Folkestone St. Mary's Church of England Primary Academy
Academy converter primary school in Folkestone (Kent).
Location
iSchool location from Get Information about Schools. Nearby schools are coloured by phase. Open Map+ for a full-screen map with neighbourhood deprivation (England only).About
Welcome to Folkestone St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy — a school where every child is known, nurtured, and empowered to succeed in their own way. As Headteacher, my vision for leadership is rooted in transparency, collaboration, and a deep belief in the potential of every child and every member of staff.
I want St Mary's to be more than a place of learning — I want it to be a community where people grow, belong, and thrive. We are proud of our Christian values of Friendship, Forgiveness, Compassion, and Service, which shape our culture and guide our decisions.
These values help us create a safe, inclusive, and ambitious environment where children feel supported and inspired to achieve their very best. At St Mary's, we are building a learning-centered culture that celebrates diversity, prioritises well-being, and holds high standards for all.
We believe that education should be rich in opportunity, full of joy, and deeply connected to the world beyond the classroom.
In the school’s own words, from the school website.
Enrichment
1 activityiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Forest School
Key facts
- URN
- 139310
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 2 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Sixth form
- Does not have a sixth form
- Nursery
- Has Nursery Classes
- Local authority
- Kent
- Constituency
- Folkestone and Hythe
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 2013
Governing body (17 current, 1 former)
iAcademy trust: local governing body and trust board.11 governors are linked to a profile (all confirmed).
Governors marked “Confirmed same person” have exactly the same forename and surname as the only officer of that name at the school’s own academy trust company on the Companies House register, so we treat them as the same person. The governance record itself comes from DfE.
Leadership
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs Kenza Pickford | Chief Financial OfficerTrust officer | since 2026 | |
| Mr Philip Andrew Haynes Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Elected by parents | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Miss Clare Theresa Laws Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Elected by parents | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mrs Dawn Wolley Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mrs Lindsey Maria Smith Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mrs Hilary Diana Grimble Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mr Richard Paez Confirmed same person | Accounting OfficerTrust officer | since 2025 | |
| Mr Richard Paez Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Ex-officio by virtue of office as headteacher/principal | since 2025 |
| Revd Christopher James Johnson Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Ex-officio foundation governor (appointed by foundation by virtue of the office they hold) | since 2025 |
| Mr John Tomlinson | MemberTrust members | Appointed by academy members | since 2024 |
| Mr John William Bird Confirmed same person | MemberTrust members | Appointed by academy members | since 2024 |
| Ms Natalie Fleur Martin Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mrs Emma Lane Confirmed same person | Chair of TrusteesTrust board | Appointed by GB/board | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mrs Claire Frost Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mrs Emma Lane Confirmed same person | MemberTrust members | Appointed by academy members | since 2018 |
| Pcc St Mary and St Eanswythe, Folkestone | MemberTrust members | Original (signatory) members | since 2013 |
| Directors Diocese of Canterbury Academies Company Ltd | MemberTrust members | Original (signatory) members | since 2013 |
| Mrs Julia Briggs Former | Chief Financial OfficerTrust officer | since 2013 · term ended 2026 |
Source: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (governance records, as at 25 October 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Names are shown as published; there are no addresses or contact details. Current and former are worked out from term end dates when the page loads. Object or ask for removal · Report an issue with this record