AN AWARD-winning Bexley school has chalked up its latest accolade.

Blackfen School for Girls has already become a Beacon school for the second year running, as well as being branded an "outstanding" school by Ofsted, and having received School Achievement and Investors in People awards.

Now its head, Louise Sharples, has been to Highgrove, the Gloucestershire home of the Prince of Wales, as the head of one of the country's best schools.

Mrs Sharples received the invitation from St James's Palace and joined heads from other schools around the country for a reception and a tour of the gardens.

The Prince praised schools such as Blackfen and chatted with his guests.

Mrs Sharples almost did not make the event. Her car was broken into en-route and the tailgate window smashed, so she had to brave security checks with plastic sheeting taped to the car.

Afterwards she said: "It was a great honour to represent Blackfen School at a gathering of the best schools in the country."

The school plans to take boys into its 6th form from September and is bidding to become a specialist school for maths and computing.

July 8, 2002 19:00