In early June more than 35 Dakota planes, supported by an escort of World War Two fighter planes, flew over Maidstone on route from Duxford in Cambridgeshire to northern France. This flyover was part of a series of national events, which were organised in memory of those servicemen and women who gave their lives 75 years earlier on 6^th June 1944 in the famous D-Day landings, which marked a major turning point in World War Two and the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe from Hitler’s rule.

When we heard that the flyover was scheduled for 2.37 pm, towards the end of our afternoon ‘Period 5’ lesson, we felt that this was an opportunity not to be missed. Mr Malone spoke to the whole school on the tannoy, giving students and staff a brief commemorative history lesson, followed by a prayer to remember those who gave their lives. Plans were then put in place for the whole school to go outside in the afternoon to watch the fly-past as a sign of respect. Unfortunately, the event was delayed! We congratulate though many of our students who stayed behind after the end of the school day to watch the event. The planes eventually flew past at 5 pm, directly over our school, witnessed by many staff, and a small number of students who hung on to the last. It was an amazing spectacle, which we felt privileged and humbled to be able to watch.