AN exciting future for Kelly College was this week predicted by headmaster Mark Steed, following last week's announcement that the school was to join forces with St Dunstan's in Plymouth.

The partnership, first put forward by the girls' school in July, will ensure the financial future of St Dunstan's — and bring a wide range of benefits to Kelly.

Mr Steed said: 'It's very exciting — it's a very big step forward. Basically we are looking to bring St Dunstan's into the Kelly foundation, to give us a broader foundation with wider opportunities.'

Mr Steed said as a result of the partnership, the two schools' governing bodies would come together, but the schools would remain autonomous, in much the same way that Kelly's prep school and senior school were managed separately by their headteachers.

Badges and uniforms would remain unchanged at each school, with close co-operation at a strategic level and Kelly and St Dunstan's would remain on their own sites, said Mr Steed.

'In day to day practice, the students will follow a common curriculum, which means we will be doing the same courses, in the same order. It means we can then do joint trips and joint activities.

'They will be using our facilities and we will be using theirs,' said Mr Steed.

In this way, Kelly and St Dunstan's would be able to capitalise on their individual strengths. For example, Kelly has a strong tradition in sport and adventure training, whereas St Dunstan's is a centre of excellence for the performing arts and has an international study centre.

He said the new partnership meant more to offer prospective students — a single sex day and boarding school in a city environment or Kelly's co-educational policy in a rural district.

'By coming together, it gives us wider opportunities,' said Mr Steed.

Kelly College, the senior partner, has around 350 students at the senior school and a further 140 at its preparatory school. St Dunstan's has around 250 pupils in total.

Tessa Smith, headmistress at St Dunstan's, said she was

'enormously excited' about the new partnership.

'It's not the first time I have worked in a school in close partnership and there are huge advantages to it,' said Mrs Smith. 'It's quite hard being a small school in a fiercely competitive environment. We're a super school which has been bravely battling on and I want to be able to give our girls all the opportunities I can — just this morning I've fixed for some girls to go adventure training at Kelly, which I know they will be so excited about.'

Mrs Smith said her staff were 'hugely excited' and hoped everyone connected with the school would soon realise the great enthusiasm for the deal.

Mrs Smith said she was also 'very impressed' with the senior management at Kelly College.

'I like their vision and they feel, as I do, that it's the whole pupil you are looking at. We're not just running for league tables, we're intent on getting the best for our students.

'They are also lovely young people at Kelly and if I was a parent, I would like to think of them as friends for my daughter.'