Academy Transformation Trust has appointed Karen Jones as their improvement director for 14 to 18-year-olds.
Ms Jones has taught across upper primary to sixth form for more than 25 years, including time in Saudi Arabia, Germany and Cyprus.
Working first as a headteacher in Germany, Ms Jones moved to failing secondary school, John Buchan School, also in Germany, and lifted it from a category of concern to good with outstanding features within three years.
Speaking about her new appointment, she said: “My role at the trust will focus on 14-19 provision to support high quality education in our schools and sixth forms.
“I am here to help with raising standards and measure progress through strategies for improvement and effective use of data to track progress to targets, curriculum analysis and preparation for Ofsted.”
Nicola Dick-Cleland is the new headteacher of the Abbey Junior School in Reading, an independent day school for girls aged 3 – 18.
Mrs Dick-Cleland, who has been acting head since September last year, starts her new job immediately.
She first joined the school in 2011 and was promoted from assistant to deputy head after only a year. Before that she taught at Dolphin School in West Berkshire.
Speaking about her plans, Mrs Dick-Cleland said: “My main priorities fall into three areas. Firstly, getting a real sense of our girls’ experience and what it means to be a pupil in our school.
“Secondly, following on from our exceptional inspection report, understanding how we continue to develop our learning and teaching provision to ensure our girls are ready to flourish beyond their primary years.
“And lastly, in support of our strategic aim of being a leader in girls’ education, to play an active part in the wider educational community, sharing our success, communicating our philosophy and developing relationships beyond the school gate.”
Mrs Dick-Cleland, worked in private practice as a psychologist for many years before completing her PGCE at Reading University.
Julie Molesworth has been appointed head of Fairlawn School, a new primary academy due to open in Bristol in September.
She will take up the post after the Easter break and will lead the redevelopment of the school, part of the CGS Trust, a Bristol-based multi-academy trust.
“It is such a privilege to become the custodian of a magnificent Victorian school building that has already seen many children through its doors,” she saaid. “The children will benefit from a curriculum with a focus towards science, technology, engineering, art/design and mathematics.”
Mrs Molesworth began her career in her native Australia before moving to the UK to work in London and York.
She has lived in Bristol for more than 20 years and has taught across the primary and secondary age range in local authority and independent schools, most recently as a deputy head.
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