News Work starting
on acute unit WORKhas started on an £8mpur- pose-built Acute Assessment Unit (AAU) atMaidstoneHospital. The new building – next to the
Emergency Department – will house 14 short-stay beds, eight as- sessment beds and three separate treatment rooms. It is expected to be fully operational by January next year. A spokesman for the hospital
said the state-of-the-art, dedicated assessment unitmeans emergency patients will be cared for in a fit- for-purpose,modern environment, with improved dignity and pri- vacy,with access to the emergency facility.
Police recruits
NINE hundred would-be police officers have responded to a re- cruitment call by the force. The applications have been re-
ceived since April, following the launch by Kent Police of its More Than the Badge campaign. A hike in council tax means an
extra 180 officers on the beat, as well as the extra 200 in the previ- ous financial year.
downsmail.co.uk
Derrick’s sole control ofwholeVIATgroup
THE academy trust behind one of the country’s best grammar schools now has a sole chief ex- ecutive officer. Julie Derrick assumed the role
after the retirement of her joint CEO, Vic Ashdown, in the sum- mer. Mrs Derrick remains head Invicta Grammar
teacher of
School (IGS), in Huntsman Lane, Maidstone, as well as the top job in the Valley Invicta Academies’ Trust (VIAT). IGS was named one of the top
10 schools in the country and the best in Kent, according to a guide based on official government sta- tistics, published earlier this year. MrsDerrick hasworked in a va-
riety of educational settings span- ning a career of 33 years in London and other parts of Kent, before settling inMaidstone. She is a National Leader in Ed- ucation and joined IGS in 2004 by
leading the business and enter- prise specialismas assistant head teacher. She was appointed head of In-
victa Grammar School seven years ago. VIAT,which sees itself as a trust
taking in the A20 corridor as its catchment, has secondary schools IGS, The LenhamSchool and Val-
ley Park School in its portfolio. It also includes Leybourne
Chase Primary, East Borough Pri- mary, Holborough Lakes, Ayles- ford Primary and Kings Hill Primary. MrsDerrick said: “I amthrilled
to have been appointed as chief executive of VIAT. “Our vision is to create and
maintain an exceptional cluster of primary and secondary schools at the heart of our local community, and I’m looking forward to lead- ing the trust into an exciting fu- ture.” Dr Nick Ware, chairman of
VIAT, said: “The Trust Boardwas unanimous in its decision to ap- pointMrsDerrick to this role and recognise that it is very lucky to have such an exceptional talent leading the organisation.” Valley Park’s deputy head,
Margaret Hutchinson, steps up into the head teacher role.
Maidstone November 2019
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