others, the reassuring chat, the handwritten note,
the congratulatory gift.
When Katy Ricks arrived at Sevenoaks, the school
was pretty good. She has made it an outstanding one.
Twenty years ago, people often spoke of the school’s
success with a sense of surprise, a feeling that it
‘punched above its weight’. Katy has given Sevenoaks
a real sense of self-belief. The school has not lost
touch with its local roots (it sponsors a local academy,
for example), but it has also extended its global reach
and impact: it is now perhaps even better known
internationally than it is in the UK.
As you walk around parts of the campus today, it is
hard to recreate what it looked and felt like before
Katy arrived. There was no sports centre or indoor
swimming pool, no performing arts centre, no Science
and Technology Centre. The heart of the school was
a car park, known as the Flat, where a portacabin
ironically nicknamed Primrose Cottage, the school’s
technological hub, had pride of place. The whole
ensemble of buildings now around the Flat is designed
and built to the highest standards, reflecting Katy’s
passion for the built environment (her father is an
architect); and it has already begun to feel a well-
established part of this heritage landscape.
Over the past seven years, I have chaired the
Sevenoaks School Foundation, which is responsible for
the physical assets of the school, and for fundraising.
During this period, as well as during my time on the
Governing Body, I have watched with admiration
how Katy has successfully enthused donors with the
school’s vision – to the tune of £15 million raised in
the recent Campaign for Sevenoaks School. But the
reason she has been so effective at raising the profile
of the school is because she believes so passionately
in its mission.
At the heart of her vision is a belief in education, and
in encouraging intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm.
During her headship, the academic achievements of
the school have been raised to new heights, but so
have the all the other activities that constitute a
good education. You only have to attend a concert in
The Space, or spend an afternoon watching cricket on
the Solefields pitch, or welcome a child back fizzing
with a sense of achievement from a DofE expedition,
to be aware of that.
Consistent with this vision for the school is Katy’s
own example. She has continued to teach English
throughout her time as Head of Sevenoaks; and when
she took a sabbatical term a few years ago, she chose
not to put her feet up after ten years of hard work,
but to complete the DPhil thesis she had abandoned
30 years before for a career in teaching. She places
a huge value on learning for its own sake, on the life
of the mind and spirit. I can think of very few people
who, in their personal life, are better placed than
Katy and her husband, David, to inspire, celebrate and
communicate those interests.
Robert Sackville-West
Chair of Trustees
SEVENOAKS SCHOOL 2018-2019
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