Academy is aiming high

Freehold Community School has become Freehold Community Primary Academy. To celebrate the change the Academy council buried a time capsule and all the pupils held a balloon launch. Pic shows councillors with head boy Abu-Darda Khan (left) and head girl Maheeda Bibi holding the time capsule. Back row left to right are Erica Lees (Asst. Principal), Debra Warren (Vice-Principal), Helen Rowlands (CEO Focus Trust), Angela Leach (Principal).

YOUNGSTERS at Freehold Community School buried the past and released the future.

The school, in Sidmouth Street, celebrated becoming an academy with the burial of a time capsule and the release of hundreds of balloons to signify its ambitions to aim high.

Every pupil at the renamed Freehold Community Primary Academy got the chance to contribute to the contents of the time capsule — which was buried in the memorial garden — with nursery children placing their handprints and names on a scroll and reception children doing the same with footprints.

It also contains postcards to their future selves, diary entries, videos of their recent arts week and a Powerpoint presentation of the school’s history, which began way back in 1880.

The intention is to dig up the capsule in seven years’ time when the nursery children reach Year 11.

Principal Angela Leach said: “Every child contributed something to the time capsule. It was a lovely day with all sorts of activities going on. The children really enjoyed it.

“Becoming an academy will help us to continue to move forward and provide the best learning opportunities we can for our children.”

The school is being sponsored by Focus Trust.


PUPILS at Freehold Community Primary Academy release balloons (right) to celebrate the schools conversion to an academy and (below) head boy Abu-Darda Khan and head girl Maheeda Bibi hold a time capsule, watched by (back) assistant principal Erica Lees, vice-principal Debra Warren, Focus Trust chief executive Helen Rowlands, principal Angela Leach and other pupils