News | Education
New Maidstone school opens in autumn 2018
MAIDSTONE is to get a new sec- ondary school, with a special em- phasis on science and maths. The Maidstone School of Science
and Technology (MSST) is one of the latest school to be added to the Valley Invicta Academies Trust (VIAT) and will be built close to two of the trust’s existing schools in Huntsman Lane. VIAT says the curriculum will be designed to offer teaching and learning with a focus on science, technology, engineering and math- ematics (STEM subjects). Due to open in September 2018,
it will have a six form entry and an annual intake of 180 students. VIAT is one of the largest educa-
tional trusts in Kent and recently announced it had taken over man- agement of Swadelands School in Lenham. As well as running Valley Park School and Invicta Grammar School in Maidstone, VIAT also operates primary schools inAyles- ford, Kings Hill, Leybourne Chase and Holborough Lakes. The application to build a new free secondary school was ap-
Julie Derrick, head of Invicta Grammar School, with pupils
proved by the Department for Ed- ucation earlier this year. It was originally intended that
the school would have a four-form entry and would open next year, but the department asked if it could be increased in size to help meet Kent County Council’s pre- dicted shortfall of secondary school places. Even with the addition of the
new school, KCC expects there to be shortfall of more than 650
places in the Maidstone area for students aged seven to 11 by 2021. Plans are for the new school to
be built on the VIAT campus, which houses Valley Park School and Invicta Grammar School. The school hopes to forge an in- ternational educational partner- ship with the School of Science and Technology in Singapore and other industry partners will include the Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust.
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chief resigns THE chief executive of the highly- respectedValley Invicta Academies Trust (VIAT) has resigned and left the body with “immediate effect”. VIAT – which runs the successful Invicta Grammar and Valley Park schools – said in a statement that Dr Phil Limbert had informed the trust of his decision to retire in February. Respected VIAT heads Julie Der-
rick and Vic Ashdown were ap- pointed joint chief executive officers. However, Dr Limbert handed in his notice in May and left immediately, leaving the new CEOs to take charge on June 1. A VIAT statement said: “Given
that Dr Limbert’s replacement has been appointed internally and his wish to pursue his own interests, the trust board have agreed to ac- cept his resignation with immedi- ate effect. “Mr Ashdown and Mrs Derrick,
will therefore commence their du- ties as jointCEOof VIAT from June 1, 2016. “The trust would like to thank Dr Limbert for his leadership and commitment to help secure what is a very successful multi-academy trust, providing an outstanding ed- ucation and creating opportunity for the young people in the com- munity in whichwe serve.”
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