New £80M school for north Kent garden city

Eastern Quarry Limited (EQL), an entity owned and managed by Henley Camland, a joint venture between Henley Investment Management and Camland Developments, is set to deliver a major new education hub in Ebbsfleet Garden City, Kent.

The £80M Alkerden Academy will offer more than 2,200 places to primary and secondary school pupils, making it one of the largest education facilities ever to be built in Kent.

Located in the Whitecliffe Eastern Quarry Development, the Academy will include a secondary school, up to five-storeys tall, and a two-form entry, two-storey primary school.

The campus will also include a community sports hall and sports pitches, together with related car parking and access roads. Construction is already underway, with a completion targeted for July 2026.

Aiming to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating, the construction work will be completed in a single phase, in order to minimise disruption to the surrounding area.

Ian Rickwood, Chief Executive, Henley Investment Management, said: “The new Alkerden Academy, a major education hub and community sports facility, is at the heart of our plans for this development. We are on site and delivering this all-through school, putting in place vital infrastructure and amenities, to support local residents and new communities that will make Whitecliffe their home. Working with our partners, we are bringing forward new villages and facilitating the delivery of 6,250 homes in Ebbsfleet Garden City.”

Pat O’Hare, Regional Director at GRAHAM, the project’s main contractor, said: “Alkerden Academy is a key component of the Whitecliffe development, providing significant educational and recreational benefits to the Ebbsfleet Valley community. Our team is dedicated to delivering a facility that not only meets the highest standards of sustainability but also provides an enriching environment for students and the community.”