Welcome back to Myton all students, and a particular welcome to those who are new to our community. Naturally after so long away and the ‘new normal’ there are some extra anxieties around starting this term, but I hope that after a few days Myton does start to feel normal again.
These are unprecedented times with the challenges of Covid-19, but a huge amount of work has been going on to ensure the safe return of students to school, and Mr Perry and his team need our recognition and thanks for working well beyond normal expectations in the face of a rapidly changing landscape and ever-shifting government guidance.
I have the pleasurable and daunting challenge of taking over as Chair of Governors at the beginning of this term from Diane Burley, who has provided exceptional leadership as Chair for the last four years (and as a governor for the last 14).
I have been a governor at Myton since the beginning of 2019, and am also Lead Governor for SEND and Mental Health. Previously I was a governor at St Margaret’s and Briar Hill schools since 2013, where I was Vice-Chair and Safeguarding Lead.
I have twins in Year 11 and hear daily from them what Myton is like from the student perspective!
Professionally, I am a clinical psychologist with over 30 years’ experience in clinical practice and management, in the NHS and the university sector. I have recently been appointed as a magistrate to the criminal courts.
I am enormously impressed with the dedication of Myton staff to providing the best education to our children and I look forward to working at all levels of the school towards continually improving the experience of all our students, both academically and towards producing well-rounded and resilient members of the community.
Our goal should be nothing less than to make Myton recognised as the best school in Warwick and Leamington. We already have an ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted rating for our sixth form, and we should be aiming to have that for the whole school but the success of a school is not simply about academic results. Mr Perry and his senior leadership team are making some structural changes to ensure that the pastoral care of students is improved further, and initiatives like ’50 Things To Do Before You Leave Myton’ help to keep a focus on our children’s broader development.
As a governing body, we need to have a good understanding and knowledge of the school in order to provide effective governance. Part of that is about having engagement with stakeholders, not least parents and I hope that before long we can get back to having parents’ evenings and the like, where I can get to meet some of you face to face.
Here’s looking forward to an enjoyable, challenging and stimulating new academic year!
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