insideKENT Magazine Issue 30 - September 2014 | Page 130

EDUCATION

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Ashford School
It’s been a busy summer for Ashford School’s drama pupils who have been
performing at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Together, they wrote and produced a play
especially for the festival and spent the first week
of August in Scotland.
“This is almost unique among performers
of their age and is doubly impressive as they
wrote this historical drama themselves,” said
Head Mike Buchanan who travelled to Edinburgh
to watch the cast. “The writing is beautifully
authentic 1940s American English and the script
is well researched.”
The play is set in a claustrophobic and
intense sitting-room party on the eve of Dalton
Trumbo’s appearance at the Committee for unAmerican Activities.

This is the second year Ashford School’s
theatre company, 8PB, have performed at the
festival. Last year they were given a four-star
review by one of the critics.
At Ashford School students and staff are
given every opportunity to extend their learning
and to satisfy their natural curiosities and the
chance to perform at the festival is part of this.
A team of inspectors picked up on the
buzzing school ethos when they visited in March
and declared Ashford School excellent or
outstanding in every one of the 15 categories.
The results of the inspection testify that
Ashford School offers an outstanding education

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where "pupils are excellent learners who enjoy
their work" and where "pupils make excellent
progress". The inspection report comments
further that "pupils' creativity is exceptional" and
that "teaching fosters higher level thinking and
application, enabling pupils to progress rapidly."
The programme of more than 80 co-curricular
activities is judged outstanding; the careers
guidance in the Senior School is exceptional;
and pupils show excellent moral awareness.
Come and see us: 01233 73903
www.ashfordschool.co.uk