Arnold KEQMS

Coordinates: 53°44′28″N 3°00′36″W / 53.741°N 3.010°W

Arnold KEQMS
Established 2012
Type Independent
Headmaster M Walton
Location Clifton Drive South
Lytham St Annes
Lancashire
FY8 1DT
England
Local authority Lancashire
Gender Coeducational
Ages 2–18
Colours Royal Blue, Arnold Green
Website Arnold KEQMS website

Arnold KEQMS (AKS) is an independent, co-educational school located on The Fylde plain, Lancashire, England. It was formed from the merger of King Edward VII and Queen Mary School (KEQMS) in Lytham St. Annes and Arnold School in Blackpool. It was based on both sites for 2012-2013 school year and from 2013 is going to be based on the site in Lytham St Annes. It opened on 31 August 2012 under the leadership of Mr J Keefe.[1] Arnold KEQMS is a member of HMC and a part of the United Church Schools Trust family of schools, which has a 999-year lease of the site from The Lytham Schools charity (which owns the land and ran KEQMS)[2]

Merger

In order to merge, The Lytham Schools charity needed to amend its scheme to free it of the duty of running a school named KEQMS on the site. A group of parents opposed to the merger attempted to halt the process by complaining to the Charities Commission in the hope that they rejected this new scheme. This was unsuccessful and the Charities Commission reported that they have approved the change on 11 November 2011.[3]

On 9 December 2011 the group submitted an appeal to a First Tier Tribunal of HM Courts and Tribunal Service. The appeal was heard on 11 & 12 April 2012.[4][5] and a decision was released by the tribunal on 17 May 2012 stating that the merger can proceed however the lease granted to UCST does not adequately protect the assets of the Lytham Schools and will therefore need to be re-written.[6] The parents group have since announced that they will not be appealing this decision and the merger will therefore go ahead.[7]

Development

UCST have committed to an initial £6.2m investment to improve facilities on the existing site.[2] Shortly before Christmas 2011 a short video giving a brief insight into development plans has been placed on the school website showing plans for improved dining, sports, science and IT facilities and also the expansion of the current Infant school building to create a new combined Nursery/Infants/Juniors block.[8]

More detailed plans were revealed on 20 January 2012 showing the internal use of space and giving timescales for the work. The new junior school is scheduled to be built over the 2012/2013 academic year with work starting in July 2012; the expanded sports hall is due to be started in summer 2013 with completion by Easter 2014.[9]

Despite earlier assurances, it was announced on 8 February 2012 that the schools would have to run on separate sites for the academic year 2012/2013 whilst the building work takes place. The two sites will be known as AKS Blackpool and AKS Lytham.[10] As of September 2013, it is now one school, based at the AKS Lytham site.

Headmasters

Mike Walton BA, MA (Ed), PGCE, NPQH.

References

  1. ↑ "School Announcement". Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Merger Newsletter 4". Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  3. ↑ "The Lytham Schools - Final Decision". Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  4. ↑ "Our Appeal". Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  5. ↑ "School fight appeal". Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  6. ↑ "Tribunal Decision". Retrieved 2012-05-29.
  7. ↑ "Campaign Announcement". Retrieved 2012-05-29.
  8. ↑ "Our Planned Improvements". Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  9. ↑ "AKS Consultation". Retrieved 2012-02-11.
  10. ↑ "Letter from Jon Coles". Retrieved 2012-02-11.