MAT names inclusion director as new CEO

An influential academy trust has recruited its next CEO after its previous chief executive took a role in Morocco.

David Hatchett, Lift Schools’ standards and inclusion director, is set to take over the reins at Anthem Schools Trust later this year.

He will replace Mohsen Ojja, who was one of only four non-white chief executives of the 171 trusts with 15 schools or more last year, Schools Week’s diversity audit found.

Hatchett said: “It’s clear that Anthem has enormous potential. The recent improvements in both primary and secondary achievement provide a strong foundation from which to build, thanks to the commitment and hard work of staff across the trust.”

It was announced last year that Ojja would leave in April for a post – which had not been revealed – overseas.

But in a post on LinkedIn last month, he said he was “heading back home to Morocco to take on a new challenge”.

Experience at E-ACT and Lift

He is now CEO at Education Development Company, which is “leading a mission to expand high-quality education across” the country.

Among other things, the firm has an “English language institute, a teaching and leadership training institute, and schools following the Moroccan trilingual, US and French curricula”.

Hatchett, who will move into the position in October, also held an executive leadership role at E-ACT before joining Lift, formerly known as Academies Enterprise Trust.

David Moran, the former boss of E-ACT and Ojja’s mentor, was named interim chief executive until a permanent replacement was found.

Having started his career as a teacher in the East End, Hatchett has also held senior roles at Pearson PLC.

He is also an Ofsted inspector and a trustee at Parentkind and the English-Speaking Union.

Anthem chair Jay Bhutani noted Hatchett’s “leadership experience, deep understanding of school improvement, and his unwavering commitment to inclusive and values-led education made him the ideal choice”.

“With a renewed strategic focus across our family of schools, he will be dedicated to improving outcomes for our 8,500+ students and ensuring the wellbeing of our incredible staff.”