A COMMUNITY college has revealed plans to become part of a trust founded by a teacher who has received a knighthood for his services to education.

Governors at Ringmer Community College and Sixth Form are “seriously considering” working in partnership with the King’s Group Academy Trust.

The trust is creating a select number of small new multi-academy trusts (MAT) in the South East.

It is chaired by Sir Roger Fry, who in 2012 was awarded a knighthood for his services to UK Education Internationally and to UK-Spain Cultural Relations.

The college, in Lewes Road, launched a seven-day public consultation which ended yesterday.

A joint statement from principal Kathy Stonier and chairwoman of governors Rosemary Lewis said: “This exciting proposition will provide some great learning opportunities for both our students and staff.

“There will be very little evidence of any change visible to students, parents, carers and staff. The intention is to continue to provide excellent education to our local community as now.

“Our name will not change. We will still be Ringmer Community College (Academy).”

The college argues that it already has more flexibility around its curriculum and resources because it is an academy and that becoming part of a MAT is the next logical step.

The joint statement continues: “Throughout our history as a school we have embraced change and have been proactive within the emerging educational landscape making informed decisions about the future for our students.

“With the diminishing role of the local authorities, following the recent Education Bill, schools are now seeing the benefit of working together in multi-academy trusts as the next logical step for strategic financial management and to continue to work collaboratively with other schools sharing resources and benefiting from economies of scale.

“Especially as in future years educational budgets are to be reduced further, this will affect resources such as staffing and operational costs.’

A school in Portsmouth, the Lyndhurst Junior School, became the first UK school to join the King’s Group Multi-Academy Trust last month.

The college says the plan has the full support of the Department for Education and there is potential for other schools locally to join the MAT.