As many of you may know, I have been at Oakway Academy for fifteen years. I came in 2005 as a student, then a newly qualified teacher and eventually progressed to Vice Principal. In the last seven years as Vice Principal I have had a fantastic apprenticeship to my new position by working extremely closely with our previous Principal Mrs Wallace, the CEO of Hatton Academies Trust, Rob Hardcastle and the Directors of the Trust to attain our Ofsted judgement of Requires Improvement with Good in; leadership and management; early years and; behaviour, safety and welfare.

I am passionate about Oakway Academy and feel extremely proud and honoured to be its new Principal. I look forward to working very closely with the directors, staff, parents and children to build upon the successes that have already been secured and to take the school forward in the next phase of history and development. I intend to ensure that Oakway Academy continues with the same ethos, care and values that it has built up for as long as I have worked here. The school and community are very important to me and I wholeheartedly support the Oakway PRIDE values of Passion, Responsibility, Independence, Determination and Enjoyment.

Despite being able to reassure you that much will remain the same, change is a fact of life and I firmly believe that Oakway Academy cannot and should not stand still. Alongside the newly restructured and talented leadership team we aim to lead change in a way that is respectful of what has gone before. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce James Hollingsworth and Angie Aitken as our newly appointed Vice Principals. I am also pleased to let you know that Rebecca Owen will continue in her position of Assistant Principal and will be joined by Laura Mutlow as Assistant Principal when she returns from maternity leave in July 2020. Our simple vision is to make learning and teaching our number one priority and to focus our attention on the factors that help children to learn. In doing so we aim to raise academic achievement in all areas and to continue the improvement journey that we have already started.

I believe that a successful and happy academy depends on all of us working together. Parents make an important contribution to children’s achievements at school, and I want to continue to develop relationships between the academy and parents for everyone’s benefit.

If you have any concerns, then please do not hesitate to speak to me. Please email Claire Waters, Assistant to Senior Leadership Team on c.waters@oakwayacademy.org.uk or leave a message at the office and I will endeavor to get back to you as soon as possible.

Thank you for your continued commitment and support for the Academy.”