, leadership, supported by Turner Schools and governors is recognised in the report, as having contributed to strengths seen across the curriculum and the development of subject leaders.

Louise Feaver, Principal of Folkestone Primary said:

“We are incredibly proud of our school and what we have achieved during our first inspection.  I feel privileged to work with such a dedicated team who put the children at the heart of all that they do.  Folkestone Primary is a special place and we are delighted that this was encapsulated throughout the report.”  

Seamus Murphy, CEO of Turner Schools said:

“We are all very proud of what Louise and her team have achieved. A school’s very first Ofsted grade is a milestone moment, and it is wonderful to see that the inspection team have recognised what a great school Folkestone Primary is and really captured the ethos and culture that the team have created. My congratulations to Louise and the whole Folkestone Primary team!”

The pupils, from Morehall Primary, Folkestone Primary, and Martello Primary were captivated by James’ bike skills, before eagerly quizzing him on how he first became involved with the sport and achieved such success. 

The champion cyclist performed a wide range of different tricks as part of his exhibition, including jumps and flicks as well as completing a complicated raised obstacle course. He showed tremendous control and athleticism over the course of the display and wowed the watching pupils.

The exhibition was designed to raise interest and excitement about cycling for the pupils. 

Learning to ride a bike is a skill which features in the Trust’s ‘Turner 25’ offer, with primary school aged pupils first developing their motor and balance skills on balance bikes before working up to safe independent bike riding via the Bikeability programmes.

Pupils at Martello Primary commented:

Bella-Rose - "It was amazing when James was on the roof of the van and landed on the bottle top - I didn't think he was going to be able to make it but he did!"

Hannah - "I thought it was cool when James jumped over Mrs Lythgoe - thank you for keeping her safe!"

Lola - "It made me laugh when James couldn't jump because the crowd wasn't loud enough, so we had to cheer even louder!"

Archie - "I couldn't believe James was on top of the van on his bike!"

Jasper - "I was so impressed that James could ride a bike backwards - I want to practise so that I can do that!"

Nicholas: I thought the bike show was cool and crazy, it inspired me to practise on my bike. Next year I hope he comes to the secondary school that I am going to.

Louise Lythgoe, Director of Primary Improvement at Turner Schools, commented: “The importance of developing healthy minds and bodies from a young age cannot be underestimated, and that’s why we build in exciting and memorable enrichment opportunities such as this for the pupils in our schools. I hope that this experience encourages children’s participation in fitness activities - who knows, we might have the next British Trials Champion amongst our pupils!” 

Book Week is an annual event for Turner Schools, which organises a full calendar of activities across the week. The aim is to build on the appeal of World Book Day by bringing pupils, families and staff together to appreciate the importance of literature, and the joy which can be found within it. 

Over the course of the week:

• At Folkestone Primary, pupils designed an Egg Box Character, dressed up as their favourite book character, browsed a Scholastic Book Fair where they could use their National Book Tokens to buy books, and were treated to a visit from local author and illustrator Katy Towse. They also decorated their classroom doors with their favourite stories, took part in book-themed dance workshops, and hunted for Golden Tickets - hidden around the school grounds where children who found them would receive a new book. The school also invited parents in for a DEAR - Drop Everything and Read - event with their children. 

• At Martello Primary, parents were also invited in to read with their children as well as to participate in a World Book Day Celebration Assembly. Children also competed to design the best potato character, participated in author workshops with Loris Owens and competed in the Big Book Quiz. Teachers also read to different classes after school and before lunchtime.

• At Morehall Primary, pupils designed a National Book Token cover, dressed up as their favourite book character, visited Cheriton Library, and participated in the Masked Reader competition where they had to guess the teacher behind a mask while they read an excerpt from their favourite book. Pupils also joined in with the Scholastic Book Fair and the book-themed dance workshops.

Aleysha, Year 3 Morehall: 

“I really enjoyed trying to guess which teacher was reading in "The Masked Reader" and I'm so excited to start reading my book that I was able to get from the library. Book Week is always so much fun!”

Louise Lythgoe, Executive Head Teacher and Primary Improvement Team Lead at Turner Schools, said: 

“We know that getting children excited about reading at a young age is key to developing a life-long love of reading. This is important for children’s educational development, but more than that, it’s about helping them realise how much joy they can find in books. 

“There’s no question that Book Week was a fantastic success and our children loved taking part in such a wide range of activities. Everyone got so involved and it was wonderful to see so much laughter and happiness across our school with such a creative range of activities based around reading.”

The five schools within the trust - Folkestone Academy, Turner Free School, Morehall Primary, Folkestone Primary, and Martello Primary - worked together and independently to organise activities as part of the trust-wide community engagement programme.  

Throughout the week pupils took part in a range of lessons, presentations, and workshops to celebrate different aspects of diversity. Guest speakers shared their knowledge and experiences; the overall aim being to develop pupils' awareness, appreciation, and understanding of those who may be different to themselves, and to inspire and provide role models for those pupils who may not not see themselves reflected in everyday life.

Some of the main activities this year included:

• Visit of Sir Stephen Wall

  • Sir Stephen spoke to pupils in Years 11, 12, and 13 about LGBT rights and what it was like for him growing as a gay man and working as a British Diplomat at a time when it was unacceptable to be part of the LGBT community.

• Visit of Wordly Wise Ambassador Mark Parrin

  • Mark talked about his physical disability and what it is like being in a wheelchair. He shared stories of some of the challenges he’s faced, such as being left on aeroplanes for hours because airport assistance hasn’t been available and having his wheelchair destroyed by baggage handlers. Mark highlighted the importance of having a positive attitude when facing adversity.

• Nathassia Devine Performance 

  • Chart topping, electronic music artist Nathhassia performed to pupils in Years 7 and 9. Her music promotes inclusivity and kindness. Nathassia also talked about her experience of being bullied as a child because of her multi-cultural heritage and the impact that that had on her mental health. She encouraged pupils to be kind and accepting of each other and to speak up if they ever felt unhappy.

• Positivity Pebbles

  • Year 7 pupils at Folkestone Academy spent the week reflecting upon aspects of diversity that were important to them. They each decorated a pebble to promote inclusion and kindness which they then placed in areas around the town.

• Books for Change

  • Emily Ghassenpour from Books for Change worked with pupils throughout the primary schools, delivering anti-racism workshops. She encouraged pupils to reflect upon what we mean by the term racism and how people feel when they are treated differently because of the colour of their skin. 

• Library visits

  • Pupils in Year 2 visited their local libraries to have a storytime session with books that promote inclusion. Staff from the library read The Proudest Blue and And Tango Makes Three; the children then had a discussion about the stories and why it’s important to have diverse characters represented in books. They then made posters for a display in the library to promote books with diverse themes.

• The Beacon Plus

  • During the primary school week, both Martello Primary and Folkestone Primary carried out activities with The Beacon Plus. Year 6 children from Martello visited the Beacon Plus Community Cafe on Tuesday and enjoyed time with the learners there, hearing about the work that they do and their goals for the future. On Thursday, Year 6 pupils at Folkestone Primary were treated to a talk from one Beacon Plus learner about autism and then they were joined by 16 other learners from the provision who spent the morning chatting and playing games with the children.

• Young Animators Club

  • Year 4 and 5 pupils at Morehall Primary participated in an animation workshop which was delivered by the Young Animators Club. They discussed what it means to be neurodivergent and then created animators that reflected how neurodivergent people might feel in different situations.

Katy Tibbles, Stakeholder and Community Engagement Manager at Turner Schools said: 

“As a trust, we're passionate about developing our pupils into well-rounded individuals with open minds and an appreciation for a diverse society. Whilst inclusion is part of our everyday practice, we use these weeks to really celebrate and focus on diverse topics. Essentially, our goal is to develop our young people into well rounded, open-minded adults who appreciate living in a diverse society.”

Am’e Moris, Principal at Morehall Primary said: 

“It’s incredibly important that our children learn about inclusion. Diversity Week encourages kindness, understanding and empathy. The children have had lots of fun participating in the activities this week, but most importantly, they have developed knowledge and an appreciation for a diverse society.”  

Ben, Year 12 pupil at Folkestone Academy said: 

“The talks this week have been really interesting. They have broadened my perspective; I really enjoyed the talk on LGBT history.”

Sophie, Year 9 pupil at Turner Free School said: 

“Diversity week has made me think more about others and the importance of being kind to each other.”

Olive, Year 5 pupil at Martello Primary said:

“This week we have learnt that it doesn’t matter if you are different, or think that you are different, everyone is important and special. Everyone deserves to be treated the same way and not different because of the way they look or feel.”

The hampers included ingredients for a Christmas dinner, excluding meat products, and helped bring festive cheer to families across Folkestone. The project was funded by a £2,000 donation from Folkestone Rotary Club and £900 from Folkestone Town Council, as well as £415 donated by Turner Schools staff. This last figure was match-funded by the Trust.

Katy Tibbles, Senior Stakeholder and Community Engagement Manager at Turner Schools, said:

“We were delighted to offer families across Folkestone these festive hampers. We know how tough life is right now for too many families and so we wanted to do what we could to help out. Hopefully this brought a smile to people’s faces and allowed them to have a really special Christmas. Thank you to the Folkestone Rotary Club, to Folkestone Town Council, and of course to our fantastic staff for their support in making sure we can offer these hampers.”

Sarah Morgan, Director of Secondary Improvement at Turner Schools, said:

“Our aim was to bring festive cheer to those in need and to show everyone the Turner spirit. I am so proud of the staff members who donated to this project, as well as those who offered their time to help us pack up and deliver these hampers. I am delighted that we have been able to offer these hampers to so many families this Christmas.”

The aim of the week was to broaden pupils’ awareness of what is meant by diversity and inclusion; to encourage pupils to develop a greater sense of empathy and understanding towards those who are different to themselves; and to gain an appreciation for the diverse community in which we live.

Events included:

• Neurodiversity workshops with The Young Animators Club - Pupils participated in workshops on the concept of neurodiversity and how it feels to be neurodiverse, before producing animations to reflect their thoughts.

• Anti-racism workshops with Books for Change - Pupils actively engaged in workshops delivered by Books for Change where they talked about the impact of racism and the importance of treating people equally. 

• Mark Parrin (Ambassador at Wordly Wise) - Mark delivered assemblies to Year 10 pupils at Folkestone Academy and Turner Free School, sharing his story of how he became paralysed in his mid-twenties, and how having a positive attitude has helped him to live a full and rewarding life. He went on to talk about the work he does now to support other people living with disabilities.

• Mr Lea Baynes, teacher at Folkestone Academy - Delivered assemblies at all schools about his experience of being transgender., speaking openly and honestly about the challenges he faced as a teenager and the struggles of trying to ‘fit in’ before realising that he was transgender. 

• Folkestone and Hythe District Council - Deputy Leader Cllr Jenny Hollingsbee and other Council representatives spoke to pupils about diversity in the workplace, looking at the 9 protected characteristics and why having a diverse body of employees makes the workplace a more successful and happier environment.

• Hearing impairment specialists from Kent Supported Employment  - Helped pupils to understand what it’s like to be hearing impaired and what they can do to support members of the community with these needs.

• Storytime with Dita the Drag Queen - To end the week, pupils spent the day with Dita the Drag Queen, reading stories about gender differences, using appropriate pronouns, and inclusive language. They got to know Dita, asked them questions, enquired about their job, their life, their own experiences at school, and learned exactly what it looks like when somebody, who may initially appear different in some way, is happy and confident and able to express themselves however they see fit.

A Year 7 pupil from Folkestone Academy said:

“This week I have learnt to be more respectful and considerate of other people's feelings. We should celebrate the differences between us; no one should experience discrimination.”

Seamus Murphy, CEO at Turner Schools, said:

“As a trust we embrace the diverse culture in which we live and we want our pupils to grow up having confidence in themselves, no matter what their situation may be. This week, pupils have had the opportunity to explore a wide range of issues and have heard first hand from people with diverse backgrounds. Pupils from all age ranges have approached the week with interest and maturity and I know that they have gained a huge amount from these experiences.”

Katy Tibbles, Community Engagement Manager at Turner Schools, said:

“It has been a privilege to work with such a diverse group of people throughout the week. I am incredibly grateful for the contributions made by members of the wider community and the stories that they have shared with us.”