The new permanent headteacher of Samuel Ward Academy has spoken of his excitement after landing the role full time.
Tom Johnston has led the Haverhill secondary school on an interim basis since September.
After being appointed the permanent headteacher at the end of last month, Mr Johnston has been reflecting on his first few months – as well as outlining some plans going forward.
Tom Johnston has been confirmed as the new permanent headteacher at Samuel Ward Academy in Haverhill, where he has been the interim head. Picture: Contributed
He said: “I am really excited to take on the headship of Samuel Ward on a permanent basis.
“I have really enjoyed the first few months here – everyone has been really welcoming and there is a real team spirit to continue making this a school one that the whole community can be proud of.
“It has immense potential as a secondary school and also across our sixth form provision with Haverhill Community Sixth Form.
“Students in this town and surrounding areas deserve the chance to continue their post-16 education in their home town and developing the provision of sixth form education is a priority of mine.”
Mr Johnston has worked in education for 23 years and was previously headteacher at St Mary’s Catholic School in Bishop Stortford.
He added: “We will continue to evolve as a school and build on the outcomes for all students to make sure we have an excellent culture of teaching and learning as well as unashamedly high standards.
“Our school values – ‘Aspirational, Brave, Compassionate’ – underpin everything we do and we want to create rich and fulfilling futures for every child at our school.”
As a reader, we know the value you place on trusted local journalism. At SuffolkNews we are committed to delivering the very best coverage from communities right across the county, and we can only do this with the support of our readers.
By becoming a subscriber you not only support us in this mission, you also unlock a whole host of benefits, including unlimited access to our ad-lite SuffolkNews website and digital editions of all our weekly newspapers. You can find out more about subscriptions here.
Use the promo code SteveBarton to get an annual subscription for less than £25 – we really appreciate your support. Thank you.