Let’s celebrate our local schools

Rye College students were joined by young pupils from Winchelsea and Guestling schools for an amazing colourful street carnival through the streets of Rye (pages 44 and 45) while Winchelsea Primary pupils created some incredible exhibits for their project on Australia. (page 5 and 43).

The big thing to celebrate this week is Rye College which has followed up improved exam results in recent years with being classed as a good school with strong leadership in a tough Ofsted inspection.

It is a remarkable achievement for a school that, less than a decade ago, was deemed to be failing and a tribute to the vision and leadership of Ann Cockerham and her team.

And with the new Studio School set to open in September we can see why the Ofsted inspectors were supportive of Ann’s aim to create a ‘learning village at the heart of the local community.’

Still on the subject of local schools, well done to Sarah Owen for raising the profile of the plight of children at Playden Primary School who are still without a school hall. The daily disruption of converting a class into a hall is totally unacceptable in 21st century school life.