The new Advantage Schools board member is Anne Heavey, a Bedford resident who is also National Director of Whole School SEND. Anne is a former music teacher with extensive experience in schools and education.
Under Anne’s leadership, Whole School SEND brings together schools, individuals and organisations committed to ensuring all young people achieve their potential at school. The Whole School SEND Consortium are currently delivering a major DfE contract to support the schools’ workforce to deliver high quality SEND provision and an EEF funded trial of the Whole School SEND review in mainstream secondary schools.
While she has significant expertise in special educational needs, Anne also brings expertise around wider school leadership, curriculum and pedagogical issues, and will demand that Advantage Schools delivers the highest quality of education to as many families as possible in and around Bedford.
Advantage Schools chief executive Stuart Lock said: “I am delighted that we have been able to attract such a high-calibre trustee to continue our mission of bringing the highest expectations and best possible educational outcomes to children in and around Bedford, regardless of background. Anne adds a significant amount to our board as we enter a period of expansion.
“Anne has exceptional educational expertise, from her experience as a teacher through to a leader of a nationwide organisation. I have already learnt a great deal from meeting her.”
Anne said “I am delighted to join Advantage Schools as a Trustee and look forward to supporting the trust as it grows and develops over the coming years.”
Bedford Free School, part of Advantage Schools, has recently announced that their provisional ‘progress 8’ figure is +0.81 placing them well within the top 150 schools in the country. Pupils who joined the school as SEND achieved even greater progress than their peers.