28th July 2017
Dear Parents & Carers
Happy holidays!
I am writing at the end of what has been a highly successful year for Hilltop School.
For many years, Hilltop school has been the epitome of stability: with minimal changes to the leadership team make-upover a 20 year period and little turnover in our teaching cohort for the best part of a decade.
However, 12 months ago Hilltop School was going through significant change. Following the departure of Executive Headteacher Nick Whittaker and the retirement of Head of School Helen Nartey, we were coming to the end of a school year where we’d had short term arrangements across our senior leadership team, with a number of experienced teachers having also retired in the previous year.
We had acting arrangements with Joint Heads (Rob & David); interim Deputy and Assistant Heads; and we knew that our spending outstripped our income. The school was going through a period of readjustment that would have been difficult for any other school or setting to be faced with and to go through unscathed.
12 months later: the school is thriving. We have a larger senior leadership team with all posts appointed to permanently; the school has brought its spending in line with income and we have financial security moving forwards. Headteacher David Burdett (having been permanently appointed in the spring) has successfully led the school through this challenging period and we are now looking forward to the next school year with a clear view of our strengths and our areas for improvement.
We are growing our provision as our pupil numbers will be higher in the next school year, and Hilltop is working with the other academies n the Trust to develop a new “extended services” offer for our most vulnerable children and young people, commissioned by RMBC!
The Local Governing Body has played an essential role in overseeing the effectiveness of leadership of the school during this period, whilst also supporting David in his early days as Headteacher. I am very grateful for the hundreds of hours all our volunteer governors put in, and I would like to pay special tribute to Sherran Finney and Steve Booth, who are both stepping down at the end of this school year.
Sherran has brought real strength and rigour to the work of governors with her expertise in safeguarding and has worked closely with Rob Mulvey to assure governors that the school is a safe environment for our children to learn and develop. Likewise, Steve has made a huge impact as Chair of governors since taking on the role in April 2016.
Whilst he will continue on as a Director of Nexus MAT, Steve leaves the Hilltop Local Governing Body in a stronger, more informed position than when he came in as Chair.
Thank you both very much.
As to be expected, we’ve seen a number of colleagues leave the school over the last year for pastures new and in particular I’d like to thank Dawn Bailey for her years of service as the school caretaker. Both Dawn and her husband Trevor have been a part of Hilltop school for a long time, and Dawn will be missed by all of us.
In addition to brining stability and permanence to school leadership, I’m also thrilled to report that Nexus MAT has secured
an unprecedented £598,612 of government funding for the improvement of the Hilltop roof over the summer.
This will make a huge difference to the school environment and will improve the quality of our school building for the foreseeable future. I always want more (and we’ll get more), but this is a great place to start!
I hope you all have a truly wonderful summer break and I know that more excitement and achievements beckon next year.
I am incredibly proud of the job David and the leadership team have done this school year. Our pursuit of excellence has really stepped up a gear as the bar has been raised by Ofsted, and we enter 2017/18 (as the Ofsted window opens once
more for the school) with renewed confidence and enthusiasm.
Yours faithfully,
Warren Carratt
Chief Executive Officer
Nexus Multi Academy Trust
Dear Parents & Carers
Happy holidays!
I am writing at the end of what has been a highly successful year for Hilltop School.
For many years, Hilltop school has been the epitome of stability: with minimal changes to the leadership team make-upover a 20 year period and little turnover in our teaching cohort for the best part of a decade.
However, 12 months ago Hilltop School was going through significant change. Following the departure of Executive Headteacher Nick Whittaker and the retirement of Head of School Helen Nartey, we were coming to the end of a school year where we’d had short term arrangements across our senior leadership team, with a number of experienced teachers having also retired in the previous year.
We had acting arrangements with Joint Heads (Rob & David); interim Deputy and Assistant Heads; and we knew that our spending outstripped our income. The school was going through a period of readjustment that would have been difficult for any other school or setting to be faced with and to go through unscathed.
12 months later: the school is thriving. We have a larger senior leadership team with all posts appointed to permanently; the school has brought its spending in line with income and we have financial security moving forwards. Headteacher David Burdett (having been permanently appointed in the spring) has successfully led the school through this challenging period and we are now looking forward to the next school year with a clear view of our strengths and our areas for improvement.
We are growing our provision as our pupil numbers will be higher in the next school year, and Hilltop is working with the other academies n the Trust to develop a new “extended services” offer for our most vulnerable children and young people, commissioned by RMBC!
The Local Governing Body has played an essential role in overseeing the effectiveness of leadership of the school during this period, whilst also supporting David in his early days as Headteacher. I am very grateful for the hundreds of hours all our volunteer governors put in, and I would like to pay special tribute to Sherran Finney and Steve Booth, who are both stepping down at the end of this school year.
Sherran has brought real strength and rigour to the work of governors with her expertise in safeguarding and has worked closely with Rob Mulvey to assure governors that the school is a safe environment for our children to learn and develop. Likewise, Steve has made a huge impact as Chair of governors since taking on the role in April 2016.
Whilst he will continue on as a Director of Nexus MAT, Steve leaves the Hilltop Local Governing Body in a stronger, more informed position than when he came in as Chair.
Thank you both very much.
As to be expected, we’ve seen a number of colleagues leave the school over the last year for pastures new and in particular I’d like to thank Dawn Bailey for her years of service as the school caretaker. Both Dawn and her husband Trevor have been a part of Hilltop school for a long time, and Dawn will be missed by all of us.
In addition to brining stability and permanence to school leadership, I’m also thrilled to report that Nexus MAT has secured
an unprecedented £598,612 of government funding for the improvement of the Hilltop roof over the summer.
This will make a huge difference to the school environment and will improve the quality of our school building for the foreseeable future. I always want more (and we’ll get more), but this is a great place to start!
I hope you all have a truly wonderful summer break and I know that more excitement and achievements beckon next year.
I am incredibly proud of the job David and the leadership team have done this school year. Our pursuit of excellence has really stepped up a gear as the bar has been raised by Ofsted, and we enter 2017/18 (as the Ofsted window opens once
more for the school) with renewed confidence and enthusiasm.
Yours faithfully,
Warren Carratt
Chief Executive Officer
Nexus Multi Academy Trust
Monday,6th March
Dear Parents & Carers,
Appointment of permanent Headteacher of Hilltop School
Following national advertising and 2 days of really competitive recruitment and selection activity,
I can confirm that David Burdett has accepted our offer to become the permanent Headteacher of Hilltop School.
Staff were informed this morning at a whole staff meeting and children were then informed during the school day.
We would like to thank governors for their input (including our parent and carer ambassador) over the two days of the selection process and the senior leadership team for working hard to enable the interviews to take place in what has been an extremely busy week in school. Finally: our children, young people and staff were a credit to the school and showcased Hilltop at its very best.
This is a significant step forward for the school which will see us continue to improve provision at Hilltop over the coming days, weeks and months in line with the ever raising bar of expectations we have for our children and young people.
We have no doubt that David will provide leadership of a school which will continue to be valued for its open, friendly and child centred culture and ethos.
Yours faithfully,
Warren Carratt
Chief Executive Officer Nexus Multi Academy Trust
Steve Booth
Chair Hilltop Local Governing Body
Dear Parents & Carers,
Appointment of permanent Headteacher of Hilltop School
Following national advertising and 2 days of really competitive recruitment and selection activity,
I can confirm that David Burdett has accepted our offer to become the permanent Headteacher of Hilltop School.
Staff were informed this morning at a whole staff meeting and children were then informed during the school day.
We would like to thank governors for their input (including our parent and carer ambassador) over the two days of the selection process and the senior leadership team for working hard to enable the interviews to take place in what has been an extremely busy week in school. Finally: our children, young people and staff were a credit to the school and showcased Hilltop at its very best.
This is a significant step forward for the school which will see us continue to improve provision at Hilltop over the coming days, weeks and months in line with the ever raising bar of expectations we have for our children and young people.
We have no doubt that David will provide leadership of a school which will continue to be valued for its open, friendly and child centred culture and ethos.
Yours faithfully,
Warren Carratt
Chief Executive Officer Nexus Multi Academy Trust
Steve Booth
Chair Hilltop Local Governing Body
