The Chartered College of Teaching has elected Stephen Munday, principal of Comberton Village College and chief executive of The Cam Academy Trust, as its first president.
The college, which launched last year as the profession body for teaching, held elections for the president and 21 other council members at its first annual general meeting at Westminster School in London today. The elections came alongside the news that the Chartered College had surpassed 25,000 members.
The college has also elected two vice presidents today. Professor Sam Twiselton, director of Sheffield Institute of Education, will become external vice President, and Vivienne Porritt, national leader of campaign group WomenEd, will be internal vice president.
The external vice president will have a more “visible” role, including talking at events and carrying out advocacy activities, while the internal vice president will concentrate on governance within the organisation.
Around two thirds of the college’s 21 new council members are currently teaching, and on average they have 16 years teaching experience from work across the country in all phases. The decision to allow non-teachers to stand for election has previously drawn criticism from others who feel the college should be primarily teacher-led.
Speaking to Schools Week, Munday said: “We want the profession leading the profession, shaping the system for the good of all and having a clear voice to do that.
“If all of us believe this is a wonderful and great profession, that education actually matters more than anything for now and for the future, that probably is the greatest thing the Chartered College can bring.”
Munday is in his 32nd year as a qualified teacher, having studied economics at the University of Cambridge, then completed a PGCE and gained an MA in Economics Education at the Institute of Education in London.
While his day job is now focused on leading Ofsted ‘outstanding’ comprehensive secondary school Comberton Village College, and overseeing a wider family of 11 schools at The Cam Academy Trust in Cambridgeshire, Munday said being a teacher is “at the core” of all his work.
He added: “I hope genuinely that I understand and can empathise with teachers, whatever stage of their career they might be, because that’s been my journey over the past 30 odd years.”
Targets he has set himself in his new role include continuing to build up the membership of the college and further developing the chartered teacher qualification, which is currently being piloted.
He also wants to work on strengthening professional development opportunities for all teachers and improving the perception of the profession, which he hopes will help tackle problems with recruitment and retention.
Munday has experience as a member of the Teaching Schools’ Council and has worked on advisory bodies for the Department for Education, including looking at support for early careers teachers and working with the eastern region Headteachers’ Board. In 2013, he was awarded a CBE in recognition of his services to education.
Twiselton, Munday’s external vice president said she was “honoured” to take up the role.
“As a former teacher and now senior HE leader and professor of education I know I can use my influence and networks to be an advocate for the profession and for the college.
“I want to be an informed, positive but appropriately challenging conduit between those at the chalk face and the many stakeholders out there who seek to impact on it.”
Porritt said: “I am most honoured to be elected as internal vice president of the Chartered College of Teaching and my thanks to everyone who voted.
“I want to put the pride back into teaching and look forward to working with Alison Peacock and the other members of the Council to achieve this.”
Elected by the Chartered College’s members, the council will guide the work of the college to raise the status of the profession and support teachers to “deliver the best possible education for young people”.
Full list:
President
Stephen Munday
Vice President (External)
Professor Sam Twiselton
Vice President (Internal)
Vivienne Porritt
Treasurer
Marcus Richards
Council Member (Member)
Aimee Tinkler MCCT
Gethyn Jones MCCT
Will Grant MCCT
Rebecca Nobes MCCT
Stephanie Burke MCCT
Julie Hunter MCCT
Penny Barratt MCCT
Ben Ward MCCT
Paul Barber MCCT
Council Member (Fellow)
Wendy Pearmain FCCT
Nicola Faulkner FCCT
Gareth Alcott FCCT
Hannah Wilson FCCT
Helen Blake FCCT
Farah Ahmed FCCT
Joan Deslandes FCCT
David Weston FCCT
The appointment of Stephen Munday to this role is inspired. He is a brilliant leader and an inspirational figure within the education sector.
Most importantly, he brings a set of values to the position which will make the work of others better. Diligence, integrity, rectitude and a kindheartedness towards others are at the centre of his work. Our profession will be stronger through embracing those values.
As the outgoing Vice Chair of the Chartered College of Teaching, I would very much like to thank our two previous presidents for their hard work in leading the Council: Claire Dockar and Paul Dwyer. I would also like to thank my fellow Vice Chair, Sonia Blandford and the many outgoing council members: Kevin Kibble, Malcolm Wilson, Jenna Watson, Andrew De Csillery, Jonathan Shepherd, Victoria Walker, Sarah Lachlann-Dean, Peter Mattock, Natalie Scott, Michael Taylor, as without this team giving up their Saturdays every month and many evenings of teleconferences, all voluntarily, the Chartered College wouldn’t exist today. We hand the baton on for the good work to continue. Wishing you all well for the future. We made a great team! Vicky McDowell, formerly Vice Chair of the Chartered College of Teaching
Oh bless you, Vicky! We were a good team, and the Saturdays were worth it. I felt very emotional last Saturday, seeing what we started turning into something even bigger and better. The College – if it’s given a chance – will be so valuable for our profession. I may be on the sidelines with you now, but I’m cheering.
Malcolm Wilson, former founding Trustee