Ken Stimpson Community School opened on Thursday, 2nd September 1982.

The school was named in tribute to Kenneth W. Stimpson, who served as the Senior Area Education Officer from 1974 to 1979. He had spent much of his life working to provide young people in Werrington with social clubs and activities. When he died suddenly, the Local Education Authority were committed to naming a school in his honour. The new secondary school in Werrington was the first to become available and carries his name to this day, albeit now as Ken Stimpson Academy following the school's conversion in 2023.

Patricia "Paddy" Reeson joined the governing body when Ken Stimpson Community School opened in September 1982. Paddy was inextricably linked to our school as the younger sister of Ken Stimpson.

She was a highly committed and skilled governor for 24 years, including more than 18 years as Chair of Governors from 1986 to 2004. For example, the OFSTED inspection in December 2002 praised the dedication and skills of Governors, noting “The governors have an excellent understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They hold the school very well to account, for example, setting clear improvement targets.”
Paddy was a constant and reassuring presence in the school, always attending school functions.

She was involved in almost all aspects of the school’s development and daily life, from advising about building plans to judging the children's efforts in decorating their classrooms at Christmas. She was very popular with staff, who knew that Paddy always had their best interests at heart.

Outside her school work, she chaired a major coordinating committee of National Health Service organisations. She was a very talented darts player, and both played for and captained the England Ladies team for many years. She was a leading player in finding the funding for and coordinating the building of the all-weather athletics track on the embankment. Her contribution to the growth and development of Ken Stimpson Community School is almost beyond description and always completed with enormous care for the individuals concerned, whether staff or students, and an irrepressible sense of humour.

We remember both Ken Stimpson and Paddy Reeson as valuable members of the local community and our school’s history.