CEO Thought for the Week

Morning All,

Hooray we’ve nearly made it…1 day to go!

Firstly, I want to thank you all for your incredible hard work over the last term. 8 weeks is always hard going but you have kept smiling and working tirelessly until the end. I’m grateful for all you do for our children, our communities and each other. The Autumn term has been fantastic across our Trust with so many achievements and successes that it wouldn’t be fair to try and list them and risk missing any one out, but they are all seen, valued, and appreciated. Whether that’s national awards or the success of getting a child to blend for the first time they are all worthy of celebration. I really hope you can reflect positively on all that you’ve made happen this term and enjoy some well-deserved time with your loved ones over the Christmas break.

I’m delighted to be able to share a link to our Annual Impact Report for you to read at your leisure. infinity-impact-report-2024.pdf  It really does celebrate the last 12 months across the Trust and what we’re achieving collectively. As we grow it becomes increasingly difficult to mention and include something from every school but every single child and adult in our schools are contributors to our combined success. I hope you read it with the same sense of pride I do and recognise that together we are building something very special.

It wouldn’t be right not to mention our colleagues at Spilsby who on the 4^th/5^th December had a visit from Ofsted. A very thorough but fair inspection and I’m grateful for the positivity with which the Spilsby team met the challenge head on. Inspections are never easy but amid dark, wet December days they feel even more of a challenge. The team did a great job and I know they really appreciated the support offered from colleagues across the Trust. Well done Team Spilsby!

I want also to say a massive “thank you” to any of you who are moving on or into new roles at the end of this term. Your time with us has been really appreciated and we are grateful for all your hard work whilst you’ve been part of our team. I wish you all the best with your new opportunities and if you’re retiring then enjoy the opportunity to do all those things you’ve been putting off! A special mention to Yvonne at Leadenham who leaves the school after 35 years! Now that’s commitment! Whilst I’m mentioning Leadenham many of you will know that John Slater the Trust Education Advisor is moving from the Central Team to become the Headteacher at Leadenham permanently from January. John joined the Central Team when our CPD offer was in its infancy and has brilliantly steered us to a place where we have a range of professional networks, moderations, and audits that fill our Trust calendar each year. I know his support of subject leaders and colleagues across the Trust has been highly valued and I want to thank him for all his hard work. I’m delighted he is stepping into headship within the Trust so that his expertise stays within the Infinity Family.

As John steps out of the Central Team we’re delighted to welcome Becky Hopwood into the team to pick up and build on John’s hard work as our new Interim Education Advisor. Becky is an experienced senior leader having worked in schools ranging from 70 pupils to nearly 700! We are delighted to welcome her to the team, and I know she is looking forward to visiting and getting to know our schools in the Spring Term.

A brief word of thanks to you all as you have supported our transition to a centralised approach for Finance, HR and Operations. It was a massive step for us as a Trust to move Business Managers from schools to work collectively on behalf of all schools as part of the Central Team, but I’m thrilled with how our Core Services team has hit the ground running and worked brilliantly together to create new ways of working and processes to support all schools. I’m grateful for the professional patience shared by Heads and Administrators particularly as we have found our way with this new approach. The Core Services team have been superb in getting us up and running so quickly and at the same time maintaining a good level of service to our schools. They’re definitely ready for the break!

And finally, a sincere thank you to YOU! Infinity only works because each person does their job well, enabling the whole to flourish. Never underestimate your contribution and positive impact regardless of your job title. We need everyone on fire, every day to make our schools and Trust a success and that is what YOU have done!

I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year. I look forward to seeing you shine even more brightly in 2025!

Best Wishes

Gavin