Tributes have been pouring in following the death of former Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath who was born in Broadstairs in July 1916.

The school’s flag is flying at half mast at Chatham House Grammar in Chatham Street, Ramsgate, in silent tribute to its famous old boy who died of pneumonia at his Salisbury home on Sunday evening aged 89.

Head teacher John Mathews said: "Staff, governors and boys, past and present, will want to join with me in paying our respects to one of the highest profile old boys of Chatham House. Generations of staff and students watched his career develop with interest as he became one of the elder statesmen of British politics.

"He maintained a regular contact with the school and was a keen supporter of many of our projects, most recently our successful bid as a specialist school for maths, science and computing.

"We have yet to decide how to formally commemorate his link with the school. We want it to be a special tribute and it is something that we will consider during the summer break."

Sir Edward was a student from 1926-1935. School reports show he was a distinguished music scholar and member of the school orchestra, secretary of the debating society, played the archangel Gabriel in the school play, and was scorer for the cricket first eleven.

He failed twice to win a scholarship to Balliol College, Oxford, but went there as a commoner in 1935, supported financially by his parents and a loan from Kent Education Committee.

A senior school house was named 'Heaths' in his honour in the 1960s, and he was special guest in 1997 at the speech day to mark the school’s 200th anniversary.

Born in Broadstairs, he developed a love for music and sang with and conducted the annual Broadstairs Christmas Carol Concerts at the Bohemia Theatre and the Grand Ballroom in the 1960s and 1970s.

Broadstairs and St Peter’s town councillor Cllr Bill Peppiatt sang in the same concerts. He said: "He loved the event and I recall his favourite carol was The Twelve Days of Christmas and I can vividly recall him booming out the line 'Five gold rings'.

"He invited guest musicians to the concerts including Sir Adrian Boult and Andrew Lloyd Webber. He was extremely proud of Broadstairs and St Peter’s where he grew up.

"I think the last time he was in the town was for the unveiling of a tapestry charting the development of the area at the municpal offices at Pierremont Park.

"He was a larger than life character and one of the popular legends surrounding him is that a red carpet was kept at Broadstairs railway station that was rolled out for his arrival."

Cllr Peppiatt is calling for the proposed community hall in Pierremont Park to be named the Sir Edward Heath Memorial Hall in his honour.

He was a keen sailor and was taught seamanship skills by schoolmaster Gordon Knight at Broadstairs Sailing Club.

Former club commodore Richard Noble knew Sir Edward and said: "He joined us in 1952, and sailed a Snipe dinghy and then a Fireball class dinghy, called Blue Heath I and II. He latterly progressed to his yacht Morning Cloud which he sometimes moored at Ramsgate harbour.

"He enjoyed having a pint in the clubhouse and would pop in on a Sunday lunchtime, even when he was Prime Minister, accompanied by a bodyguard.

"He was an affable, friendly chap who was clearly relaxed in this sort of company or at the nearby Tartar Frigate pub at the harbour. Nobody talked politics with him and we just enjoyed a pleasant hour or two.

"He was also keen member of the sea angling club in Broadstairs and took part in local competitions. He will be fondly remembered."

Michael Howard, the MP for Folkestone and Hythe and the current Conservative party leader, said Sir Edward was "one of the political giants of the second half of the 20th century".

Derek Wyatt, MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, spoke of his memories of Sir Edward when he first became an MP.

He said: "When I came into the House in 1997, I could not have expected to find that my next door neighbour in a slightly larger room with countless assistants, would be Sir Edward Heath.

"What I learnt from him was his brilliant ability to settle an audience before embarking on the message. He was bright and witty but kept his own counsel."

Sir Edward was first elected to the House of Commons in 1950 as the Tory MP for Bexley.

He rose to become Conservative party leader in 1964 and was then elected prime minister in 1970, taking over from the Labour Government of Harold Wilson.

But after a number of clashes with a militant trade union movement, Sir Edward called a general election in 1974, which he lost to Wilson.

He then lost the party leadership to Margaret Thatcher in 1975 and later refused to serve in her cabinet.

Sir Edward’s period as prime minister will be remembered for his decision to lead Britain into the European Common Market in January 1973.

He stood down as an MP in 2001 after a political career spanning 51 years.

He maintained his links with Thanet and in particular Broadstairs where he used to live. He was knighted in 1992 and retired from politics in 2001

His funeral is due to take place at Salisbury Cathedral on July 28.