Houghton Regis's new school appoints chair of governors

'I cannot wait to get to know the school community as it grows and I am delighted to be a part of it'
Helena BrothwellHelena Brothwell
Helena Brothwell

The chair of governors for Houstone School, which opens in Houghton Regis in September, has been announced.

Helena Brothwell, currently Director of School Improvement at David Ross Education Trust, will bring a wealth of experience of delivering excellent education outcomes, including in areas where there are significant challenges, say Advantage Schools, which will run Houstone.

Miss Brothwell will work closely with Elizabeth English, Founding Principal, to get the school off to the best possible start. This will include recruiting the founding governing body members.

She said: “Great communities need great schools and I have been very excited by the ambitions that Advantage Schools and Founding Principal Ms English have for the school.

“Crucially for me, these ambitions align with my view about the important role schools play in their communities, and the collective responsibility to improve life chances for the children we serve is felt deeply by all involved.

"I cannot wait to get to know the school community as it grows and I am delighted to be a part of it.”

Stuart Lock, Chief Executive at Advantage Schools, said: “I have known Miss Brothwell for many years by reputation as a brilliant school leader whose values are shared by us at Advantage Schools. I am delighted that she is taking this role. Miss Brothwell’s qualities, skills and knowledge are exactly those we were looking for in this really important position. The Trustees who interviewed Miss Brothwell were impressed with the commitment she offered and the expertise she exhibited.

“This is another step on the road to starting a world-class school in Houghton Regis.”

Houstone School have already recruited the founding leadership team, and this week are advertising for heads of department and other roles at the school to establish the founding team for September 2022.

Houstone School (pronounced “How-stone” after the historic name of Houghton Regis) will open on the Kingsland site in Houghton Regis. It will accept pupils in years 7, 8, 9 and 10. Whilst applications for places in year 7 closed at the end of October, there are very limited spaces to be allocated in the late application round. Applications for years 8, 9 and 10 are also now open.

There is an opportunity to meet with Advantage Schools and the new Principal in the coming weeks. Families and parents should sign up to the Houstone School updates to be kept informed, and they can do this via our website www.houstoneschool.co.uk or by emailing [email protected].

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