With a strong history at the school, where she played a key role in establishing its reputation for exceptional student care and innovative practices, Clare is returning after gaining valuable international experience in senior leadership and more recently as Principal at West Island School in Hong Kong. Her vision for the future of Brooke Weston Academy reflects a commitment to ambition for all, and we recently caught up with her to discuss her aspirations for enhancing the educational experience for every student in her new role.

What appealed to you about applying for this role and what excites you most about returning to Brooke Weston Academy as Principal?

I left Brooke Weston Academy in December 2005, relocating to Hong Kong due to my husband’s job. At the time of leaving this role as Vice Principal, plans were already underway to develop other academies and I was disappointed that I couldn’t contribute to the valuable work of supporting young people in other areas of Northamptonshire. 

However, I proudly took the Brooke Weston way with me as I continued my career in the international sector.  Ambition for all, high expectations of everyone, excellent teaching and robust student care have been and still are key drivers of my teaching and leadership.  After being Principal of West Island School last year I was keen to serve a school community in the UK that aligned with my values and ethos. I couldn’t believe it when I saw the job advertised for Principal of Brooke Weston Academy.

I am excited to be part of a family of schools that are ambitious for everyone with a commitment to improve student achievement and remove barriers to learning.  Brooke Weston Academy’s recent A and GCSE-level results are testament to this, underpinned by the strong partnerships between teachers, students and parents.  I feel very fortunate to have this wonderful opportunity to return to Brooke Weston Academy as Principal and serve the community of Corby, enriched from the experiences I have gained in the international sector. 

Can you share some highlights from your time in Hong Kong, particularly your experiences as Principal at West Island School?

Hong Kong is a fast-paced environment and whilst it is one of the most densely populated places in the world, many visitors are surprised when they find out that approximately 60% of the Island’s landmass is rural. Escaping to the beautiful beaches and walking through the country trails was a welcome respite from the fast-paced and densely populated urban areas.

A particular highlight during my time as Principal of West Island School was community events such as sports day, transition days and school productions. There is something heart-warming and inspiring when parents, teachers and students come together with the shared aim to celebrate young people’s achievements and acknowledge the courage it takes to try something out of one’s comfort zone. 

I feel very proud of young people when they work together or individually and take action to serve the school or wider community or lead events to raise awareness or educate others.  Highlights are the mental health awareness weeks, our student ambassador group that helped with parent and student events and the student-led Diwali Ball. I can already see in my short time as Principal at Brooke Weston Academy, the passion and commitment of our young people and I am sure they will have some fantastic ideas on how to make a positive difference.

How will you use your international experience to benefit the staff and students at Brooke Weston Academy?

Nurturing an inclusive and diverse learning environment is something I valued within the international sector.  As a school consisting of over 40 nationalities, our motto ‘Strength from Diversity’ meant something to all of us.   We believed that through our differences we could create new approaches and ideas through listening respectfully and embracing different perspectives.   In my conversations with students and staff in this first week, I know that Brooke Weston Academy has the same commitment to build inclusion through how we behave and act.  The students, staff and parents I have chatted with are proud of the community spirit and I will continue to work with everyone to embrace and celebrate the diversity of its learners.      

Tell us about your ideas/plans to improve areas such as student care, technological innovation, and overall academic outcomes.

At Brooke Weston Academy and the Trust, we aim to provide each child with their ‘ticket for life’ so it is important that we continue to seek ways to make the curriculum and extra-curricular opportunities relevant, engaging and challenging.  The Electives programme is one example of how we can extend the learning experiences to develop the wider skills and attributes of our young people.

Aligned with the Trust, contributing to society as a school and individually enables us to broaden our understanding of local and wider contexts.  I look forward to expanding the type of service work that we do as a school and identify ways we can work with the community.   

Technology, especially the rapid evolvement of AI and prevalent use of social media platforms provide benefits yet also challenges for us all.  When I ask parents about their concerns one of the most common responses is managing technology and social media at home.  As the year progresses, we will draw upon internal and external expertise to provide guidance on how to be safe online, respectful of themselves and others and use tools such as AI responsibly and ethically.

How will you engage with the school community to ensure a smooth transition and create a collaborative environment?

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Shaun Strydom, the senior leadership team and Brooke Weston Trust for facilitating a smooth transition so far. Visiting the school in term 5, enabled me to get up to speed with school operations and meet staff and students.  

When the student panel interviewed me, they were keen to know if I would be visible around the school like Mr. Strydom.  The answer was, yes!  In addition to formal collaborative sessions with staff and student voice sessions across the year, informal conversations with staff, students and parents are a valuable way to create a collaborative environment. Visiting lessons, chatting to people in the restaurant and greeting students and parents in the morning are valuable ways to connect and build relationships. 

I look forward to further collaboration with parents.  In my last school, we created workshops on aspects of parenting and education encompassing mental health, study skills and teenage development.  During the year I will gather responses from parents about the resources and information they would find useful in supporting their child.  

What personal and professional goals do you have for your time here, and how do you hope to make a lasting impact on Brooke Weston Academy?

Personally, I enjoy keeping healthy both in body and mind, by exercising in my free time and as someone that has trained in and taught mindfulness to students, I make sure I carve out some quiet, digital -free time, free of distractions and appreciate being in the moment.

One can never be complacent when you are in the business of preparing a diverse group of young people to navigate our changing and complex world.  Professionally my ongoing goal is to make sure we keep up to date with effective approaches to teaching and learning and look ahead at the changing landscape of employment and technology so we can equip our young people to be successful, both personally and professionally.  

My hope is that students leave Brooke Weston Academy and say, I had every opportunity to thrive through the wide varieties of learning experiences on offer.  And even when I made mistakes, they still believed I could do it. 

Young people need so much more than a set of academic qualifications. Working alongside parents, students and staff, my aim is that our young people leave with the skills, attributes and attitudes to make a positive difference to the communities they work in. 

Which of the values of Brooke Weston Trust particularly resonate with you and why?

‘Ambition for all’ resonates strongly with me.  We must not become complacent about what we do and how we do it.  Real care is about being ambitious for each young person we teach, our own professional development and the quality and growth of our Academy and Trust.   

To realise our ambitions, we must work together to make things better, another Trust value that is important to me.   Being part of a family of primary and secondary schools means we benefit from a wider set of perspectives and challenge each other by asking ‘Is this good enough for my child?’. 

I am delighted to be Principal of the Brooke Weston Academy and determined to provide the very best for the young people in our care.