Richard Huish College and Education Group appoints a new Principal and Chief Executive
The Governors at Richard Huish College, Taunton are delighted to announce the appointment of Emma Fielding as the new Principal. This will be effective from September 2020 when current Principal, John Abbott, will move to be the full time Chief Executive Officer of The Richard Huish Education Group.
Ms Fielding is currently Deputy Principal at the College and will be the first female Principal in the College’s 400 year history. She began her career in education as a researcher at the University of Cambridge. She has since worked in the Post-16 education sector for 17 years in a variety of roles including Assistant Principal for Academic Studies at Exeter College. She is Chair of the Uffculme Academy Trust Board, has a particular interest in teacher professional development and is passionate about the importance of providing high quality comprehensive education for all young people.
Speaking of her appointment Ms Fielding said “It is a great privilege to be given the opportunity to become the new Principal at Richard Huish College. I am incredibly proud to be part of such an exceptional College with its reputation for delivering outstanding education to the people of Taunton, Somerset and beyond. I believe the College is truly at the heart of the local community and has a hugely positive impact on the lives of so many, not just our students.”
The continued growth of the Huish Education Group necessitates the appointment of a full time Chief Executive. The Governors are delighted to have been able to retain the experience and expertise of current Huish Principal and Chief Executive, John Abbott, who has agreed to take on this changed role.
Mr Abbott has been Principal and Chief Executive of Richard Huish College since January 2013, and has worked at Huish since 2003 having previously been Assistant Principal and Faculty Director, with responsibility for curriculum and quality.
Commenting on his new role Mr Abbott said “I have worked in Further Education for over 25 years and am passionate about the impact it can have on everybody’s lives, but particularly young people. I am proud to have been Principal here; all my teaching and support staff colleagues show outstanding commitment to the development of our students and I am delighted that I will continue to work closely with the College as Chief Executive of the Huish Education Group.”
Along with the Taunton Academy, the Huish Education Group also now includes Nerrols Primary School, North Curry Primary School, North Town Primary School, West Buckland Primary School and very shortly Lyngford Park Primary School. One of the key priorities for these leadership appointments has been to ensure seamless continuity through any change and that all Huish institutions continue to benefit equally from a closer working relationship.
If you would like to know more about studying at Richard Huish College you can attend their Open Event on 3rd March 2020, 5-8pm (https://www.huish.ac.uk/event/open-event-4/). Huish offers courses for a variety of learners including Level 2 & 3 Vocational Courses, A Levels, Traineeships, Apprenticeships and Professional training.
If you would like more information about joining one of the schools in the Huish Education Group you can email [email protected] for more information.