Proud Trust leader takes OBE to Yorkshire academy schools

Achieving excellence together with children at Bowling Green Academy and linking this to their new KITE values

Amanda told children and staff about her day at Windsor Castle last December and what it was like to meet Prince Charles.

The Trust motto is ‘achieving excellence together’ and Amanda believes that the honour she has received is a recognition of the achievements of the many groups and teams of people she is proud to have worked with so far.

Amanda has enjoyed working at The Greetland Academy (formally Greetland Primary School) since 1996 as Deputy Head, Principal and then as Executive Principal. She now spends her time as Trust CEO, supporting and guiding both Trust academies and others in need of support.

Amanda sharing the pride of her OBE experience with Year 1 children at Carlinghow Academy

About the Trust

As CEO of Great Heights Academy Trust Amanda oversees the running of five academies in West Yorkshire: Bowling Green Academy, The Greetland Academy and West Vale Academy in Calderdale; Carlinghow Academy in Kirklees; and Raynville Academy in Leeds.

Amanda, and her Great Heights Trust team of dedicated leaders, have sought opportunities to develop the trust’s effectiveness and reach: it is an Initial Teacher Training provider (SCITT); one of only 28 national Research Schools; and The Greetland Academy is one of only 34 national English Hubs.

Working with the Trust’s school improvement, leadership and workforce development teams Amanda’s academies benefit from the most up to date educational research and access to national programmes and initiatives.

The Great Heights Leadership Team sharing the successes of their current Trust offers and partnerships

A national leader

Amanda, an active National Leader of Education, is also the Regional Delivery Partner for the Department of Education’s current Trust and School Improvement programme, matching system leaders to support schools across Lancashire and West Yorkshire.

The Trust team is also actively involved in the delivery of the Early Career Framework, ESFA financial steering groups and works in many partnerships, one with Huddersfield University. This combination drives the trust’s ethos for developing great teachers, seeking to support teacher retention and gaining the full benefits of collaborative working.

Teachers of the future

Celebrating with teachers at The Greetland Academy who Amanda taught as pupils and appointed as teachers

Seeing both children and staff develop and progress in their lives always encourages Amanda to recommend teaching as a career which enables young people to achieve their full potential.

Great Heights Trust offers professional development for staff across all levels of career pathways, providing training and support to senior, middle and future leaders through bespoke coaching and mentoring offers. Amanda is proud to have taught four of the current teachers at The Greetland Academy, recently graded as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted. She hopes to inspire many more teachers, managers and leaders into this wonderfully fulfilling profession.

Looking forward

Amanda is keen to welcome new schools and partnerships to the Trust, expanding its growth and sharing its expertise and unique offer.

A new chapter begins in February 2022 as the Trust team moves to their new offices at the Riverside Mills in Elland, to further develop the reach of their Trust research informed offers and partnerships. The Trust welcomes visitors or requests for more information on working in partnership or joining Great Heights Academy Trust, visit https://greatheightstrust.org.uk/our-trust/ to find out more.