Carl Sugden, headteacher of King James’s School in Knaresborough, will leave tomorrow after 15 years in charge of the secondary school.
Mr Sugden first came to Knaresborough as deputy headteacher aged 33 in April 2000.
He left in 2005 before relinquishing his role as head of Sherburn High School, at Sherburn-in-Elmet to succeed David Hudson as headteacher of King James’s in 2008.
The 1,575-pupil Knaresborough school was rated ‘good’ by Ofsted this year.
Clare Martin, principal of Bradford Girls’ Grammar School, will succeed Mr Sugden as head at the start of the summer term on April 17.
Mr Sugden said he had totted up that he had done about 600 assemblies, 400 staff briefings, 13 founder’s says, 80 prize-givings and 2,500 bus duties, adding:
“And I even managed to keep teaching history until just about the end. That is what I will miss the most, being in the classroom with our young people.”
Mr Sugden said:
“The school is a great community and there is a special history and ethos here, which I have tried to nurture and to maintain.
“I’m immensely proud of what this school has achieved, with the support of many great colleagues, over the past few years. In particular the challenges of the pandemic, and the post pandemic, which stretched us to the limit.
“When you look back at the last three years it is incredible what we all dealt with; lockdown, key workers’ children supervision, online learning, lateral flow tests, bubbles, centre assessed grades, masks and vaccinations.”
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He said that for all the challenges, he didn’t regret a moment:
“It has been fulfilling and I am grateful to have worked in such a vibrant education community. I am not retiring, I will continue to work in education, but I plan to have a little more time to do some of the things I enjoy.”
Mr Sugden praised colleagues for “doing a pretty amazing job, going above and beyond to deliver a very high quality of education and enrichment opportunities” despite “extreme funding pressures”.
He wished Ms Martin well.
“Clare and I worked together back in the early 2000s, when she was, like me, a young teacher at King James’s.
“She has a strong track record as a deputy head and headteacher in schools in Leeds and Bradford. I wish her all the very best in the new role.”
New head sought for Harrogate infant school
An infant school in Harrogate is seeking a new leader to replace its outgoing headteacher.
Zoe Anderson, who has been at Oatlands Infant School since 2018, is moving away from the area and the school is now looking for its next head.
In a job description posted on its website, the school said:
“Our outgoing headteacher has built a high-performing, popular and purposeful school, which offers a very exciting prospect for her successor.
“You’ll join a school in great health, with strong systems, a thriving culture, and shared expectations of support and accountability.”
A website set up to recruit the new head describes the school as being “in an enviable position to embark on our next chapter with excitement and curiosity”.
It refers to the challenges of finance and says the school does not want to compromise its standards because of stretched budgets.
The site also refers to the next Ofsted inspection being “likely before the end of this academic year” – the last, in 2013, rated the school ‘outstanding’ – and says the new head would lead the response to its outcomes.
Oatlands Infant School is part of the Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust, along with six other primary schools in the Harrogate district and one in Skipton, and St Aidan’s Church of England High School.
The school was last month awarded the Inclusion Quality Mark, recognising its work to be inclusive of people regardless of their background.
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Deputy headteacher Kathryn Haddon said Mrs Anderson had made a “significant impact” since she joined the school.
She particularly highlighted improvements to the school building, including a new reception area, and developing stronger links with Oatlands Junior School.
She also said Mrs Anderson had developed the school’s vision of ‘Nurtured + Inspired = Happy’ and had delivered a legacy of wellbeing for staff, children and their families.
Miss Haddon added:
“On a personal note, I will miss her wisdom, guidance and friendship. I speak on behalf of everyone here at Oatlands Infant School in wishing her the very best as she sets off on a new and exciting adventure on the Isle of Skye.”