Derek Sutherland

Background

About Derek Sutherland

As Head of Effectiveness and Achievement 0-25yrs Senior Adviser my experience includes three years as Head of Primary School Improvement Senior Adviser, 26 years of experience as an Executive Head Teacher and Headteacher, with a demonstrated history of working in the education management industry. I am skilled in Educational Consulting, Facilitation, Educational Research, and Continuous Improvement, especially for vulnerable children and young people and failing schools. Our current priorities are:*Early Years quality improvement, identification and provision of speech and language need through the Early Talk for York (ETfY) and the Speech and Language Hub.*Education Futures focused on a recovery curriculum, high-quality teaching and learning and wider strategies to support our young people post-pandemic.*Improving attendance and high-quality face-face education We want to ensure that every young person has the best start in life and equity for our most vulnerable and disadvantaged. As executive headteacher, I had the opportunity to design a new school with an Award-winning multidisciplinary architectural practice, Mark Siddings of Watson and Batty, a talented and innovative architect. It was a fantastic project to amalgamate two primary schools, providing a progressive education environment for 420 pupils and a nursery setting. The interdependence of faith and learning is at the heart of the design solution. The physical space is the assimilation of ideas from the learning community, which support the successful delivery of the curriculum. And, by bringing together two federated 1-form entry primary schools, the project unites young people from contrasting communities, creating greater social cohesion. The technology-rich, agile learning environment allows a variety of curriculum delivery styles, enabling the staff and students to explore different teaching and learning methods. Construction challenges included the retention of part of the building, the need to construct the new building on one of the existing primary schools and accommodating Sport England requirements. The site also lies on a Level 3 Flood Zone, which puts many specific demands on the internal design. The new primary school is now the largest primary school in the Diocese of Middlesbrough and provides a fantastic amenity for the local area of York. I am a passionate education professional with a Bachelor of Education (BEd) focused in Primary and Middle (English and Maths) from The University of Hull.