The owner of established UK English language school, Torquay International School (TIS), has announced a new partner and 50% shareholder which will ensure the school continues as a well reputed independent school with a new lease of life.
Judith Hands, now the company Chairman of TIS, is handing over day-to-day management of the school to new partner, Kevin McNally.
“I shall continue to work at the school and will be making appearances at various workshops,” Hands told her agent partners. “I can’t tell you how much I and the TIS Team are looking forward to working with Kevin because we know he will bring great energy and dynamism into the school.”
McNally was Principal and Partner at Hampstead School of English for many years before the school was sold and he became Agency Sales Director for the Experience English chain, which owns four previously independent schools and operates them as a small group.
McNally told The PIE News, “In my nearly 30 years in the industry, I have heard only the highest praise about the school from agents, schools and even competitors. I am immensely proud to become part of such a well-respected organisation.”
Hands explained that her rationale to sell a joint stake in the school was to ensure it remained on the “front line” of provision while being able to compete with chains and rising competition globally.
Finely-tuned personal attention to students is “just want we do”
“Being the sole owner of an independent school presents a number of risks to the school and its staff and as I get older I want to be sure that the ethos of the school and the staff working there is protected,” she said.
She added, “Chains have so much more marketing power than independents, however, I feel that as the number of independent schools diminish, then the demand for those of us who can stay strong and deliver an individual service to our clients will increase.”
The school is based on England’s sunny south coast in Torquay
McNally said he was looking forward to working outside of the capital and promoting the advantages that studying English in Torquay could offer.
“The fact that most of our students walk to school, that we’ve had the same host families for decades, that everyone knows students by name, and finely-tuned personal attention to students is “just want we do”, are aspects of TIS that to which I am eager to contribute, and develop.”
TIS is a member of the independent school network, The English Network, known as Ten. It currently teaches between 2,500 – 3,000 student weeks per year and attracts a high number of mature students, with 20% of its student body aged over 50, studying business and general English.
