A campaign to secure a new secondary school in the Weald is gaining pace.

Following two public meetings earlier this month, Cranbrook and Sissinghurst Parish Council chairman Kim Fletcher has organised an online session to discuss the next steps.

It comes after fears were raised about the shortage of pre-school, primary and secondary options in the area, with fears some children were forgoing their education altogether due to a lack of options.

Cllr Fletcher said: “While Cranbrook is taking the lead, this is an issue for all of the 13 parishes that used to send their secondary school children to the High Weald Academy.”

Since that school’s closure in 2022, children from Cranbrook and its surrounding villages have had to take long bus journeys to schools in Tenterden, Paddock Wood, Maidstone or Wadhurst.

Cllr Fletcher said: “I’d particularly like to hear from Parent Teacher Associations.

“They’re the ones with a stake in their children's future – and in their grandchildren’s.

“We need to build a grass-roots movement to make the case clear.”

Cllr Fletcher's idea is for a skills-based vocational school, catering for 11 to 16-year-olds.

He said: “I note that the failing Oasis school in Sittingbourne is to be replaced by two schools, one of which will be a vocational school run by the EKC Schools Trust.

“On Desert Island Discs at the weekend, the guest was entrepreneur Patrick Grant, a judge on the Sewing Bee, and he was lamenting how many of us have lost touch with the basic skills.

“I think the time for vocational education has come. Not everyone wants to take the academic route to university.”

There is a vacant field in Cranbrook, owned by Kent County Council (KCC), called the Long Field, which would be an ideal spot for the new school, he says. It is almost opposite the old High Weald Academy site, which has been turned into the specialist Snowfields Academy for children with autism.

Cllr Fletcher said: “The solidarity shown across the parishes at the meetings was great to see.

“Now we need to flesh out an action plan.”

Residents who were unable to attend the public meetings can view a link to the discussions here, where there is also a draft action plan.

Cllr Fletcher has been advised that a new school would require an intake of around 100 children from local primary schools each year.

He said: “This is the number we have to prove to the Department of Education would leave our primary schools and be up for an alternative to Mascalls or Homewood.”

He is asking the parish council involved to calculate how many new homes they are expecting in their areas, which will add to the demand for school places.

Anyone interested in taking part in the Zoom discussion at 7pm on Wednesday, November 8, is asked to email Cllr Fletcher on chairman@cspc.org.uk

Numbers will be limited to 100.

The parish councils at Rolvenden, Hawkhurst, Lamberhurst, Sandhurst, Benenden, Goudhurst, Staplehurst, and Tenterden Town Council have been specifically invited.

A spokesman for KCC said: “High Weald Academy was closed by the Secretary of State for Education because an insufficient number of pupils attended, meaning the school was not financially viable.

“The regulations require local authorities to show there is a need for a new school before seeking proposals to establish an academy via the Free School Presumption process.

“The local authority must also demonstrate to the Secretary of State that such a school would be financially viable.

“Currently the number of pupils is too low to make the case for a new secondary school.”

However, that is disputed by campaigners.

They have calculated the 13 primary schools in Cranbrook and its satellite villages have 2,104 children currently, of whom roughly 15% will look to start secondary school each year – that’s 315.

On average, 55% of Kent children either fail or do not take the Kent Test to qualify for a grammar school, suggesting 173 children from the Weald are looking for a non-selective place each year, which in turn suggests across all year groups, they could fill a school just to GCSE level with 866 students.