New chair of the National College of Teaching and Leadership announced

The new chair of the National College of Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) has been announced.

Roger Pope, principal of Kingsbridge Community College in Devon, and CEO of Academies South West, takes up the position today.

He replaces Charlie Taylor who left the organisation in August. Mr Taylor now works in the Ministry of Justice, under former education secretary Michael Gove.

Mr Pope, a national leader of education, has a 25-year career in schools, teaching English in schools in the south of England and Hong Kong. He also formed a Teaching School alliance of more than 25 schools and was a member of the NCTL’s group in Shanghai examining maths and science practice.

Mr Pope said: “It is a great privilege to take on this role and continue as a serving school leader. I am very much looking forward to contributing to the NCTL’s vital work in developing teachers and leaders.”

Education secretary Nicky Morgan said: “We are delighted to have someone of Roger’s calibre on-board. He is a highly experienced and well respected school leader with a career spanning over 25 years.

“His appointment will strengthen the NCTL’s important work – ensuring we can continue to attract more high quality people into the teaching profession, further expand school led teacher training, and inspire ever greater standards of teaching and school leadership across the country.

“I am looking forward to working with him so that we can drive forward further improvements in the school system.”

Schools Week exclusively revealed in July that the government was closing the NCTL’s flagship teacher training centre in Nottingham.