Lord Carey officially opens our new buildings

Ashford Friars Prep School has recently completed a major redevelopment project that has doubled the size of the school.

On Tuesday 8 June we held the official opening ceremony with dignitaries from across the country attending to celebrate the investment and commitment shown by the school, community and United Church Schools Trust (UCST) of whom the school is a member.

The ceremony was opened by the Rt Rev & Rt Hon Lord Carey of Clifton - Chairman of Trustees for UCST/ULT and in honour of his commitment and investment in the school as Chief Executive of UCST and ULT, the new hall in the centre of the building was dedicated honour of Sir Ewan Harper CBE, who was also in attendance.

The celebrations began at 11am and closed at around 2pm following tours around the building and a lunch for attendees. Renowned local author and illustrator, Graham Clarke was also in attendance to entertain the pupils of the school for the day.

Click the attachment to the right to read further details in the programme of the day with further information on Lord Carey, Sir Ewan Harper and Graham Clarke. We would like to heartily thank everyone who has helped in this fantastic project and welcome in all those who wish to see the new school and join us in our enjoyment of the facilities.

More detailed information on the developments can be found at http://www.ashfordschool.co.uk/developments.

Welcome from Mr Yeates - Head of Ashford Friars Prep School

Welcome to the Opening Ceremony of our new buildings at Ashford Friars Prep School.

Over 60 years ago, the doors to Ashford Friars Prep School (then known as Friars School) were opened to a small group of young boys from around the country as a place where they could live and learn within the quiet Kent countryside. Today, the school has developed into a leading co-educational establishment for over 300 children through merging with Ashford School in 2005 and becoming a member of the large group of schools that is the United Church Schools Trust.

The fantastic new buildings that we are here to celebrate today shows the extensive support and investment that has been put into a school which has been a central part of the community of Ashford for decades and secures a bright and prosperous future for both the staff who work here and the pupils who learn here.

At Ashford Friars Prep School, we seek to ‘live the values’ by respecting ourselves and respecting all others. For us, success looks like happy children who are enjoying their learning and making excellent progress, guided by happy and energised staff who know and play their full part in bringing out the best in everyone.
I very much hope you enjoy today’s occasion and that you have the chance to see more of what we feel makes us a very special place in which to learn.

I am extremely proud of what we have achieved over the past five years since Ashford Friars Prep School came into being. Many people have worked extremely hard to create a superb environment in which children can grow and learn and I am confident that the governing bodies of both the former Friars and Ashford schools will be able to look at us today with a sense of pride; they can surely see their decision to merge has enabled us to build the foundations of a strong and outstanding school.

The vision, support and investment from the United Church Schools Trust have all been magnificent. I am personally grateful for the energy, skill, time, persistence and experience which Sir Ewan Harper, our chief Executive, brought to the project. I am also indebted to Mike Buchanan for the emphasis he has put on developing a top class prep school and the faith he has shown in us to deliver just that.

The new buildings have proved to be a magnificent addition to the school. We are so pleased to be back as one, Pre-Prep and Prep, so that all our staff and children can work together and enjoy the wonderful facilities and surroundings which are on offer here at Great Chart. Our parents have numerous opportunities to share in the rich experience and we enjoy a very special and warm relationship with them.

Of course it is the people who are mainly responsible for making us a terrific community, enabling all children to enjoy their school life and have a wealth of opportunity each and every day. However, don’t let people tell you buildings don’t matter! These buildings have had an enormous impact on the daily lives of everyone here – just ask the children, the parents and the staff.

You may ask where this impact is felt. Well, it is felt as you watch the children enjoying their school every single day. The welcoming reception area where parents can freely meet each other and have a cup of coffee whilst waiting to watch an assembly or greeting the children at the end of the day, or maybe stopping to chat with staff; the wonderfully bright ‘Harper Hall’ with its flexible seating and super acoustics; the airy classrooms with elaborate displays; the broad, calming corridors which facilitate a smooth flow around the school with easy viewing into all the rooms to see children engaged and inspired. The children palpably love it and the staff are immensely proud of it; almost daily everyone is making more and more of the enviable opportunities these new facilities have created.

So, I hope you enjoy being in our school - we love it and hope that you do too!

Richard Yeates
Head of Ashford Friars Prep School