Richard Aust is retiring as headteacher of Chadsgrove School and Specialist Sports College after 29 years at the school, 19 as head. Mr Aust trained at Borough Road College and taught in mainstream and special schools in Hounslow and Cheshire before moving to Worcestershire. He was awarded the OBE for services to special education in Worcestershire in the 2007 New Year Honours list.
Deb Rattley is moving from her post as deputy headteacher at Sunfield, an independent residential special school in Worcestershire, to take up the headship at Chadsgrove. Previously, she had worked in a range of special and mainstream schools in Solihull after completing initial teacher training at Westhill College, Birmingham.
Alan Chambers has been appointed head of Blakewater College in Blackburn. Mr Chambers, who is from County Durham, did his teacher training at Sunderland Polytechnic, part of the University of Durham Institute of Education. He taught science in Brighton and Southend in Essex before becoming a deputy head in Scarborough. He was head at Park High School in Colne, Lancashire, for 12 years, then went to North Manchester High School for Boys. He will take up his new post this September. The college is to become Blackburn Community School in 2012, sharing its site and facilities with Crosshill Special School.
Two teachers have bid farewell to a primary school in the East Riding of Yorkshire after clocking up almost 50 years of teaching there between them. Sally Clowe and Monica Wood both joined Holme Upon Spalding Moor Primary more than 20 years ago. Mrs Clowe, the deputy head, was credited by headteacher Mark Alston with helping pupils to achieve high Sats results. Ms Wood is a nursery class teacher and Senco.
Sarah Robinson is to become principal of Stoke on Trent College this September.
Ms Robinson, who is principal of Darlington College, was the youngest college principal in the UK when she took on the role in 2001. In January, she was awarded an OBE for services to further education. Stoke on Trent College is one of the biggest colleges in the country, with more than 3,000 full-time students.
Janet Tomlinson, currently director for children, young people and families at Oxfordshire County Council, is to become managing director of inspection business for Tribal consultancy in October.
John Simpson, who currently holds the post, will become Tribal chairman. At Oxfordshire, Ms Tomlinson has responsibility for all local authority services provided to children and young people. She has held senior roles in children’s services and school improvement. Before her current role, she was strategic director of education and children’s services in Slough. She has also been an Ofsted inspector and a senior school improvement consultant with Tribal.
Craig Revel Horwood
Performing in front of a ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ judge might sound scary, but thankfully it’s a dance class rather than a dressing-down that’s on offer from Craig Revel Horwood. He is assisting a dance competition for schools being run by the National Osteoporosis Society. Pupils are invited to develop a short “Boogie for Your Bones” routine. The winning group will receive a visit from professional dancers, the Bone Factor Tour Team, and a dance lesson from the judge himself. Visit www.bones4life.orgbonefactor.
