The rich heritage of the grounds of a Medway school and its surrounding area are now on display with the support of a charitable grant.
St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School has erected two interpretation boards with information about the history of its new site in City Way, Rochester, which it moved to in 2023.
Researched by students from the school, and with £2,650 in funding from the Rochester Bridge Trust, the boards tell the story of the area’s past – from the school’s land being part of the fields of fire for the Napoleonic Wars artillery at Fort Pitt, which was later an important military hospital visited by Queen Victoria and Florence Nightingale, to its transition to being a place of learning.
The boards, one inside the school grounds and the other outside, were formally unveiled by Russell Cooper, Junior Warden at the Rochester Bridge Trust, alongside Deputy Headteacher Victoria Walker, the Trust’s Director of Charitable Projects Nicola Parks and four students.
Russell Cooper said: “Having been in Rochester for more than 600 years, the Rochester Bridge Trust has a longstanding commitment to preserving and celebrating Medway’s history. It was a pleasure to see these boards in situ and explaining the area’s past.
“I was delighted to be introduced to the three students who undertook the research as well as to again meet David Orisa-Kingsley, the Trust’s Harriott Engineering Scholar, who is a student at the school.”
St John Fisher was founded in Chatham in 1964 and moved to its new £40m, single-site premises in 2023.
Victoria Walker added: “The school has been part of the Medway community for 60 years and we are proud of our history of providing an excellent education to children from all backgrounds.
“Not only do these boards tell the fascinating story of our current site and nearby Fort Pitt, they also show what our pupils are capable of and how they can turn their hands to a range of challenges. I am grateful to the Rochester Bridge Trust for making this project possible.”
For more information about grants from the Rochester Bridge Trust, visit www.rbt.org.uk/grants
