Announcement from Kate Unsworth

(Posted on 22/08/19)

Good afternoon on such an exciting day for CIS and congratulations to Year 11!

I wanted to write to you all on my last day with CIS to thank you all for making this school a reality, a community and a success. 

When I discussed moving in May with the CEO Tony Lamberton and the governors, I did so with confidence about CIS as we are in such a strong position having thrived during our start-up years with:

- Three consecutive IB programmes - the only state school in the UK to have this
- A beautiful new building
- A fully well qualified staffed team 
- Inspirational students
- Above target student recruitment for September 2019
- A strong subsidiary arm in tech camps and hosting international students which will complement our financial health    in coming years
- First set of results this week
- An established paper-low culture
- Commitment to positive student and teacher relationships
- A clear focus and aim on developing engaging learning activities 
- A supportive parent community 

Indeed together we have made some bold decisions and achieved some audacious and daunting goals at times. 

In fact, CIS being in such a strong position and being ready to launch into its next stage has helped me to make the breathtaking decision to hand over the keys. 

There has been much discussion as to the best handover date for the school over the past few months and aligning it with the school year appears to be the optimal time to allow for effective decision making and planning. 

Katrina will be taking over as Acting Principal and she will shine in this role. I am confident and trust in the strength and cohesion in the team and the community knowing that you believe in what we have built so far and what CIS can achieve in the future. 

I will be taking on the Headship of a prep school where Mathilda will join me in school over forthcoming years. 

I reflect on the past three years with immense pride and gratitude that I was afforded the opportunity to lead CIS. Being Founding Principal is a huge part of who I am and this was always more than a job. Thank you all for your support and commitment to CIS and for working with us as we grew and overcame hurdles. I could not have asked for better parents, teachers, governors and students to come together to create CIS. 

Thank you for your partnership.

Kate