Introductory Letter from Mike Westerdale, CEO
Thank you for showing an interest in this Principal role within Brigantia Learning Trust. This is a key appointment for us and one that requires the successful candidate to lead further improvement and change.
Concord Junior Academy and Wincobank Nursery and Infants Academy have established strong reputations and are focused on raising ambitions, developing passions and creating memorable experiences for children in Sheffield. Both are rated “Good” by Ofsted.
The Trust has applied to the Department for Education for approval to amalgamate the twoacademies, creating Brigantia Hill Fort Primary Academy. This is subject to a Significant Change application and approval by the Department for Education which is expected in the summer of 2025. Our vision will be to create an outstanding education for every one of our children and become the ‘school’ of choice in the area. We are looking for a Principal to make this vision a reality.
Having worked for 30 years in education in a range of different settings, I have a clear view on where we are as a Trust and what we are looking to achieve. Our work in the Trust and in our individual academies is around securing social mobility and justice for our young people and for our communities and as a consequence improve and change life chances which can only be achieved by raising attainment.
Our vision is focused on creating excellence together through a culture of care.Cornerstones for this arebold leadership, high quality teaching and learning and a relentless drive for excellence. Success relies on being aspirational, having a drive with a no excusesmind set. We need to remove the barriers to making this happen. As pioneers of 2–19 education within Sheffield, we believe in inclusion, ambition and equity, so that every child and young adult benefits. The trustees very much believe in supplementary growth throughcivic responsibility which is why we are proud to be developing our Integrated Resource provision within our new amalgamated academy as well as being a commissioned service to the City Council to deliver Alternative Provision for other schools and academies from acrossthe city.
We are looking for an energetic and passionate leader who shares our principles, can lead effective change and establish a new, high-performing, cohesive academy with the priorities of equity, inclusion and ambition. You will have the support of the Trust but you will also begiven the freedom to operate as an ‘empowered’ Principal.
Our culture, values and vision are critically important. If you can’t subscribe to these, this is not the role for you. If you can, then we encourage you to engage with us. You can arrange to visit the Academy or talk to me as CEO. Both of these can be arranged through our advising consultant at Pentir, Mike Phillips – 07830 313 915 or [email protected]
We look forward to hearing from you.
Mike Westerdale
