insideKENT Magazine Issue 77 - August 2018 | Page 162

EDUCATION DALEY THOMPSON SPRINTS INTO KENT COLLEGE The Junior and Senior School children at Kent College Canterbury had the very special honour of meeting the British former decathlete, Mr Daley Thompson, CBE last month. each of the 10 disciplines of the decathlon while Daley gave them some advice. He particularly enjoyed the pole vault and discus training sessions and could not resist joining in. Daley Thompson won the decathlon gold medal at the Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984, and broke the world record for the event four times. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest decathletes of all time, so who better than him to put budding Kent College athletes through their paces on the track and field. At the Junior School, students practiced At the Senior School, Mr Thompson met with the entire school community and in an interview session; he explained to them how he had overcome many challenges to become the best in his field for over 10 years. and rewarding outstanding ability by awarding scholarships for sport. Scholarships are designed to attract talented pupils from all backgrounds who would benefit from the unique educational experience offered by Kent College. The school undertakes to nurture and develop a scholar’s talent; in return scholars are expected to make a significant contribution to school life. Scholarships are offered to pupils at Year 7, 9 and 12, www.kentcollege.co.uk. Kent College is renowned for its sporting success and has a long tradition of recognising PUPILS EVACUATED AT ST LAWRENCE COLLEGE JUNIOR SCHOOL 162 St Lawrence College Junior School in Ramsgate ended the summer term with their annual Speech Day and Prize Giving, which this year also featured a very special black and white film, made in a propaganda ‘home-front’ style, featuring the current Year 6 pupils on their recent history trip. Pupils got the opportunity to see ration cooking, they could ‘wheel and deal’ with ‘Viv the Spiv’, and talk to ladies and gentlemen who were evacuated as children many years ago. Head of history, Chris Brown, said: “It was a thoroughly magical visit that supported the pupils’ history lessons and gave them a truly memorable experience.” The pupils and staff had reenacted the evacuation of children at the start of WW2 and, dressed in costume of the era, were evacuated by steam train from Tenterden Station on the Kent and East Sussex Railway. The station was completely set up as it would have appeared in the 1940s, with staff, actors and station fittings all looking like a period drama. Every year at Speech Day, pupils from St Lawrence College Junior School wear ivy leaves picked from the school building, continuing the tradition started by pupils who were evacuated during WW2 who took ivy leaves off the wall when they departed to remind them of the school while they were away. The video can be viewed on the school’s YouTube channel accessed from www.slcuk.com.