Headteacher Welcome
Thank you for visiting the Knole Academy website. I want to start this welcome not by telling you about Knole Academy but by asking parents and students a simple question: What do you want from secondary education?
If the answer is “I want to develop as a person and make an impact in my local and wider community”, “I hope to achieve something that possibly no one in my family has achieved before” or, most simply, “I want to have a positive experience of the school where I enjoy every day,” then your answers align with our mission.
I hope this website provides insight into the core values underpinning our commitment to educating young people in Sevenoaks. We are aspirational, we have high expectations for every child regardless of background, and we ensure that all students receive high-quality teaching. The interests of students are always the priority in all our decision-making- we are proud to deliver a curriculum that engages and enthuses our learners alongside a learning environment that is calm, safe and inclusive.
We recognise that what we offer today may not meet the requirements of tomorrow, and we adapt continuously to prepare our students best. These adaptions and provisions are supported by the Aletheia Trust and our ongoing collaborative work with other institutions to enhance our educational provision.
Knole Academy is an accredited International Baccalaureate school, an organisation that champions our vision for education. We benefit from our collaboration with Sevenoaks School, and together, we strive to ensure that no barriers are placed in the way of student achievement.
We look forward to welcoming you to Knole Academy.
About Mr Collins
Since January 2019, David has been the Headteacher of Knole Academy in Sevenoaks. Before joining Knole Academy, he worked for Kent County Council as the Senior Secondary Adviser for North Kent. Dave has also been an Ofsted inspector and a Lead Practitioner for the SSAT and is currently a chair of the International Baccalaureate Careers Programme Kent Strategic group, a member of the Kent and Medway Careers Hub steering group and a member of the Kent Association of Headteachers North Board.
As Headteacher at Knole Academy, Dave views teacher and leader development as fundamental to school improvement. “We exist in a time of a teacher recruitment crisis and unrealistic workload expectations. Development of teachers and leaders secures an ever-improving school offer which can empower individuals to help reduce stress and improve retention”. He genuinely believes in training and qualifications delivering real-world differences to pedagogy and practice rather than accumulating certificates.
About Knole Academy
Knole Academy in Sevenoaks, Kent, is an all-ability co-educational school with a grammar stream and International Baccalaureate candidate school.
We are a part of Aletheia Academies Trust. Our school promotes a safe, orderly, caring, and supportive environment. Each pupil’s self-esteem is fostered by positive relationships with staff and effective communication with parents. We strive to include our parents, teachers, governors and community to ensure strong liaisons with the community