A secondary school has been hailed a success by Ofsted inspectors - just five years after its predecessor was shut down amid a series of controversies.

Reporter Oliver Leonard takes a tour of the Turner Free School in Folkestone to find out just how much the site has changed in such a short space of time, and what the future holds for its staff and pupils...

In 2017, education chiefs made the shock decision to shut down Pent Valley Technology College in the wake of terrible exam results and a drastic fall in pupil numbers.

The year before, just 15% of pupils had secured the benchmark five A* to C grades in their GCSEs - down from 48% in 2012.

The school's popularity had also plummeted, with the number of children choosing it as their first choice falling by almost 70% in three years.

The decision to shut the site was not an easy one, with parents and campaigners taking to the streets to protest against its closure.

Furthermore, 162 members of staff were made redundant.

A year later, the site was sold by Kent County Council to the Turner Schools Trust, which announced it would build a new school on the land.

Turner Free School welcomed its first cohort in 2018, with Year 7 pupils learning from temporary buildings and old Pent Valley classrooms to begin with.

Work then continued to create the new school, which was finished in 2021.

As I was given a tour around the new buildings this month by executive principal Kristina Yates, it was clear to see the drastic changes that had been made.

The site was extremely modern, with the latest technology, updated curriculum and even a university-type lecture hall on display.

Ms Yates said: "We started this school with the premise that every single child in Folkestone had a really good education.

"From starting out in portacabins to settling into our superb new building, it has been a real journey for all of us here.

"But we all know this is just the start for Turner Free School, and everyone here is committed to using this inspection as a foundation we can continue to build upon."

In its first full Ofsted inspection since opening, the school has been rated "good" across every category.

According to inspectors, Turner Free School is now a "well managed, calm and orderly Folkestone school".

They highlighted the support the school receives from Turner Schools Trust, commenting that "trustees and governors are skilled, knowledgeable and extremely well-informed about the school’s standards".

The report went on to praise both teachers and pupils for their "hard work".

Inspectors also found that pupils feel safe at the school and are keen to be involved in extra-curricular activities.

Ms Yates told KentOnline the success is down to the staff and the Trust "believing in the vision of the school".

"We have fantastic staff here, the teachers have come on the journey with us and its been great to see them grow along with the pupils," she added.

In 2018, Turner Free School started with 120 Year 7 pupils and in five years has grown to more than 800 across all year groups.

Ms Yates recognises how important Pent Valley was to many people and is grateful for the support the new school has received.

She said: "I know that Pent Valley was loved by lots of people and we are really lucky that people have embraced that with us as well.

"Every school in our town is now good or outstanding, which is what our children deserve.

"I am so proud of the wonderful staff and pupils we have here at Turner Free School, and we are all delighted to have this glowing Ofsted report.

"The report isn’t the be all and end all but we are really delighted with it. Everything we do is for our children.

"This is the end result of a tremendous amount of hard work from everyone here and it is fantastic to have these efforts recognised by Ofsted."

Looking ahead, the school will be expanding its offering even further this autumn.

Ms Yates added: "The school's sixth form is opening in September. We have been getting applications from all different schools in Folkestone.

"This is the next stage of our journey."

The Turner School Trust now runs five schools in Folkestone - Folkestone Academy, Morehall Primary, Martello Primary, Folkestone Primary and Turner Free School.

Seamus Murphy, CEO at Turner Schools Trust, added: "Congratulations to everyone at Turner Free School on this glowing report.

"They should all be extremely proud of themselves for their efforts and for their success.

"We all see the great work taking place every day at the school and I am so pleased that Ofsted have recognised and praised this.

"I look forward to seeing the school continue to move from strength to strength and continue to develop their provision for the future, as we continue to do everything in our power to support them."