KeepKings update: November newsletter

It may seem that KeepKings.Org has been rather quiet recently but a lot has been going on in the background.

Helping to Promote Kings

We have supported the recruitment of new pupils by purchasing some of the banners you may have seen in the area during September and October advertising the Open Evening, delivering hundreds of leaflets, and letting the school know when more information packs have been needed by feeder schools.

Promoting Commitment to Kings

Although we have not been furthering the Oasis Academy option publicly, we have been working hard behind the scenes.

Representatives of KeepKings met with Lord Hill at the Department of Education (DfE) to discuss the options for Kings, and have had regular contact with DfE personnel since then.

We have also helped to clear up a misunderstanding that Ian Hylan (Executive Head for Kings) had in thinking that Oasis were not interested in sponsoring Kings. Steve Chalke, the CEO of Oasis, has repeated both verbally and in writing that Oasis ARE very interested, and have made a formal request to the school to perform a feasibility study to become a Sponsored Academy. David Adams, chair of the IEB has replied saying he had filed the letter as they were busy with the Open Day. Now this has passed we are looking forward to seeing the results of this study.

Representatives of KeepKings.Org also met with Nick Wilson, Director of Children’s Services at Surrey County Council. Mr Wilson has stated he will ‘strongly advise’ the IEB of Kings to undertake a feasibility study with Oasis Community Learning, as well as asking the DfE for more academy sponsors to be included too. We are looking forward to catching up again with Nick Wilson during November.

We have meetings arranged over the next few weeks with Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education, and with Ian Hylan to discuss the options open to Kings and why we feel the Oasis sponsorship option will give Kings the secure future it needs to retain the educational choice of three successful independent secondary schools in Surrey Heath.

Join us

It is important that we all understand the options for Kings and for educational choice in Surrey Heath.  KeepKings meets regularly and we welcome new members from the community to promote a successful Kings.

We now have a KeepKings phone number, so please contact us by phone or text on 07912 620538, or by email at KeepKingsOrg@gmail.com. Or visit our website at http://keepkings.org

Why visit Kings Intl College this Thursday? Parents explain…

In this video current parents of pupils at Kings International College in Camberley say why it’s a good idea to visit the college this Thursday.

If you want to talk to a current Kings parent, send an email to kings parent

If you are the parent of a year 5 or 6 pupil at one of these local schools, or at one of the independent schools near Camberley, then please come along at 6pm or 7:30pm and meet the pupils and staff, or call the college on 01276 683539 to book a morning tour before 20th Oct.

New DVD available for Surrey Heath parents

The new information DVD for parents of 10 and 11 years olds is available now from Kings International College. If you live in Camberley, Frimley, Frimley Green, Mytchett, Ash Vale, Bagshot, Lightwater, Farnborough, Yateley, Sandhurst or Bracknell then please call for your copy on 01276 683539. The DVD includes college activities and resources, an intro from the Principle and “vox pops” from pupils and staff.

Here’s a taster…

See you on the 6th of October at 6pm!

Experience Kings International College on 6th October

If you have been wondering why there has been so much passionate support for your local school in Camberley, then the annual Open Day for new students and their parents/carers is your opportunity to find out.

Come along after 6pm and meet the dedicated teachers; the enthusiastic students; and hear how the new leadership will make your time with Kings successful and memorable.

If you you can’t get there on the 6th October, you can have your own personal tour by making a booking on 01276 683539 (make sure you mention you heard about it on KeepKings.org!)

If you are lucky to be in year 6 now, then ask your teacher about the all-day magical wizard-school event at Kings just for you on 29th September.

And if you want to be put in touch with a real “Kings” parent and ask about their experience – then just email us at KeepKingsOrg@gmail.com

 

 

 

Who are KeepKings?

Kings International College for Business and The Arts in Camberley is currently run by Surrey County Council in a soft federation with Tomilinscote School and Sixth Form in Frimley.

CAM is a group of people brought together by the desire to ensure educational choice and excellence in Surrey Heath. We are made up of parents with children at both secondary schools as well as local primary “feeder” schools, local residents and councillors. CAM has an elected, executive committee, and open meetings are held each week to which anyone is welcome.

KeepKings is a committee made up of parents of Kings students, with the support of CAM. Our mission is the establishment of a “strong, independent and successful Kings providing a choice of excellent schools in  Surrey Heath”.  After debate of the options, KeepKings has concluded that soft-federation will not achieve these aims and that the best option for Kings International College would be conversion to an academy with a strong and successful academy sponsor.

• Soft-federation will not enable Kings to become a strong, independent and successful school while it is the junior partner to a stronger school with overlapping catchment areas.
• Hard-federation amounts to a merger/takeover and removes choice for children and parents.
• Surrey County Council community school (as Kings was before special measures) would not provide Kings with the ambitious leadership and resources to build a strong, independent future.
• Sponsored Academy – the best option for Kings. A school in a national group of academies, managed and supported by a strong Partner Academy Provider.   KeepKings would like Kings to become a sponsored academy with the Oasis Community Education – a national educational charity with a record of building successful schools with a community hub.   Kings will become a distinctive and successful school providing children and parents with a real choice for an excellent education. [Note that converted academies may not become selective and they must provide the core, government defined national curriculum and must fulfil the same obligations for the support of students with educational or social needs.]

We are able to demonstrate significant support for the aims of KeepKings and for the sponsored academy option from a wide cross section of the Surrey Heath community, including current Kings parents, parents of children in local feeder schools and local councillors.

We have submitted a request to the Department of Education and Surrey County Council for Kings to become an academy with the support of Oasis Community Learning.

If you would like to know more, or support us in our aims, please feel free to contact us at KeepKingsorg@gmail.com, or complete our online petition on the right hand side of this page.

Thank you from the KeepKings committee: Steve Lapthorn, Tina Carney, Mark Reynolds, Barbara Lapthorn and Louise Nicholas.