New Tendring Technology College head teacher outlines his plans

The three-day strike, which saw picket lines form at both the school’s Frinton and Thorpe-le-Soken campuses, was held in protest of a proposed restructure.

Workers believed the shake-up would result in cuts to teaching and support staff jobs, but the Academy Enterprise Trust stressed this was not the case.

After defiantly standing their ground, the trust and the National Education Union eventually brokered a deal and normality resumed.

Nine months on and the ‘good’ rated Tendring Technology College is now looking to start afresh and has appointed a new headteacher to oversee the latest era.

Graeme Napier, 37, officially the school’s executive principal, has only been in the role for five weeks but says an upbeat atmosphere is already starting to materialise.

“I think the trust took the right decision to stop the restructure,” admitted Mr Napier, who has been working in education since the age of 21.

“We have been working constructively with the team and there has been a positive response from those connections.

“The most important thing is to develop a positive culture and ethos at the school among students and staff and make them feel part of the community.

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TEACHER STRIKE: Staff at Tendring Technology College's Thorpe-le-Soken campus last year protesting restructure plans

“There is an openness of moving the school forward and having a vision and I am really looking forward to making that a reality.”

Mr Napier, from Lancashire but now living in the area, started his career working in schools in inner London before moving to south London.

He ventured into the world of teaching after studying a computer science and music degree for which he was required to tutor students in secondary schools.

Doing so opened his eyes to the joys of transferring skills to others and he has never looked back. As he puts it “the rest is history”.

He said: “Being a headteacher now is different and the role has developed over the last few years, but there are still chances for me to spend time with the children.

“That is actually sometimes the highlight of my day and what has been interesting here is how the students feel really happy to talk about how they are feeling.

“If there are things the students are worried about, we want to give them the chance to share those worries and know we will listen to their concerns.

“Our expectation of behaviour is really high and we expect the best every day, but we also need to make sure we offer a superb experience for every student.”

Mr Napier’s appointment follows an impressive stint at Bexleyheath Academy, which he transformed from an inadequate-rated school into one assessed to be good.

Mr Napier looks back on that achievement with pride. But how does that task compare to the job he now has on his hands?

“Having worked at lots of schools with challenges I think it clear to see Tendring Technology College is on an upward trajectory,” added Mr Napier.

“It has been great to see the diversity we have; it has been a really positive start and the school has huge potential. What is exactly the same as other schools is the parents, families and teams want only the best for the students - that is crucial for a successful school.

“And it is clear they want a great experience every day and want to enjoy that experience and feel safe in the classroom - universally that is what people want.”

In the wake of last year’s strike, the trust which runs the school acknowledged it had reduced the teacher head count by four per cent.

But Mr Napier remains optimistic about getting only the best out of what he does have.

He said: “Being part of a big trust means we can work with other schools in the network, which will only benefit the students.

“But we have been planning ahead with how we can best utilise the team we have here and how it might grow and develop. It is early days but we are beginning to plan and we are excited.”