Leadership Development
At Turner Schools, we believe that by empowering leaders at all levels, we will create great schools.
In order to achieve this, we support all staff to realise their leadership potential through providing high quality Leadership Development opportunities, thereby enabling colleagues to develop their talents and discover exciting new career paths.
We are committed to providing a wide range of CPD opportunities, including online learning and, where relevant, access to external, nationally recognised leadership training and qualifications through the Ambition Institute. In addition, we offer more bespoke, practical in-school training, including the chance to shadow other leaders, receive high quality coaching, or undertake whole-school Change Management projects, supervised and supported by expert leaders. Furthermore, our standardised approach to providing high quality line management ensures that each meeting provides the chance for professional challenge and personal development.
We offer a variety of pathways, based on international leadership expert, Andy Buck’s, Leadership Matters approach, and underpinned by our Trust Leadership Principles, which provide a comprehensive path from Aspiring Middle Leaders to Trust Leaders. Currently, our training pathways range from the Aspiring Middle Leader pathway, through New and Expert Middle Leader training, to courses for Aspiring Senior Leaders and Expert Senior Leaders.
Seamus Murphy
Director of Secondary & CEO
Seamus is an experienced leader of schools in challenging circumstances. He started his career in inner city London as Head of History before taking up a number of senior leadership roles in challenging schools. He worked as a London Challenge partner in two schools prior to getting his first headship in Kent.
Seamus led the school from Special Measures to a Good judgement in just 13 months. As a result, Seamus was recruited by Ofsted as one of Her Majesty’s inspectors to work with schools in challenging circumstances.
After two years, Seamus joined Swale Academies Trust as an Executive Headteacher where he led five secondaries through successful Ofsteds and raised standards for all. He joined Turner Schools in April 2019 and became CEO in March 2020.
Seamus’s areas of expertise include school improvement, raising standards especially for disadvantaged pupils, provision for SEND pupils and leadership development. He is passionate about the arts, music and the sea.
Seamus does not have any relevant Personal and Pecuniary interests or governance roles in other educational institutions.
DEAN JONES
Director of Primary Education
Dean has extensive experience of primary leadership, having been a Headteacher since 2008. Dean has also been an executive headteacher for 4 years and set up a multi-academy trust where he was the Chief Executive Officer for 3 years. Dean is an associate member of the Association of Education Advisers and has a wide range of experience in supporting schools and academy trusts in their school improvement journeys. Dean has particular interests and strengths in primary leadership, safeguarding and inclusion. Dean has QTS and holds the NPQEL.
At Turner Schools, Dean is responsible for oversight and the strategic development of the Primary Schools and he is a member of the Trust Executive Leadership Team.
Krissy yates
Director of Inclusion (Secondary).
Krissy has a plethora of experience in school improvement and a proven track record in leadership, in both selective and non-selective settings. As both a Middle and Senior Leader, Krissy has led a number of departments to significantly improve results, both in terms of progress and attainment. Moreover, she has extensive experience in SEND and Pastoral Leadership and has supported a number of schools in challenging circumstances.
In 2018, Krissy founded the Turner Free School, an oversubscribed free school with a mission to provide an exceptional education to all pupils in her care, irrespective of their starting points. Krissy directs the Leadership Development programme for the Turner Trust and brings a wealth of experience to this role.
Krissy is an avid reader and continues to bring her love of reading and its transformative potential to the core values of TFS and to her teaching as an English specialist.