Professor Dame Alison Peacock, executive headteacher of The Wroxham School in Hertfordshire, has been appointed as the first chief executive officer (CEO) of the Chartered College of Teaching.
Peacock will assume the role from January 1, 2017 and will act as CEO designate until that time.
Reporting to the board of trustees, she will provide leadership across the independent and voluntary body and will aim to develop its profile with teachers and other stakeholders in education.
During her career, Peacock has gained experience in primary, secondary and advisory roles.
She is a member of the Royal Society Education Committee and a trustee of the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors and of Teach First.
She is also a peer member of the Teaching Schools Council and was previously a member of a Regional Schools Commissioner Headteacher Board.
As consultant headteacher she advised on design and development of the new University of Cambridge Primary School and has written a book entitled Assessment for Learning without Limits.
In March 2015, she was appointed by the Department for Education (DfE) as a member of the commission on assessment without levels and was a member of the DfE expert groups supporting the development of the new initial teacher training content framework and professional development standards.
Under her leadership, the Chartered College of Teaching will offer teacher-led professional standards, a professional code of ethics, and a platform for sharing knowledge.
Speaking about her new position, Peacock, said she was “delighted” and “privileged”.
She commented: “It is time for a cohesive Chartered College of Teaching to emerge; an organisation that works in partnership with all associations, unions and learned societies to build on the best of practical pedagogy and leadership and combine this with existing and emerging research evidence.
“The Chartered College will be an organisation that stands above party politics, speaking with authority based on evidence about professional issues related to inclusive pedagogy, curriculum and assessment.
“We shall represent the expertise of our members whilst always keeping the interest of, children, young people and adult learners at its heart.”
She added that it will be possible to join the college from the coming autumn term, when its digital membership and portfolio system will available.
It is also possible to email suggestions, ideas and comments to her about the work of the Chartered College at ceo@charteredcollegeofteaching.ac.uk.
Claire Dockar, chair of trustees and teacher at Lipson Community Academy in Plymouth, said: “We are really excited to have Professor Dame Alison Peacock as our CEO.
“She has an impressive track record and will bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise to the college’s work at this crucial time.”
In 2015, 13 founding trustees were appointed to the college from a range of educational backgrounds, before it was granted its Royal Charter.
Speaking at a Westminster Education Forum in May this year, Angela McFarlane, a founding trustee of the college, told professionals that the organisation’s aim was to be the “gatekeeper of standards for teacher training”.
She said she hoped it would be in a position to take over the regulation of teacher training providers from the government.
The college was originally initiated by the Claim Your College 450-strong coalition led by the former College of Teachers, The Prince’s Teaching Institute, the Teacher Development Trust and the SSAT in collaboration with practicing teachers and school leaders.
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