News Stories
Bredgar CE Primary School Shines in SIAMS Inspection
Bredgar Church of England Primary School is celebrating the outcome of its recent Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS), which highlighted the school’s strong Christian ethos and commitment to nurturing its pupils and wider community. The inspection, which took place on 4 March 2025, recognised the school’s ability to enable pupils and adults to flourish in a caring and compassionate environment.
Inspectors praised Bredgar CE Primary for its deeply embedded Christian vision, which is rooted in the parable of the mustard seed (Mark 4:31-32). This vision underpins the school’s ethos, inspiring kindness, respect, and ambition among pupils and staff alike.
Key strengths identified in the report include:
- Compassionate and committed leadership that motivates and inspires staff, pupils, and parents, ensuring that the school’s Christian vision influences every decision and action.
- A rich and meaningful collective worship programme, which unites the school community and strengthens its identity as a Church school.
- A nurturing and inclusive environment, supported by strong partnerships with the local church and Our Community Multi Academy Trust (OCMAT), enabling both pupils and staff to grow in confidence and ambition.
- An engaging and inspiring curriculum, tailored to support all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive.
As part of Our Community Multi Academy Trust (OCMAT), Bredgar CE Primary School embodies the Trust’s core values of Community, Compassion, and Inclusion ensuring that every child is supported in their learning and personal growth. CEO David Whitehead commented, ‘We are very proud of this much deserved outcome for Bredgar CEP School, the report captures exactly why it is such a wonderful place to be for all our children and staff’.
The report also highlighted the school's commitment to developing pupils’ spiritual growth, with opportunities for reflection through initiatives such as Forest School. Furthermore, Bredgar’s well-planned Religious Education (RE) curriculum was recognised for its depth and diversity, fostering thoughtful discussions on worldviews and beliefs.
Headteacher Miss Joanna Heath expressed pride in the report’s findings, stating: “We are thrilled that the SIAMS inspection has recognised the strength of our school’s Christian ethos. Our vision of growing together as a nurturing community is at the heart of everything we do, and this report is a testament to the dedication of our staff, pupils, parents, and church partners. We will continue to build on this success, ensuring that every child flourishes at Bredgar.”
Moving forward, the school will focus on deepening pupils’ understanding of social justice and expanding opportunities for spiritual development across the curriculum.
For more information about Bredgar CE Primary School and its latest achievements, please visit www.bredgar.kent.sch.uk.
Employee Appreciation Day - 7 March 2025
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Lydd Primary are Official Guinness World Record Holders!
Pupils at Lydd Primary School have officially made history! Back in October 2024, KS2 pupils took part in a Guinness World Record attempt for the world’s largest poetry lesson, led by poet Laura Mucha. After months of careful evidence checking, we are delighted to share that the attempt was successful – Lydd pupils are now record breakers!
The poetry lesson, which involved schools from across the country, was an exciting opportunity for pupils to develop their love of poetry while being part of something truly special. The challenge required strict guidelines to be followed, with official observers ensuring everything met Guinness World Record standards. The anticipation was high as pupils waited for confirmation, and now they can proudly say they’ve helped set a new world record!
A huge well done to everyone involved – what an amazing achievement!
National Read Aloud Challenge 2024
Exciting News: OCMAT have been highly commended!
We are absolutely thrilled to announce that our Multi-Academy Trust has been highly commended following being shortlisted as a finalist for the MAT of the Year in the 2024 National Read Aloud Challenge!
With over 10,000 children involved nationally and a staggering 185,000 reading sessions recorded, your efforts have truly set our Trust apart as a leading contender.
Congratulations to all our schools and every pupil involved! Let's continue to inspire a generation of passionate readers!
In addition to OCMAT being named a finalist in the prestigious National Read Aloud Challenge, we also held an exciting in-house competition. We are thrilled to announce that Mr. David Whitehead, our CEO, presented a shield to this year’s two winning schools. A huge congratulations to them! But the big question remains – who will claim the shield next year?
All of our participating schools received a certificate of achievement and a National Book Token to purchase books for future assemblies, helping to foster a love for reading. A big well done to everyone who took part! The final results of the national competition will be revealed soon. Good luck to all our schools – we’re cheering you on!
The Oaks Infant School and Bredgar Church of England Primary School can proudly display their winning shields.
Selling CE Primary School Completes Sponsored Walk to Victory
On 21 October 2024, marking the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, pupils, staff, and supporters of Selling CE Primary School undertook a sponsored walk from the school to Chatham’s Historic Dockyard, where HMS Victory was constructed in 1759. The event aimed to raise funds for the purchase of a school minibus, which will greatly benefit Selling's school community. The date was chosen to honour the strong historical connection between Selling and the Battle of Trafalgar. Stephen Hilton, a Master's mate aboard HMS Minotaur, returned to Selling with two flags from the battle. These flags were kept in St. Mary the Virgin Church in Selling for many years and can now be viewed at the Greenwich Maritime Museum.
Selling CE Primary School is a small, rural school serving a diverse community. The lack of transportation limits the school's access to educational trips, extracurricular activities, and opportunities in music and sports. The funds raised from this walk will go towards improving these essential access needs for our children.
Selling CE Primary School's Crowdfunding page
Listen to BBC Radio Kent's live radio interview with us!
Borden CE Primary School get a visit from Gladiator 'Steel' and Pudsey for Children in Need
BBC News article