There has been a Church of England School in Leybourne since 1775. In that year the Vicar of Birling, the Rev. Edward Holme, conveyed to trustees a piece of land in the Parish of Leybourne with a house, school room and other buildings erected on it, and transferred bank annuities to them for the endowment of a school for poor boys and girls of the Parishes of Leybourne, Ryarsh and East and West Malling, to be recommended by the church wardens of the respective parishes and approved by the trustees.
The children were to be instructed in reading, writing, Latin, accounts and other useful learning and religious duties according to the principles of the Church of England, until they reached the age of 14 years.
We know this from Hasted’s Volume IV of his ‘History & Topographical Survey of the County of Kent’ The land and buildings mentioned are what is now Leybourne Lodge, in Birling Road on the other side of the M20. The school on the present site was built in 1876, consisting of one classroom and two cottages. The cottage next to the classroom was the home of the Governess and the other cottage the home of the Rectory Gardener. These two cottages are now the private house attached to the school. The rest of the building was constructed in stages in 1935, 1956 and 1986.
In 1997 mobile classrooms were replaced with a new purpose-built prefabricated 4 classroom unit. In 1999 a new Reception classroom was opened by the Bishop of Rochester. The Computer Suite, Music Room and Library were completed in September 2009. These facilities have greatly enhanced the educational experiences of the children.
In March 2017 the school joined the Tenax Schools Trust and converted to Academy Status.
Please click on the link below to see a photo of Leybourne School around 1965
Leybourne School around 1965