"An outstanding future" Arnold School and King Edward and Queen Mary School to merge in September 2012
“An outstanding future”
Arnold School and King Edward and Queen Mary School to merge
in September 2012
6 September 2011
Two of the leading independent schools on the Lancashire Fylde Coast, Arnold and King Edward and Queen Mary (KEQMS), are to merge in September 2012.
The merged school will be known as Arnold KEQMS, or AKS for short. It will come under the umbrella of the United Church Schools Trust (UCST), the registered charity of which Arnold is already a member. UCST owns and operates a group of highly respected independent schools across the country under the Chairmanship of Lord Carey of Clifton, former Archbishop of Canterbury.
Market forces, driven by current demographic trends in the area, will result in consolidation of educational provision in both the state and independent sectors. By joining forces now, these two high performing independent schools will have the capacity and pupil numbers to provide a broader curriculum, more extra-curricular activities and better facilities than each would have been able to offer in isolation.
Jim Keefe, currently Headmaster of Arnold School, has been appointed Headmaster Designate. Staff from both schools will transfer across to AKS.
AKS will open in September 2012 at the existing KEQMS site which will benefit from a significant investment in its infrastructure. A free shuttle bus will operate between AKS and Arnold for two years and bus routes will be subsidised for any students needing to make longer journeys. The cost of the new uniform for September 2012 will be subsidised for parents and guardians of current students.
Meetings have been organised for parents and staff at both schools so as to brief them on the proposals details of the merger and answer any questions that they might wish to raise.
The Revd Canon Godfrey Hirst, Chairman of Lytham Schools which governs KEQMS, said:
“The merger is taking place whilst both schools are still at strength and I am confident it will create an outstanding independent school on the Fylde. I am also delighted that the Lytham Schools’ Foundation will continue as a separate charity, so enabling us to fulfil in a wider context the principles upon which it was founded.”
Jerry Wooding OBE, Chairman of the Local Governing Body at Arnold School, said:
“The merger is a bold and proactive move. By combining the resources, expertise and vision of Arnold and KEQMS, we believe AKS will be the finest co-educational independent school in the region. It will have as its guiding principle the phrase ‘the best in everyone’ which builds on our shared ethos of outstanding education.”
Rob Karling, Headmaster of KEQMS, said:
“Our two schools are a natural fit with each other. We have a shared tradition of success academically, in sport and in the performing arts as well as of rivalry forged in friendly competition. By taking the strongest parts of the DNA of both schools, AKS will offer an outstanding standard of education to this generation of pupils and future generations.”
Jim Keefe, Headmaster of Arnold School and Headmaster Designate of AKS, said:
“Both of our schools, Arnold and KEQMS, have entered the merger from positions of strength. The decision to merge will enable us, in the face of changing demographic characteristics, to continue providing the best standards for our pupils while controlling the cost of fees for parents.
“AKS has an outstanding future. It will be a joint product of Arnold School and KEQMS and it will build on both of their proud traditions in order to offer many tremendous opportunities for our pupils and our staff.”
