The Kemnal Academies Trust is one of the largest Multi-Academy Trusts in the South and East of England with 45 Special, Primary, Secondary and All Through Academies in the TKAT Family.

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Kemnal Academies Trust's secondary school goes from strength to strength.

2025 has been quite a year already for Orchards Academy in Swanley, Kent. Part of the Kemnal Academies Trust (TKAT), the school was judged in the Spring to be Good in all categories under the previous Ofsted framework. In the summer, students celebrated some fantastic GCSE results. There were significant increases in the number of Grade 5s and above in English and maths, and the number of students achieving grade 8s and 9s. And the start of this academic year saw the opening of the new school building. The opening was marked with a special celebration this week.

The event was an opportunity for the Trust and school community to say a particular thank you to the Department for Education, who funded and delivered the project. It was part of the Schools Rebuilding Programme, which the government announced in 2020, and it was great to welcome to the event a number of DFE officials who had been closely involved in the project. There were also representatives from BAM, the building contractors, and Arcadis, the design and engineering consultants, who all played their part in ensuring the project was a success and completed ahead of schedule.

Guests included Councillor Keith Mitchell, Mayor of Swanley, The Rt Hon. Laura Trott, MP for Sevenoaks & Swanley, and representatives from the district council. Councillor Keith Mitchell said: 

"I'm delighted to be able to celebrate this new school - and I'm so pleased the next generations of our community will be able to enjoy all that the new facilities have to offer." 

Local MP Laura Trott said: 

"It was brilliant to join the celebrations and mark the completion of the new school building. Securing the funding was one of my first major campaigns after becoming an MP, and this school is going to be transformative for the children of Swanley and surrounding villages. This has all been made possible because we came together as a community, and I’m so pleased to see the first pupils in their new classrooms.”

Also in attendance were Kemnal Academy Trust members, trustees and senior executives, and local governors, who include former Orchards students and teachers. TKAT CEO Russell Hobby said: 

"I am delighted to see the outcome of the collaboration between TKAT and our partners in bringing the new school to fruition. What an outstanding environment for our students to learn and achieve in.”

The event included a video showing the progress of different parts of the building from the start of construction to now, and guided tours of the school to see the students in their brand new classrooms. Headteacher Hannah Carter introduced and concluded the speeches, and said:

"I am so proud of our school team and our students, and how they kept focussed on teaching and learning throughout the building project. Our community deserves such a fantastic building, and they show that every day."

 

 
 
 

 

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