Business Breakfast: NEOM appoints new CEO

NEOM, the home fragrance brand that has grown to international prominence from its Harrogate HQ, has appointed a new chief executive.

Isabel Malbois, who was previously managing director at the company, takes over from co-founder Oliver Mennell, who will stay on as non-executive chair. Fellow co-founder Nicola Elliott remains as creative director.

Isabel joined NEOM – whose name comes from its founders’ initials – as global commercial director in 2021, after successful stints at L’Oréal, Urban Decay and Giorgio Armani. She said:

“I’ve thoroughly loved working closely with Nicola and Oliver and the passionate and smart NEOM team over the past two years and I’m super excited about my new role as CEO. NEOM is a very much-loved wellbeing brand.

She added:

“I look forward to continuing to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Nicola day to day and having Oliver close to the business in his new role as chair to keep driving the company onwards and upwards.”

Oliver Mennell and Nicola Elliott founded NEOM in 2005, launching a range of natural fragrances designed to improve sleep, lower stress, boost energy and lift mood. Within a few years, their products had been adopted by celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow, Sienna Miller and Kate Moss.

Now based at Hornbeam Park, it has achieved B Corp certification – an internationally recognised standard for sustainability – and in its last annual accounts recorded post-tax profits of over £3 million.

Hospital rated ‘good’ by CQC

A mental health hospital in Harrogate has been praised for the “outstanding” caring nature of its staff by inspectors from the Care Quality Commission.

The regulator’s report on Cygnet Hospital Harrogate praised the high standard of care offered at the service and highlighted many areas of positive practice, saying the hospital had embedded a “person-centred” culture.

The service, on Ripon Road, is part of the Cygnet Health Care division, and offers a care service for men and women suffering with acute mental health.

The inspection, which took place in August, looked at all key lines of enquiry: safety, care, responsiveness, leadership and effectiveness. The service was awarded a Good rating overall, with Outstanding in the Caring domain.

Hospital manager Gavin Clark said:

“We’re all absolutely delighted with a good overall from the recent inspection, but to get an outstanding in the Caring domain was the cherry on top.

“That the report recognises the contribution of multiple departments in this – and not just clinical teams – felt a real validation of the entire staff group’s efforts. I feel so proud of everyone and would like to thank all of my staff for their hard work and dedication towards providing high-quality, compassionate care.”

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Knaresborough head responds to Ofsted report

The headteacher of King James’s School in Knaresborough has responded to the publication of the school’s latest Ofsted report this week.

Government inspectors visited King James’s School for the first time in six years in January and, in a report published on Monday, rated it once again as ‘good’ – a status it has maintained for over 20 years. 

Ofsted described the 1,575-pupil school as a “caring environment where pupils learn well” with “a strong focus on ensuring that everyone feels welcome”. 

It said the “vast majority of pupils are keen and engage confidently in their learning” and bullying is rare. 

Headteacher Carl Sugden said:  

“The strong curriculum, the expertise of the teachers and the caring environment are highlighted in the report.” 

Mr Sugden also noted that King James’s, in common with other schools, was still dealing with the educational and social impact of the covid pandemic, adding:

“I believe the report reflects the hard work and commitment of the staff at King James’s. It also reflects well on our wonderful pupils, the vast majority of whom work hard, show great resilience and humour and reflect our community values.”

He added the school acknowledged the areas of improvement identified by Ofsted and was already addressing them. 

 Ofsted said more should be done to provide support for the weakest readers, and more opportunities should be provided for pupils to experience the world of work. 

Mr Sugden said:

“We agree with these priorities and had already started working on these before the inspectors arrived.” 

King James’s was founded in 1616 by a charter from King James I, and is the Harrogate district’s second-oldest secondary school, after Ripon Grammar School, which was founded in 1555.

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Ofsted praise for ‘warm and welcoming’ village pre-school near Harrogate

A pre-school in Pannal has received praise from Ofsted for its “welcoming” setting and care for its children.

Busy Bees Pre-school, based in the grounds of Pannal Primary School, retained its ‘good’ grading in the report published this month.

Inspector Amy Whiting, who visited the setting in January, said:

“Children are happy and enjoy spending time in this warm, welcoming setting. New children settle quickly and soon become familiar with their surroundings.

“Staff are attentive to children’s needs. Children show they feel comfortable with the staff. For example, they climb onto staff members’ knees during play, and seek out staff for cuddles.”

She also praised the way the manager leads the team of staff, offering support and mentoring to new and more junior people, with relevant online training.

Ms Whiting said staff had “high levels of well-being and feel supported”, and there was a clear plan for improving the pre-school.

She highlighted the “effective” development of children’s maths skills, and use of additional funding to bring in teachers for extra activities such as yoga and rugby. She said children were encouraged to take turns at activities, but instructions could be clearer so they always know what is expected of them.

The report also praised the manager’s understanding of the safeguarding and referral process, saying anyone left in charge in her absence was suitably knowledgeable, and all staff had regular safeguarding training.

But Ms Whiting added:

“However, in some cases, staff’s understanding of, and confidence to talk about wider safeguarding issues, such as female genital mutilation and ‘Prevent’ duty [relating to terrorism], is not fully developed.

“Similarly to this, plans for staff’s continued professional development in this regard are not yet fully developed.”

The report and grading have been welcomed by the pre-school, which cares for 30 children aged between two and four.

Pre-school manager Tina Morley said:

“We feel the inspection went very well and I couldn’t be prouder of my amazing team.

“The inspector commented during the feedback meeting how confident and well-settled the children were and how the staff seemed genuinely passionate about their care, education and welfare.

“We were delighted to retain our Good grading across all aspects of our provision.

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Praise for Harrogate school’s ‘strong community’ in new Ofsted report

A Harrogate primary school has been rated ‘good’ with some ‘outstanding’ features in its latest Ofsted inspection.

Rossett Acre Primary School was praised for its “strong sense of community” and for the “impeccable manners” shown by its children.

Inspectors found it was ‘good’ in the quality of its education and early years provision, as well as its leadership. They rated its behaviour and attitudes, and its personal development, as ‘outstanding’.

The report said:

“There is a firm focus on pupils’ academic success alongside their mental health and well-being.

“Staff encourage pupils to benefit fully from the rich curriculum experiences and opportunities on offer. Pupils enjoy their lessons and clubs, such as dodgeball, singing squad, multi-sports and orchestra.

“Pupils respond positively to the education they receive. They show high levels of motivation and a thirst for learning. Pupils feel valued by staff and are proud of the contribution they make to the school.”

Inspectors highlighted the school’s emphasis on diversity and culture of tolerance and respect for others as areas of strength.

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Addressing ways in which the school could further improve, they said the new phonics curriculum needed to be implemented in a way that ensured all pupils could make progress and those who were further behind could catch up.

They also said not all subjects were taught consistently from reception onwards, such as poor handwriting formation not being addressed early enough so bad habits could become established.

The report added:

“The broad offer and focus on developing staff expertise mean that pupils achieve very well in the range of subjects over time.

“The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND have the support they need so they can achieve well and be fully involved in school life.

“Teachers deliver the curriculum with enthusiasm. This rubs off on the pupils and they respond with curiosity and a desire to learn.”

The inspection took place in June, before the summer holiday, and the report has been published this week.

The school has maintained its rating from its last full inspection in 2011, before it became an academy in 2016. It had a short inspection in 2019.

Rossett Acre Primary School

Rossett Acre is part of the Red Kite Learning Trust, a group of 13 schools including Harrogate Grammar School, Oatlands Junior School, and Western and Coppice Valley primaries.

Inspectors praised the support of the trust for the school, providing training to teachers and ensuring pupils had access to the best learning opportunities.

Responding to the report, headteacher Corinne Penhale said:

“We are thrilled with our Ofsted report, particularly our two areas of ‘outstanding’ for personal development and behaviour and attitudes.

“At Rossett Acre, children are at the heart of everything we do, and the Ofsted outcomes are testament to this.

“I am so incredibly proud of everyone in our school and our community who work so hard to ensure we provide a relevant, rich and fabulous education for our children. What a team!”