Amazing year at Kingswood
'AMAZING YEAR AT KINGSWOOD'
IT WAS something people said could not be achieved.
But the determined parents, pupils and staff of Kingswood College thought different.
And a year on they celebrated ''overcoming the
impossible to achieve something great'' - safeguarding the
education of hundreds of children.
Parents clubbed together to save the Scarisbrick school from
closure after owners Global Educational Management Systems (GEMS)
announced on Tuesday, January 9th , last year that the
Scarisbrick Hall estate was in the process of being sold.
Supporters who rallied behind the Southport road establishment
this week reflected on how much had been accomplished in such a
short space of time.
Speaking to the Southport Visiter, headteacher Eric
Borowski said: '' It was a fantastic achievement made
within record time, things were done so quickly. Kingswood College
is going from strength to strength, we have 200 pupils on the roll
and numbers are growing steadily, we only have 30 places available
for September.''
Lynne McVeigh, of Friends of Kingswood which co-ordinated the
campaign, said: '' What a difference a year makes! This
time last January the announcement was made and we were in a big
panic about where our children would be going.
It was an emotional day on Wednesday because we remembered the
announcement and our campaign to keep the school open.''
Lynne, whose two children William, two, and Chloe, 10, are
pupils at Kingswood, said: ''It was emotional too because
William started at Kingswood in September and he wouldn't have
been able to go there, we are delighted he'll be there for the
next 14 years now.
The school is better than it ever has been.''
Following the successful acquisition of the school business - when the governors of Kingswood College Trust (KCT) made the purchase to secure its future - record-breaking long-distance skier Ben Saunders paid a visit to the school.
Lynne said: '' To have Ben, who had also overcome the
impossible to achieve something great, give a talk was
inspirational for the children.
It seemed like a mammoth task to save the school but we did it!
It's a great massage to the children, they know if they want
something badly enough, they can achieve it.''
The Friends of Kingswood College are organising a Rio Carnival
Ball on Saturday, March 29 to celebrate the survival of Kingswood.
Posted 11/01/08