We are delighted to announce that Directors have appointed Richard Taylor to the new role of Deputy CEO (Operations) for Leigh Academies Trust (LAT) following interviews last week. Richard Taylor joined the Trust in 2014 as HR Director. In recent years he has been promoted to the role of Director of People and Communications, which also includes oversight of The Leigh Institute. Many staff and governors will be familiar with Richard from the important work he has done over the years on staff engagement and wellbeing to make LAT an employer of choice, topics about which he is passionate.
Richard’s new role will take effect at the start of Module 4, once we have undertaken a small number of temporary internal appointments to backfill his current position. We will ensure that permanent arrangements relating to the leadership of People Services will be in place by no later than September and Richard will ensure a smooth transition up to that point.
As Deputy CEO, Richard will be responsible for all central services, working with the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Information Officer, Estates Director and soon to be appointed, Interim People Director, to ensure operational excellence. He will also maintain oversight of The Leigh Institute.
Commenting on his appointing, Richard Taylor said,
“It is an incredible honour to be appointed as Deputy CEO (Operations) for Leigh Academies Trust. Having dedicated the past 10 years to serving this exceptional organisation, I have witnessed first-hand the transformative impact of our work on the lives of students, staff, and communities. I am committed to ensuring our operational functions act as an enabler of innovation and excellence, creating the very best environments for teaching and learning. My focus will remain on collaboration and ensuring that our academies are fully supported to deliver outstanding outcomes for all”

53% of LAT academies are now rated outstanding by Ofsted in graded and ungraded inspections, versus 15% of all schools nationally being judged outstanding. Our academies such as Leigh Academy Dartford and Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School occupy top spots in performance league tables. The sector-leading work of our central services teams is instrumental to these achievements.
We have already achieved much together. Part of that success is because LAT has stayed ahead of its capacity so that we can tackle the challenges in front of us and maximise the benefits. Richard’s appointment enables us to continue in that spirit. Further ahead and when the time is right, Directors intend to appoint a second Deputy CEO (Education). We will announce more details on those plans in due course.