Dear Applicant

I am delighted to introduce you to The John Warner School and would like to thank you for your interest in playing an important role in both the future of the school and, more broadly, Danes Educational Trust, as ICT Technician. 

The John Warner School is at an exciting phase of development. As Director of Education for Secondary provision at Danes Educational Trust, the largest and highly successful multi-academy trust working across Hertfordshire, I was seconded to the role of Interim Headteacher at The John Warner School from 1 September 2023, a role I feel privileged to have assumed and which I will continue to undertake from September 2024. I was joined by two further colleagues from schools within Danes Educational Trust: Chris Price, a Senior Leader from Chancellor’s School in Potter’s Bar, and Adele Wallis, Associate Principal at Elstree Screen Arts Academy in Borehamwood. From January 2024, The John Warner School became a full member of the Danes Educational Trust family of 12 schools along with two local primary schools, Roselands and The Cranbourne.

The John Warner School has been on a rapid school improvement journey and the success of this work was recognised in the school's Ofsted Monitoring visit of December 2023, the result of which we were delighted. The report comments upon how new leaders are winning hearts and minds and have worked at speed to ensure that the school changes rapidly. Safeguarding is now effective and tangible, and we are able to appoint Early Career Teachers. As such, the Report could not have been any better. It was particularly lovely to hear Liz Smith, the Lead Inspector (who also conducted the first Monitoring Visit of March 2023), comment on the ‘amazing change…in just one term’ that has taken place and how, ‘The school is a different place to March.’. The Ofsted inspectors were accurate in their observation that members of the student body at The John Warner School are ‘lovely’. 

In joining us, you will discover the following:

• An extensive, well-kept and beautiful campus with designated Faculty buildings

• Aspirational and talented students who are keen to learn when taught well

• A supportive and engaged parental and local community

• A newly constituted Senior Leadership Team comprised of 2 Deputy Headteachers (including the new appointee) and 3 Assistant Headteachers

• Warm, hard-working, dedicated colleagues, both teaching and support staff

• Access to the broader community and considerable expertise of Danes Educational Trust, the top performing and largest Trust in Hertfordshire

• Close working relationships with numerous national and local bodies, including The Wolfson Foundation, Challenge Partners, The Brilliant Club, CoachBright, ImpactEd and numerous subject hubs including The South Central Science Learning Partnership and the Bucks, Berks, Oxon Computing Hub, both based at St Clement Danes School, a Danes Educational Trust Ofsted 'Outstanding' secondary school

This is a career-defining time to be joining both The John Warner School and Danes Educational Trust. We pride ourselves on developing optimistic, resilient learners and valued, empowered staff. We embrace well-considered innovation and evidence-based practice that is responsive to student needs, and invest in the professional development of our staff to keep ourselves at the cutting edge of educational development. We are looking for a colleague who has the vision to see and enact the bright future that our students and staff deserve.

To apply for this exciting opportunity please follow the instructions set out in the advertisement accompanying this appointment brief.  If you would like either to meet me or to receive a tour of our school prior to making an application, do please contact my PA, Maria Georgiou, who will be happy to arrange this for you.

I look forward to hearing about the contribution you could make as a key member of our team as we continue to grow and make a difference to young people at The John Warner School and, more broadly,  across Hertfordshire. 

Kind Regards 

Rachel Brindley

Interim Headteacher, The John Warner School