HEAD TEACHERS at two Bradford schools that recently converted to academies have announced they are standing down from their roles.

Richard Hughes, head at Buttershaw Business and Enterprise College, and Elizabeth Hart, head of Queensbury School, are both leaving.

Mr Hughes, who has been head of Buttershaw for nine years, said in a letter to parents that it had been a “privilege and an honour” to lead the school through a time of “significant change and development”.

The school, which was put into special measures after a highly critical Ofsted inspection in 2015, has recently been taken over by the Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust.

Jane Tiller, the school’s executive head teacher and head of Immanuel College, will now run the school.

Mr Hughes said: “I am immensely proud of the school, its dedicated staff and its wonderful students. There have been times, for me, of great joy and emotion as I have witnessed the achievements of so many of our young people: academic, performing, sporting and more. I shall greatly miss this, as I shall also greatly miss being a part of the team that will take the school on to even greater achievements in the future.”

A spokesman for the Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust said: “After nine years as head teacher, acting as a point of stability throughout a time of great change and challenge for the school and after successfully helping to oversee the joining of BDAT, Richard Hughes has decided that it was the right time for him to leave Buttershaw Business and Enterprise College.

“BDAT would like to put on record its gratitude for Richard’s hard work, for his dedication to the students in his care and for his principled approach to leadership.”

Ms Hart is standing down as head of Queensbury School after four years in the role. The school, which became an academy in September, is joining the Bradford-based Feversham Education Trust, and will now be lead by executive principal Clare Skelding.

In a letter to parents, Ms Hart said: “It has been a privilege and an honour to serve this community and lead the school through a time of significant change and development. I am proud of the school, its fantastic students and the staff team here at Queensbury and shall miss being part of the team.”

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