Welcome to the autumn term 2024. Some of you may remember me introducing myself this time last year via the Horizons platform. So much has happened in a year! 

The main focus of my work over the last twelve months has been school improvement work with your Academy Heads and their leadership teams, supporting our primaries through Ofsted inspections and completing the Consortium Trust curriculum offer. I have enjoyed this work immensely and am delighted to share with you the news of my new post within Consortium as the Director of Primary Education.   

During the last year I have become very familiar with all of our Trust primaries and have supported leaders in their focus on school development. This will remain a big part of my role with a key focus on our core subjects, to ensure that your children continue to receive high quality teaching and learning experiences across the curriculum, every day. 

I continue to visit schools as often as possible; with twelve primaries in the Trust, I manage to meet with leaders to work on school priorities every half term and visit most sites face to face as well. 

This term I have enjoyed talking to pupils about their work on Castles and seeing how this has inspired their Art work linked to Paul Klee. Many of the older children have been studying  the "Hidden Figures" text, which  supports their understanding of equal rights and the history of slavery. I am always inspired by how thoughtful and passionate the children are as they deepen their understanding of equality and inequality. 

I am excited and proud to have been given the opportunity to develop my role and look forward to working with Trust leaders to ensure our primary schools continue to be creative institutions that develop and engage learning for all pupils. 

Debbie Thomas, Director of Primary Education