Lesley Birch has worked in education for over 30 years in primary, middle and secondary schools and prior to the voluntary merger of Cambridge Primary Education Trust (CPET) with Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust (CMAT), was the CEO of CPET.
We caught up with Lesley in her new role as Deputy CEO of Meridian Trust to learn more about her experience in the sector and her interests outside of the workplace.
Can you tell us about your background in education?
Before the voluntary merger and my new role as Deputy CEO, I had been the CEO of CPET for the last 10 years. CPET had grown to a partnership of five schools, including a new academy in Trumpington, which was recently rated Good by Ofsted in its first inspection.
As an active National Leader of Education (NLE), I have worked with many schools across East Anglia and I have learned a lot about the many challenges in schools across the sector, including Opportunity Areas, rural, city, and coastal schools. I keep up to date with educational research and practice and I am a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching and acted previously as a member of the Ethical Leadership Framework Committee.
Histon & Impington Brook Primary School was designated as a Teaching School Hub for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough in February 2021. As a Teaching School Council Representative for East of England and North East London (EENEL), I have worked on a range of commissions including a variety of school improvement offers, supporting Teaching School Hub implementation, leading a team to support children, staff, and communities across the region.
I’m also a Member of Unity Schools Partnership and the Teaching School Hub Council.
What’s your proudest achievement?
Recruiting, training, and developing staff to give children a great education is at the centre of all my work. Teamwork is key. We work with School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITTs), Curriculum Hubs, Research Schools, Local Authorities (LAs), Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs), the Department for Education (DfE), MATs and Dioceses. I always feel a great sense of pride when I see our children and colleagues go on to achieve to the best of their abilities, and that we have contributed to their development to hopefully be successful and happy in whatever they choose.
What are you most looking forward to in your new role as Deputy CEO of Meridian Trust?
I am looking forward to building on and developing our primary team so that more children can benefit from the expertise and brilliance of our great staff. As part of the new merger, staff will benefit from greater leadership, career progression and professional development. I look forward to seeing colleagues thrive within Meridian Trust with the opportunities to share knowledge and expertise more widely.
What are you most excited about following the merger of CPET and CMAT?
The merger was a very significant step for CPET and CMAT and one that will deliver huge benefits for our children and staff. Although our two Trusts had worked closely for several years, being part of a larger team will enable us to learn even more from each other, allowing us to explore a more subject specialist curriculum, within and across phases, and children to receive an all-through, all-inclusive curriculum.
What do you enjoy doing outside of the workplace?
Outside of work I enjoy playing tennis, walking, cycling, going to the theatre, reading, watching sport, socialising with my family and friends, and supporting Liverpool FC – the city where I was born.