The whole Olive Academies (OA) community is incredibly sad to learn of the passing of John West-Burnham at the weekend. John was instrumental in establishing Olive Academies, laying strong foundations for the work we do today. On behalf of everyone at OA we’d like to offer our condolences to John’s family.
May he rest in peace.
It’s an honour and a great privilege to have known and worked with John since 2005. John has selflessly shared his time and expertise, offering his guidance and unwavering support which has ultimately led to Olive Academies becoming the MAT it is today.
It was John’s encouragement in 2010 which led to talks with the DfE about forming a specialist alternative provision MAT, with Olive Academies being formally approved the following year.
As the founding chair of the trust, John’s contributions were significant. From his work in establishing how the trust would operate to his role in helping to set the values which we all still base our work on today, some 11 years later.
John led the board with great skill and expertise, always ensuring that we focused on the guiding principle of providing high quality learning experiences for our young people.
He has been an inspiration to so many of us. A valued and trusted member of OA, who will always be remembered for his wisdom and knowledge of the positive role that an academy can play on its pupils, staff and wider community.
We are forever grateful, thank you John.
Mark Vickers, CEO