Not so long ago, the name of a school was carved in stone.

Today, many of us find the places we attended have long since shed the identity we associated with them in the pursuit of fresh branding and a reflection of the changing face of education.

Once a struggling school with a terrible reputation would take the plunge and conjure up a name in a bid to disassociate itself with the past.

Today, the avalanche of academies means a name change is frequently the result of a realigning with the organisation which runs it.

Many, many schools across Kent have changed their identity - here are just a handful.

John Wallis Academy, Ashford

For anyone growing up in Ashford during the 1980s, the reputation of the Duncan Bowen School on the once troubled and run-down Stanhope estate rather proceeded it.

But as a multi-million pound renovation of the area took place in the 1990s, it changed its name to Christ Church while also cunningly switching its main entrance from one side of the site to another - a move which meant it lost its Stanhope postcode and adopted one for the expanding neighbouring area of Kingsnorth.

However, it continued to struggle and in 2010 became the John Wallis Academy. Along with a more diverse in-take, the school has since made great strides.

Skinners Kent Academy, Tunbridge Wells

If a school has changed its name three times in 20 years, the chances are it was struggling to throw off a reputation. Skinners Kent Academy has achieved that in some style however.

As Sandown Court its claim to fame was former pupil Sid Vicious - the late hell-raiser of punk pioneers the Sex Pistols.

But after becoming Tunbridge Wells High School in 1999, it morphed ten years later into the Skinners' Kent Academy with new buildings, new ethos and a desire to succeed. It's last Ofsted report rated it as 'outstanding'.

Canterbury High School, Canterbury

When the Frank Hooker School first opened in 1956 it created something of a stir among the folk of Canterbury. As the first co-educational secondary, teaching both boys and girls raised some eyebrows. Taking its name from a former mayor, it found itself struggling when school tables were introduced and in 1990 was the 19th worst in the country.

Then head Keith Hargrave oversaw the change of name to Canterbury High. "It was the best decision I ever made," he later said, "changing the name developed a new ethos for the school."

It subsequently became part of the Canterbury Academy.

Royal Harbour Academy, Ramsgate

There are few schools in the county which have been quite so dramatically influenced by the changes in the schools system over recent years.

When the Ramsgate School went into special measures in 2003, it was replaced, two years later, by the Marlowe Academy - a state-of-the-art building costing £30m and the first of the new breed of academies, funded by former Saga boss Roger De Haan.

But it failed to improve results and after Ofsted termed it 'requires improvement' it was consumed in 2015 with a merger of The Ellington and Hereson School. Renamed the Royal Harbour Academy, pupils are split over the two sites.

Spires Academy, Hersden, Canterbury

Founded in 1935, as Sturry Central, it was designated a secondary modern in the mid 1940s, making its name Sturry Central Secondary Modern - a name it would carry until 1980 when it became the Frank Montgomery School.

But as its reputation began to dwindle - at one stage it was bottom of the school league tables and put into 'special measures' where it languished for a number of years. It effectively closed in 2007 and was reborn as the Spires Academy.

High Weald Academy, Cranbrook

Once upon a time, the Mary Sheafe School for Girls and Swattenden Secondary for Boys decided to merge. And so, in 1971, on the site of the former girls' school in Cranbook, Angley School emerged.

But by 2010 it was in trouble. Served a notice to improve by Ofsted and staggering under a £500,000 debt mountain, it succumbed to the inevitable and became an academy.

Thus in September 2012 it emerged as the High Weald Academy, complete with new uniform.

Folkestone Academy, Folkstone

After years of decline and an unenviable reputation, the Channel School in Folkestone bowed to the inevitable in 2007, when it closed.

Described in 2003 in a KCC report as school with "exceptionally challenging circumstances and struggles with low attainment levels, under-subscription, high turnover and above average levels of special and additional educational need" it was replaced with the purpose-built £40m Folkestone Academy.

The Whitstable School, Whitstable

Opened in 1952 as the Sir William Nottidge, it's reputation started to slip and 'the Nottidge', as it was known, was reborn at the Community College Whitstable in 1998. That name lasted 20 years before it morphed into simply the Whitstable School last year, after an academy takeover was confirmed.

New Line Learning Academy, Maidstone

In 2007, as the rush to convert to academy status started to snowball, Oldborough Manor found itself merged with Senacre Technology College.

As a result the old names were ditched and the New Line Learning Academy installed in its place - along with some swanky new buildings at its site in Loose, near Maidstone.

Oasis Academy, Isle of Sheppey

Opened in 1970 as Sheppey Comprehensive, the school has had more names than most. Renamed Minster College it found itself put into special measures by Ofsted. A solution to solving its troubled reputation was a merger with the Cheyne Middle School to create the Isle of Sheppey Academy in 2009. Spread across the two sites of the schools it replaced, in 2014 it became the Oasis Academy, named after its new trust.

St Augustine Academy, Maidstone

In early 2010, the parents of Astor of Hever School in Oakwood Park, Maidstone, were learning of just what the switch to an academy would involve - and among them would be a change in name.

The following year it re-opened as the St Augustine Academy and three years later moved into new building opposite its former site.

Rainham Mark Grammar, Gillingham

Back in the 1940s there was a shake-up of schools and the introduction of what were known as technical schools to provide a more vocational education. Among them was Gillingham Tech - but by the 1960s they were phased out in Kent and many converted into grammars. After moving sites in 1967 it became Rainham Mark Grammar.

Wilmington Grammar School for Boys, Dartford

Known, up until 1982 as Dartford Technical High School - the school had been one of the original technical schools after emerging as a first a Mechanics Institute and then Dartford Technical Institute. During the 1940s it became a technical school and even offered an agricultural stream - complete with its own farm. That was phased out by the early 1960s and it would eventually, become Wilmington Grammar.

Longfield Academy, Dartford

When it first emerged it was simply the Longfield Upper School. Then the secondary became Axton Chase and in the great rush to academy status became, in 2010, the Longfield Academy - with new modern buildings built on the original site.

Abbey School, Faversham

In 1983, two established single-sex schools in Faversham - the Ethelberts Boys and Lady Chapel School for Girls - took the plunge and amalgamated. In their place was born the Abbey School.

Dover Christ Church Academy

First opened in 1955, Archer Court would keep its original name until 2010 when after several years of posting below-par exam results, it was switched into an academy, co-sponsored by Canterbury Christ Church University - a move which saw it renamed the Dover Christ Church Academy. It subsequently under went a £12m improvement programme.