Kingston University and the South Thames Colleges Group have forged a new strategic partnership agreement to maximise learning and career opportunities for students and improve access to higher education.
The agreement has been signed by Kingston University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Steven Spier and Chief Executive of South Thames Colleges Group Peter Mayhew-Smith, with the milestone marked at a special event this week. It provides a framework for both organisations to fulfil their shared objectives more effectively, as well as to explore and develop new areas of mutual interest and joint activities that will benefit students, employers, and the local community.
The agreement was signed in person on Thursday 8 July, on the roof terrace of Kingston University’s landmark Town House Building, which opened in January 2020.
Shared goals include improving pathways through education, enabling more seamless progress from further to higher education, as well as increasing student numbers on A-level, apprenticeships and other higher-level courses and providing greater opportunities for international students.
The agreement also aims to enrich the borough’s social and cultural development by providing accessible learning opportunities. It will be pivotal in encouraging employers, public and third sector organisations in south west London and Surrey to develop higher level skills training.
The strategic partnership builds on long-standing links between the University and South Thames Colleges Group. Both institutions, in partnership with Kingston Council, formed the Kingston Educational Trust which set-up The Kingston Academy, an Ofsted rated ‘Outstanding’ secondary school in the borough which opened its doors in September 2015.. The Kingston Academy Head Teacher, Sophie Cavanagh and Kingston Educational Trust Chair, Graham Willett, both attended the partnership signing.
