Royal Alexandra & Albert School

As you may have heard, though it has not yet reached the newspapers, Epsom and Ewell High School has very recently failed an Ofsted inspection and been placed in Special Measures. This is potentially a disaster for the current Year 11 pupils and indeed for all the pupils in that school. Surrey has been working swiftly to put together a team of experienced senior staff to take over the School in January.

I was contacted by Surrey to ask if this school was prepared to lend support and, following consultation with Joyce Keegan, Chairman of Governors, and Graham Williams, Chairman of the Board of Management, we agreed that we should help.

When this School was in Special Measures, Reigate School supported us by lending us Jenni Thomas, Deputy Head, for the Summer term 2001 and for the School year 2007-08 Darren Halstead, Director of Sport spent two days a week at the Beacon School helping the team that was working to get that School out of Special Measures - and the Beacon School was released from Special Measures earlier this term.

I have thus agreed to lend Mr Jon Davies, Deputy Head with responsibility for Behaviour Management to serve as Associate Head at Epsom and Ewell High School from January 2009 to August 2009.

Jon Davies will be working at Epsom and Ewell five days a week, but will continue to do his evening and weekend duties here as well as being in School on Saturday mornings and keeping particular responsibility for Behaviour Management in Gatton Hall.

I have allocated his various responsibilities to a number of colleagues in order to ensure that this School continues to run efficiently and effectively for the next two terms.

Mr Mike Jones, currently Co-ordinator of Years 8 and 9, and Mr Simon King, Head of Year 7 and Head of PE, will become Acting Assistant Heads, with responsibility for Behaviour Management. While Mike will look after the "School" side of the job and manage the Pastoral Team of Heads of Year and Key Stage Co-ordinators, Simon will concentrate on "Boarding" behaviour, though both have agreed that they will cover for each other in order to ensure that nothing slips between them. Their e-mail contacts are Mikejones@gatton-park.org.uk and Simonking@gatton-park.org.uk

Miss Roamy Horton (Roamyhorton@gatton-park.org.uk) steps up to become Acting Head of Year 9, Mr Alwyn Webb, Head of RE, (Alwynwebb@gatton-park.org.uk) becomes Acting Head of Year 8 and Miss Serena Shelton, (Serenashelton@gatton-park.org.uk) Assistant Co-ordinator of Years 8 and 9 becomes Acting Head of Year 7. Jon Davies' Year 10 and 11 RE classes will be taught by Alwyn Webb, Head of RE, except one which will be taught by John Ahern, Director of Studies. We are in the process of recruiting a part-time teacher of RE to cover the Year 7 and 8 RE classes that Mr Webb will have to relinquish.

I am confident that this School has the strength in depth to continue to provide all pupils with what Ofsted described as an outstanding educational experience and I believe that it is right that we should be helping to raise standards in another School whose pupils are in danger of failing to achieve their potential at GCSE through no fault of their own.

On a separate matter, it is with great sadness that I have to inform you that Carol Penoyre, PA to Diana Bromley, Bursar, was killed in an accident on the M23 last Wednesday evening as she was going home from work. Carol's calm presence in the Foundation Office, her unflappable ability to deal with mountains of work and her quiet, dry humour leave a huge gap and a feeling of numbness among many who knew her. Few pupils knew Carol Penoyre - and her death has not been announced to them - but many parents will have had contact with her when visiting or phoning the Foundation Office. Fr Paul Johnstone, School Chaplain, led a meeting of prayers and recollections attended by over thirty colleagues in Chapel last Thursday.