Podcast: Folkestone School for Girls headteacher brands Ofsted 'box-tickers' after losing 'outstanding' rating

  • 6 days ago
The Kent candidates for the general election have been confirmed.Nominations had be in by Friday and they've now been checked and verified and published for each constituency.This time around there are 18 seats up for grabs in the county - hear from our local democracy reporter Dan Esson.Also in today's podcast, the head teacher of a Kent grammar school has branded Ofsted inspections "tick-box exercises" after it was stripped of its 'outstanding' status.Folkestone School for Girls has held the top rating for the last 12 years - but has now been downgraded to 'good' by the education watchdog.The boss of a tourist attraction near Sittingbourne says he's losing tens of thousands of pounds because of water works.Bill Best has been speaking to reporter Joe Crossley and says people have been put off coming to the Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway because of nearby "road closed" signs.A gardening group on the Kent coast is stepping up their campaign to tackle food and fuel poverty by creating a community kitchen.Herne Bay in Bloom are already tending the garden in the memorial park that provides free produce.And, a Gravesend shop owner's told KentOnline how rising rents and the end of the Tilbury ferry are among the reasons she's closed.Forget-Me-Not Vintage and Dollshouse on the high street shut for the final time over the weekend - hear from Sarah Cheshire.