Meet the headteacher of Ysgol John Bright ahead of their upcoming open evening

Being the Head of Ysgol John Bright is a huge privilege and represents the greatest opportunity I could wish for.  I am able to lead  a highly qualified and professional workforce  who guide young people into adulthood and enable them to contribute purposefully to the world in which they live; it is very exciting.  It is also a significant responsibility: I never forget that in the end, we as a school are responsible for the welfare and happiness of other people’s children. It is a rewarding job.Having four children of my own, I am acutely aware of the impact a great education can have and throughout my school career,  I have always strived to ensure that young people experience a culture of high expectations; every child in the community has the entitlement to an outstanding and inclusive education experience.  It is life changing and opens doors to amazing opportunities as I know only too well from my own experience.  It’s exactly what I have wanted for my own family.

I started my career as a science teacher in Chorley, Lancashire and have worked in many schools as a teacher and leader in England.  Ofsted described my leadership as ‘inspirational’ when I was Head of Eaton Bank Academy in Congleton, Cheshire.  That testament was only possible because of the support of a  great team of professionals.  At this point over 5 years ago, I felt more than equipped to take on the headteacher’s role at Ysgol John Bright and was delighted when  Estyn, in July 2021, following a monitoring visit, stated the following:

‘The headteacher has provided clear direction, robust accountability and beneficial  support to enable middle leaders to carry out their roles effectively. Over time, and in  particular since the first national lockdown in March 2020, she has been successful in  communicating with staff, promoting collaboration between faculties and supporting the wellbeing of the whole-school community. As a result, she has galvanised the staff, created an open, supportive ethos for professional learning and secured a  safer, more caring environment than previously was the case’

I am equally supported by fantastic senior leadership teams, passionate and enthusiastic middle leaders, inspirational teachers and an incredibly talented and committed group of support staff.  Add to that a Governing Body, (many of whom are parents) who support me with the highest expectations of standards in the school, and you can see why the Estyn report was so positive.

The whole community has pulled together during this pandemic and we have prided ourselves on our online learning provision, our excellent communication to our stakeholders and our ability to listen to our community and respond to their needs.  We are a very digitally advanced school and were able to respond rapidly to the challenges of lockdown.  I have been overwhelmed by the support we have received from our parent community during such a challenging time and the commitment from all of the staff at John Bright who went the extra mile to support our young people.

YJB  is a happy place to live, learn and grow. Our school community instills  openness, trust, compassion and mutual respect: students and staff encourage each other to try their hardest, every single day.   Estyn recently stated that, “pupils behave well and listen attentively and with respect to teachers and their peers with teachers building and maintaining positive working relationships with students”.  We are fortunate to have an amazing building and school site; the best that I have ever worked in.  This ranges from having well-resourced Science laboratories, Design and Technology workshops, through to great sporting facilities in the leisure centre.  Whilst we have over 1200 students in the school, each year group is still able to have their own designated area at break and lunch times.

I hope I’ve given you a flavour of the values we hold at John Bright and the commitment we show to our young people; they are the future and they deserve the very best educational experiences we can provide.  Come and see for yourselves by joining us on our Open Evening.