Announcements

Following the resignation of TEAL’s CEO in March, the Board of Trustees have been consulting with the Senior Leaders in the Trust, along with other colleagues in Education, to determine the future Leadership and Management structure that will provide us with the capacity to support and nurture our present family of 12 schools, as well as the ability to expand this number, as and when appropriate opportunities arise.

In these consultations it became clear that, as our Trust has grown, the operational strands have expanded significantly in terms of demand and staffing, but without the overall strategic leadership to support them. After much deliberation the Board of Trustees has agreed a new Leadership Structure which includes the appointment of a Chief Operations Officer (COO). This will strengthen executive-level operational leadership, working alongside the CEO, to support both current delivery and future strategic ambition.

The new structure clearly outlines roles and responsibilities and is fully costed and transparent, but it does not include a role for a Deputy CEO which is the substantive role of Mr Scott Ratheram who was recently appointed as Interim CEO for TEAL. Originally, Trustees planned to consider a new appointment in the coming months, however, in the light of the new Leadership Structure, Trustees decided that the most sensible process was to appoint a new CEO who would then be in a position to lead on the recruitment and appointment of the COO.

It was agreed that we would begin the CEO appointment process immediately and ring-fence the post to our Interim CEO in the first instance.

It gives me great pleasure to inform you that following a rigorous and comprehensive interview process, in which he was assessed by Trustees, Senior Colleagues and an external advisor from the Diocese of York Education Department, Scott Ratheram has been appointed as CEO of The Education Alliance.
Scott joined TEAL in 2018 as Headteacher of Driffield School and Executive Principal of the trust. He had previously been Head of Science and Assistant Headteacher at South Hunsley School followed by two Headships in the East Riding at Headlands School and Cottingham School. In all of these posts he demonstrated his considerable leadership qualities and his ability to bring about change and improvement. He is also a man of huge integrity with a passion for education and the welfare and achievement of all young people and staff in his charge. Trustees already have immense respect and admiration for his work as Deputy CEO, in particular with our secondary schools and his leadership of our Headteachers, as demonstrated in the presentations and information provided to our Education Committee, and we are delighted that he has accepted the role of CEO and look forward to seeing him develop the trust further. The post of COO will be advertised in due course, and we will keep you informed of progress.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I hope you will join me in congratulating Scott on his appointment as CEO for The Education Alliance.

Chair of the Trust Board