The Marsh Academy, formerly Southlands Community Comprehensive School,[3] is a non-selective secondary school in New Romney, Kent, England. The school is supported by the Skinners’ Company.
The school was established in 1588 in the parish of St Nicholas by John Southland, a resident of New Romney. It was established as a school for the poor and endowed as a permanent institution by his will of 1610.[2]
The John Southland Trust scheme was renewed from 22 December 1916 and confirmed by parliament in 1923 "to go to poor children".[4]
In 1956, the grounds were initially used as a prison grounds using the interconnect tunnel underneath the road as an entrance, at a later date the tunnel was filled in due to safety concerns, splitting the grounds into two, one being transformed as commercial property, meanwhile a school was built on the unused land.[citation needed]
From 7 September 1977 until 24 July 2015, the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway provided school trains to transport children to and from the Academy. The service was finally withdrawn due to falling usage.[5]
On 1 September 2007 the school's name was changed to the current name, The Marsh Academy.[6]
Description
A school serving a 1000 children in an isolated rural coastal location.[7]
^ ab"The town and port of New Romney", in The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent, Volume 8; as published online by British History Online. Originally published by W Bristow, Canterbury, 1799.
