New Swaffham principal promises to help pupils achieve their potential
Mark Woodhouse has been appointed as the new principal of The Nicholas Hamond Academy. Picture: Mark Woodhouse - Credit: Archant
A newly-appointed school principal has promised to give students the opportunities they need to fulfil their potential.
The Nicholas Hamond Academy in Swaffham. Picture: Ian Burt - Credit: IAN BURT
The Academy Transformation Trust (ATT) announced on Friday it has appointed Mark Woodhouse as the new principal at The Nicholas Hamond Academy, in Swaffham, where he will be responsible for improvements in standards of achievement, teaching and learning.
A recent Ofsted report found that the school has been struggling to meet national standards and the proportion of pupils gaining good GCSE grades in English and maths has been below the national average.
Inspectors noted that improvements had stalled in 2016 when a staff restructure led to the dismissal of the previous principal.
Their report concluded the school is in need of improvement in almost all areas.
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Mr Woodhouse has 20 years of experience in education and was most recently the deputy headteacher at Harwich and Dovercourt High School.
'Having grown up in Norfolk myself, I am delighted to have the opportunity to return to the county to lead the academy in the next stage of its journey,' he said.
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'Working together with the leadership team and the staff, I will build on the academy's current strengths to ensure that our students are provided with the opportunities they need in order to fulfil their potential.
'I am looking forward to working with ATT in delivering the trust's vision that every student deserves a first class education. Together, I am confident that we can provide learners with the best educational experiences they deserve.'
Julie Bloor, chief education officer of the trust, said: 'We aim to develop our students as individuals and not just learners and we offer a rewarding and proactive learning environment for all our students.
'I know that in his new role as principal at The Nicholas Hammond Academy, Mark will go above and beyond to continue to achieve this and drive his team to ensuring that our students achieve all that they are capable of.'
Swaffham C.E. Junior Academy has also begun advertising for a new headteacher, stating on the job advertisement that they are 'on a quest to secure good status in our first inspection as an academy'.
