We are delighted to announce that Helena Boast, who was appointed Director of Academies towards the end of 2020, and has already been working closely with the executive leadership group of the trust, started full time in her post on 4 January 2021. Helena has had an unusual ‘induction’ to the trust, having spent her first week working closely with headteachers and staff on responding to the national lockdown and putting in place plans to ensure the quality of remote learning for our pupils.
She says of starting at Olive Academies, ‘Having worked alongside the executive team for a few months and worked with headteachers over the last week, I already feel so proud to be part of this trust – I know it’s a challenging time, but I feel excited about being here and about our collective ambitions for our academies and the communities we serve.’
Helena has responsibility for all aspects of our curriculum and delivery of the trust’s teaching and learning strategy across all our academies. She joins us with exceptional school leadership experience. Helena was Headteacher at The Thomas Lord Audley School (part of Sigma Trust) for seven years. Under her leadership the school was named the most improved secondary school in Essex in 2016 and she went on to be awarded the title of Secondary Headteacher of the Year at the Essex Teaching Awards in 2018. Her career in education spans over 30 years with experience as a SENDCo and a teacher trainer; she has gained expertise in school improvement, inclusive practice, curriculum design and school leadership.
The board of trustees and executive leadership group are pleased to welcome Helena to Olive Academies and supporting our staff, students and their families in 2021 and beyond.
