Academy Conversion 

On 1 January 2022 Fern Hill converted to an academy and joined its neighbouring school The Kingston Academy within Kingston Educational Trust.

Background

At their meeting in January 2021, the Governing Body of Fern Hill Primary School unanimously agreed that, subject to statutory consultation, Fern Hill should apply to convert to academy status and join Kingston Educational Trust. 

Kingston Educational Trust (KET) is a state-funded educational charity created as a partnership between Kingston College, Kingston University and the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. KET opened, and now operates, The Kingston Academy — the secondary school adjacent to Fern Hill.

Timeline

On 2 March 2021, families at both Fern Hill and The Kingston Academy were informed of Fern Hill’s intention to explore conversion to academy status and KET’s intention to apply for multi academy trust status. You can read more about this below.

In June, a formal process of consultation will begin to enable the Governing Body to seek and consider the views of all interested parties including parents, pupils, staff and the wider local community. The outcome of the consultation process is available here. 

Further Information

The communication pack sent to Fern Hill families on 2 March 2021 is attached below. It includes:

Letter to FH and TKA Families — a letter from Susan Dean, Chair of Fern Hill Governing Body, and Graham Willett, Chair of KET, to announce Fern Hill’s intention to explore conversion to academy status and KET’s intention to apply for multi academy trust status.

Letter to Families — Academy Conversion — a letter from Mr Scott providing further details on the proposal for Fern Hill to convert to academy status and join the Kingston Educational Trust, including FAQs.

Rationale for Joining Together within KET — a document written by Mr Scott and Ms Cavanagh, Headteacher of The Kingston Academy, outlining the value, and key drivers, of a formal relationship between the two schools.

Kingston Educational Trust FAQ — a document providing comprehensive information about KET including its governance, vision and values.