KINGSBRIDGE EXECUTIVE PRINCIPAL AWARDED CBE

Kingsbridge Community College Executive Principal Roger Pope has been awarded a CBE for Services to Education in the New Year’s Honours list.

Mr Pope was appointed Principal in 1998. Under his leadership, the College has been graded as Outstanding by Ofsted since 2002. It was in the first cohort of schools to be awarded National Teaching School status, and one of 32 organisations nationally to be granted a licence to train future Heads and leaders on the programme of National Professional Qualification in Headship. It recently became one of five schools to be appointed as a National Research School, working to identify and spread best practice in teaching. One of his first tasks as Principal was to bring the school on to a single site at Westville, and has won over £12 million of new buildings for the college since then.

From 1st January, the school’s multi academy trust, Academies South West has merged with another trust to form Education South West, a trust of 10 schools and over 4,000 students and 400 staff. Mr Pope is leading the trust, whilst also continuing to be seconded for half his time advising the Department for Education in his role as Chair of the National College for Teaching and Leadership.

Mr Pope said, “I am thrilled to receive such a high honour as a CBE. This is a tribute to all my colleagues at KCC and in our trust. They are a tremendous bunch of people who always go the extra mile to give young people the very best start in life. I am very lucky to do a job I love, and am just grateful to all the teachers, support staff and governors who have made Kingsbridge a national name.”

Simon Gotch, Chair of the Board, said, “I am absolutely delighted that Roger has received this award. I work with him at ASW as Chair of the Board and can certainly vouch for the effort, passion and commitment that he shows in every aspect of his work. Roger is an excellent leader and has inspired staff at the schools in Academies South West to strive for the best outcomes for their students. He is not someone to stand still and sees opportunities to grow and improve in every pupil, teacher and school. His mission to bring outstanding teaching to all is evidenced by his national role at the DFE as well as the merger of Academies South West and Templar Academy Schools Trust, on January 1st 2017. Roger will be CEO of this new organisation, Education South West (ESW). I know he will drive ESW forward with great energy and with the students at the centre of his thinking as they have been for the last 32 years. Congratulations Roger!”