CEO Blog - 17.10.25

Hi everyone,

I hope this message finds you well as we approach the end of Autumn 1! It has been a remarkable half term, and while it has flown by, I want to take a moment to reflect on the progress we’ve made together.

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Heywood Academy, where I was thrilled to see our young people fully engaged and thriving in their learning environments. The spaces at Heywood are designed to inspire creativity and collaboration, and it was great to witness firsthand how much our students love their surroundings.

Elsewhere, I had a fantastic time at Hawthorns Forest School. Together with the children, we explored the area, identifying various leaves. It’s experiences like these that remind us of the importance of outdoor learning and connecting with our environment.

I’m also excited about the development happening at Spring Brook Upper. The new outside learning spaces are shaping up beautifully, and I can’t wait for our students to benefit from these amazing areas designed for exploration and growth.

On the recruitment front, we have some exciting opportunities on the horizon. I’ve been engaging with prospective candidates from both within and beyond our trust. It’s inspiring to see our existing talent developing and evolving within our organisation, whilst also welcoming new faces who bring fresh ideas and energy to our community.

In our recent Heads of Site meeting, we delved into the new iteration of our trust values. It is crucial for us to continually revisit our ‘why’ – the core reason we are all here – to ensure we stay true to our mission. I encourage you all to take a moment to review our values and keep them close to your hearts as we move forward.

As we approach the end of this term, I want to encourage everyone to keep up the fantastic momentum until we reach the finish line. We’ve worked hard, and a well-deserved break is just around the corner. Remember, it’s been a long half term, but time flies when we’re creating meaningful futures!


Have a great weekend

Clare John
CEO
New Bridge MAT & New Bridge Group