'We want young people to leave school ready for life' - says new face at the helm for Shropshire education trust

The Learning Community Trust (LCT) has appointed Kevin Barton as its new chair of trustees.

Mr Barton began his career in education as a PE teacher and came to Telford as a deputy headteacher in 2000.

He spent his last 10 years in teaching in Shropshire before spending three years working for the qualifications and curriculum watchdog which wrote the national curriculum for schools in England, and monitored how schools implemented it.

The former teacher has also worked with a variety of organisations including Nike, HS2, The British Council, and sport and education charities.

Mr Barton says he is looking forward to his role where he will engage with local communities.

Kevin said: "My initial priority has been to fully understand the whole organisation and the way it operates, and I have visited many of our schools to learn more from the headteachers and the staff.

"My next priority is to get out into some of the local communities and gauge how we can work closely with them to ensure the Trust reflects their thoughts and hopes for the future.

"I have always loved sport and physical activity so it felt like a natural progression to go into teaching and to share some of that enthusiasm with the next generation."

The multi-academy trust runs more than a dozen school sites across Telford and Wrekin and Shropshire, including primary, secondary and specialist education centres. 

Some of the secondary schools under its wing include the Hadley Learning Community, Wellington-based Ercall Wood and Charlton, New Road Academy in Wrockwardine Wood, and Burton Borough in Newport. 

Mr Barton has also been a governor at Telford College for three years, and says he is keen to make sure the LCT Board offers strong support to the trust’s executive team.

"As my last full-time role ins school was in Telford, I have always felt a real affinity for the community in Telford and in Shropshire - so when the LCT role came up, it seemed like an opportunity to give a little something back to the county," Kevin added.

"It gives me chance to share some of the experiences I have had and hopefully put some of those to good use in supporting the Trust.

"All the successful organisations I have worked with over the years have one thing in common and that’s a really good culture. If you get the culture right, an organisation can find its way through any challenges it faces - and I can already see that the culture at the LCT is strong and positive.

"Measuring the success of our organisation is not just about exam results though. They are important, but we want young people to leave our schools ready for the rest of their lives, so it’s as much about building their resilience and building those lifelong skills that they will need like communication and teamwork.

"So far, my new role has been an incredibly steep learning curve for me, but I am really enjoying learning more about the organisation and how we can help to make a real difference."