Pupils of new Rye StudioSchool arrive with a splash

Not having a school building yet did not limit the intake of the new Rye Studio School.

After a briefing in Rye, Key Stage 5 students took part in an active team building exercises in Northamptonshire on a residential course.

And next week they take part in another residential at Cranbrook as part of the Government backed Social Action programme.

Whilst there they will meet Cabinet Ministers, Olympic athletes and representatives from charities.

They will have a brief to devise a plan or policy that benefits the community or create a new charity or good cause.

Students will then have to source money and put forward a final idea for an event to raise funds and awareness such as a fashion show or concert.

At the end of the exercise they will receive a certificate from the Prime Minister.

The new school building is arriving by lorry in sections, with the first delivery expected to take place on Thursday this week.

The building will then be erected on the Rye College campus over the next 12 days.

Staff and business partners of the new school underwent a three day induction before the first day of term.

Studio School Principal Jo Townshend said: “It has been absolutely superb, the support and interest we have had from within the community has been amazing.

“The Key Stage 4 students have already been working hard this week on an arts, media and photography project looking at the history of Rye and writing a current history of Rye.

“This will then be shared with the medieval city of Rouen in France.

“Students are involved in every level of decision making with the new school.”

Rye Studio School offers the unique combination of traditional qualifications with embedded work placements and links directly with industry.

It is the first school of it’s type in the south of England and students have come to Rye from across a wide area.

Studio Schools are a new type of state school model that has been developed in partnership with local and national employers, leading education agencies and government. They have been designed to equip young people with the knowledge, skills and experiences they need to succeed in life and work.

They are not run by the local education authority and schools have freedom to choose the length of the school day and employment contracts.