2:54pm Friday 3rd July 2009
By Chris Wickham
The principal of Hampton Community College (HCC) will keep her job even if it is handed over to a Swedish education firm and turned into an academy.
Richmond Council confirmed today Sue Demont, who has been in charge of the Hanworth Road college since January 2005, has been appointed Principal-Designate of the proposed academy The authority is in the middle of a process to turn three schools - Shene, Whitton and HCC - into academies, independent schools run by sponsors, and Swedish firm Kunskapsskolan has been named as the preferred sponsor for Whitton and HCC.
In September and October a full statutory consultation on the proposed closure of the existing school on August 31 2010 and its re-opening as an academy a day later will be held and the final decision will be taken in November.
Nick Whitfield, the council’s director of children’s services and culture, said Dr Demont and her colleagues had been working hard with Kunskapsskolan to produce a plan for transition to the proposed Academy and he believed she was the right person for the job.
“The academy is not a done deal, however this appointment gives the school and parents absolute clarity over leadership whether the school becomes an academy or not,” he added.
Steve Bolingbroke, managing director of Kunskapsskolan UK, described Dr Demont as a strong leader who cared deeply about her students and staff and said the Swedish firm was delighted she decided to apply for the role.
Dr Demont said she was delighted to have got the position and excited by the “possibilities afforded by the Kunskapsskolan model”.
“The staff and governors of HCC have worked tirelessly over the last five years to improve and promote our school, and it will be great to have a world class learning environment and some much needed additional resources to support our children’s education into the next decade,” she added.
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