Politics

Natalie Evans, Steve Shaw and Helen Hastilow

Natalie Evans has left her post as director of the New Schools Network (NSN) after her appointment last week as government whip in the House of Lords. Sarah Pearson, the network’s director of external relations, becomes interim director.

Baroness Evans became director of the NSN in January 2013 after a period as chief operating officer.

“Having the opportunity to work with so many committed teachers, parents and charity leaders as they strive to set up new schools during my time at NSN has been an absolute privilege,” she says.

“I know that the success and popularity of free schools will continue to grow and the team at NSN will go from strength to strength.”

Before she joined the NSN, Baroness Evans was deputy director of Policy Exchange. She was also head of policy at the British Chambers of Commerce and deputy director at the Conservative research department. The 39-year-old was made a life peer last September.

She studied social and political sciences at the University of Cambridge.

Steve Shaw is the new head of Boroughbridge High School, North Yorkshire, after seven years as deputy head of Brighouse High School, West Yorkshire.

He says he is determined to lead Boroughbridge from a good to outstanding school and will use its rewards and sanctions policy more “powerfully” to increase student attainment.

“We have lots of students who want to do well and we’ve got some students who are a bit more content to trundle along. I want to encourage and incentivise those students to see the value in education and I think the rewards policy will reinforce that.”

He also wants Boroughbridge to become a “hub” in the community with the students working with primary schools and local businesses.

The 47-year-old, who has worked in education for 26 years, studied English at the University of Wales. He completed his PGCE at Manchester University.

Helen Hastilow, the former deputy head of Mere Green Primary, Birmingham, is the new headteacher of nearby Slade Primary, a fellow Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP) school.

Ms Hastilow, 32, has been part of ATLP for six years and recently took part in the partnership’s Aspire to Headship programme.

Ms Hastilow says a priority in her new school is to develop teaching and learning further by looking at more personalised models of continuing professional development.

This is Ms Hastilow’s tenth year in education. She studied education and music at Bath Spa University followed by a PGCE.

She decided education was the right career path during work experience as an A-level student where she spent two years mentoring a primary school teacher.

“I caught the bug and saw the difference the teachers were making to those children. That is when I knew teaching was what I wanted to do and there was going to be nothing else.”

 

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