Thank you – I’d like to open my final weekly update of the first half term by extending my sincere thanks to you all for getting through this overly long first half term. Thank you for everything you have already done this year for the children in your care. It’s now really important to take some well deserved time to rest, relax and recharge those batteries.
Visiting the wonderful Woodfield – This week I continued my LAT wide autumn tour with a visit to another one of our ‘new’ headteachers, Paul Kowalski, the new leader at Woodfield. Having started ‘pre LAT’ as a student and then ‘ECT’ or ‘NQT’ as it was then at Prince Rock, Paul went on to hold leadership positions at both Salisbury Road and Mount Wise, before taking up his headship at Woodfield.
Paul has clearly decided that posing for a photograph with your thumbs up and a big grin is now a newly established LAT visit tradition, however I also managed to catch him deep in a professional conversation with Jo, the school’s deputy head.
Mid way through week 8 and visiting over lunchtime, it was great to be reminded just how many different and varied challenges senior leaders are just routinely dealing with. After lunchtime, it was a real pleasure to tour the whole school and see all of the children very calmly and fully engaging with their learning in class. Well done Woodfield!
‘Movember’ – When we return after the half term, a group of LAT leaders are joining together to raise money for a well deserved charity by growing moustaches! This group will include, headteachers, service leads, directors of education and me! Disturbing ‘clean shaven’ facial pictures will be published in the first week back after 1/2 term and the eventual ‘dodgy’ moustaches will be photographed at the end of the month. You can then choose the ‘winner’ for which there will be a prize, but more importantly we are hoping to raise £1000.00 together for a very good cause.
You can support us by scanning the QR code in the picture to the left or clicking here…..
Thank you.
Three key LAT meetings to finish the half term………
Earlier this week our full LAT board met for the first time this year. It is the LAT board that are responsible for running the LAT and we are delighted to be able to confirm that Debbie Taylor is taking up the reins as LAT board chair for 2025 / 2026, with John Butcher as vice chair.
Also this week a number of our headteachers joined together with other heads and trust leaders from across Plymouth to work with the LA on city wide issues. See below for more details on the exciting new ‘Team Plymouth’ initiative.
Last but definitely not least, the chairs of our 18 school local governing bodies also met with me and members of the LAT board this week to discuss whole MAT governance.
LAT wide training after half term with Dr Pooky Knightsmith
Monday 3rd November 2025
After we return from the October half term break, the entire MAT will be coming together (virtually) to engage in whole LAT INSET session. We have managed to secure the wonderful Dr Pooky Knightsmith, who will be leading us through a morning focusing on mental health and inclusion.
Following Pooky’s on line input, we will all be working in our own respective schools / teams to consider how we can successfully continue to improve our important work in this area.
Team Plymouth – Plymouth have been successful in securing multi-million pound funding linked to Babcock and the defence industry, which in time could create thousands of new jobs in the city, along with potential improvements to transport, housing and the local infrastructure.
Embedded within this developing plan for the city is an education strand, which is currently still very much at the visioning stage. The early publicity and obvious activity around this is likely to link to post 16 education provision and apprenticeships. However, in the background I am working alongside a group of Plymouth MAT CEOs to develop a plan to help us to unlock some additional funding to develop educational provision from 2 – 11, as well as within secondary.
I hope you all have a really fantastic half term break.
See you all bright and early on Monday 3rd November for Dr Pooky Knightsmith.
Simon