The North School from Ashford has been shortlisted for School of the Year at the county stage of the LTA awards.

All award winners will be revealed at the Kent Tennis Annual Awards Night at Tudor Park Marriott Hotel and Country Club tonight, with all county winners progressing to the regional rounds.

Andrew Sunderland, head coach of The North School’s tennis Academy, said: “It’s a real honour for us to be shortlisted for such a prestigious award and I’m really proud of all of the students and coaches who are involved.

“We may not have much of a history in tennis, but we want to make tennis history by having a lasting impact on the drive to create a more equal sporting landscape.”

The North School launched an all-girls extra curricular programme last May, with the aspiration of providing girls with more opportunities to play.

That programme has flourished and more than 70 girls have taken to the court for weekly coaching.

The North School were crowned champions of the Ashford and District Secondary Schools Tennis League in their first competitive season and have hosted a series of tournaments. These have included the Ashford and Shepway District Secondary Schools tennis festival, The North School tennis championships and the Indoor Doubles Championships.

In addition, The North School delivered tennis coaching to more than 350 students during PE lessons in the summer of 2022 through a curriculum inspired by the LTA Youth Schools programme.

The school’s efforts have even caught the attention of sports giant Nike, who are sending in coaches every week to assist in sessions as part of the Nike Community Ambassador scheme.