‘Trailblazing’ ATLP Executive Headteachers excited by their new roles

Two newly-appointed Executive Headteachers have spoken of their excitement after taking on the ‘trailblazing’ challenge of each overseeing two Arthur Terry Learning Partnership primary schools.

Ellie Ballinger will oversee both Greysbrooke Primary School in Shenstone and St Michael’s CofE Primary School, in Lichfield, while Danny Jones will guide Deykin Avenue Junior and Infant School, in Witton,  and Slade Primary School in Erdington.

They will each collaborate with leadership at their respective schools to share experience for the benefit of both.

Mrs Ballinger, who was Headteacher at Greysbrooke, said: “I love working for ATLP, and it’s quite exciting trailblazing the route for potential future Executive Head roles alongside Danny. 

“Uniting the two schools formalises the connections we already have in the North Hub, which includes ATLP schools from Lichfield and Shenstone. 

“The schools have different challenges and also similarities, meaning skill sets from one can benefit the other, and it also makes continual professional development much slicker for our staff. We recently all did safeguarding training together, for example.”

Maintaining the unique individual identities of both schools, while utilising their connections in a beneficial manner, is a priority for Mrs Ballinger.

She said: “Each school is still autonomous and unique – it’s about bringing the positives from both schools together for the betterment of both. I never want to come away from the schools’ unique identities, but if we can manage resources and curricula in a smarter way, that’s important”

Mrs Ballinger believes that the role of Executive Headteacher will enable her to accomplish her visions for both schools’ improvement. 

She said: “I’m familiar with the journeys the schools have been on recently, with Greysbrooke joining ATLP in 2021 and St Michael’s following in 2022. My aims are that we continue to grow across both schools, and empower the teams working at both.

“Being in ATLP has already been brilliant for staff networking, CPD, safeguarding support and human resources. It makes all those things that might consume a Headteacher on a daily basis so much easier to deal with. The Strategic Leads have also been wonderful in supporting us as leaders and helping us define our visions and align them with ATLP’s goals.

Mr Jones, who is already Headteacher at the ever-improving Slade School, plans to chart a similar course of development for Deykin.

He said: “When I moved to Deykin they had just joined the Partnership, so there was an opportunity to build something new, implement a consistent curriculum approach and put structures in place to move the school forward.”

“New connections from the ATLP, like the safeguarding team, the hub SENDCo and the school improvement team have already started to have a significant impact at Deykin. I had built strong relationships, working alongside them at Slade and I knew I would have champions within the school who would drive things forward.”

According to Mr Jones, one of the greatest benefits of his new role as Executive Headteacher is his ability to provide pupils at both schools with life-changing opportunities they may otherwise not have been a possibility and the opportunity to work together as a community.

He said:

“The extracurricular enrichment opportunities that come along with joining ATLP are also absolutely crucial. Pupils will now have access to further enrichment, such as joining the Young Voices choir, participating in the Children’s University celebrations with other schools and the possibility of joined up residential visits in the future. 

“Deykin is also extremely excited to start the Learning Futures programme in January, giving all students access to a one-to-one device. It’s an exciting time for the parents and the children, who will benefit from the enhancements provided by having a device they can use in class and at home.

“My background has been working in inner city schools, and I have enjoyed working alongside the community at Slade. Children at Slade are already experiencing many of the things which we hope Deykin will now be able to offer – and I’m excited to be the person who ensures they have these opportunities.”

Another key facet of Mr Jones’ vision for both schools is further improving parental involvement. Parent voice been increasingly embraced at Slade, and Mr Jones now has similar aspirations for the community at Deykin.

He said: “We have tried to provide as many opportunities as possible to increase parental involvement at Slade and draw upon their support in driving the school forward. We really value the communities that we serve, and I intend to draw upon parent’s views at Deykin to further improve the learning opportunities on offer.

Mr Jones also hopes his new leadership role will bring a sense of stability to Deykin. He said: “It’s about paving a positive way forward. Parents have spoken about the school’s turbulent leadership in the past, with lots of staff coming and going. The parents are looking forward to seeing the school on the up, as somewhere students are proud to attend.”

Mrs Ballinger and Mr Jones will also be working with one another, sharing their expertise for the improvement of all the schools they oversee.

Mr Jones said: “The schools Ellie and I lead bring different challenges and opportunities, being in such different areas. We can draw upon each other’s strengths to enhance all four schools and ensure that they all continue to improve. I’m passionate about ensuring that the standards at both of my schools remain high–  I know Ellie feels the same about St Michael’s and Greysbrooke and I am looking forward to working alongside her.”