Dear Parents and Carers,

As I come to the end of my first two weeks as CEO of the Gosforth Group, I wanted to write to formally introduce myself to you and to welcome you back to the new school year. It is an absolute privilege to be leading the Gosforth Group MAT. Our schools already provide an extremely high level of education for all our students and the dedication of all staff, both in schools and in the central team, is clear to see. This is a firm foundation from which we can grow and develop, so that we provide all our students with the best life chances possible.

This term, we will be strengthening the links across our schools, providing opportunities for staff and students to collaborate and develop. We will be reviewing and improving the consistency of our communication to you as parents and carers to ensure that, no matter which school your children attend, you understand the routines, systems and expectations of the trust. We welcome your views and thoughts on how we can get even better and will provide opportunities for you to share these ideas and contribute to our future development.

On Tuesday, I had the privilege of visiting the new buildings for Callerton and Great Park. Both sites are progressing quickly with visible classroom areas and corridors beginning to take shape. I know that there have been frustrations with the delays, however, I saw first hand the speed at which the schools are coming together. They will create some amazing teaching and learning spaces for our students and staff.

Good attendance will remain a focus across all our schools this year. We will work with you to help remove any barriers to attendance. It is so important for all children to be in school regularly and on time.

This is an exciting time in the development of the Gosforth Group. I look forward to keeping you updated on the developments and achievements in the weeks and months ahead.

Dr. Alexandra Thorp

CEO