New head of school support at education provider

Services For Education - the Birmingham-based provider of expert training and development to teaching and support staff - has appointed Kirsty Jones as its new head of school support services.

The appointment follows the retirement of Andrew Cooper after 22-years ' service in Birmingham.

Kirsty (pictured) joins Services For Education with 20-years ' experience in school leadership spanning mainstream, special schools and alternative provision settings working with schools with both disadvantaged children and high attaining pupils.

She was also executive principal at Shaw Education Trust - which has 26 academies including two Institutes of Education.

Prior to that, Kirsty was executive school improvement advisor at Wolverhampton University Trust and has been head teacher in two secondary schools in the West Midlands.

As principal at Willenhall E-ACT Academy, from 2017 to 2019, she is credited with implementing a multi-faceted approach that enabled the Academy to go from being a school in special measures to one where Ofsted praised her energy and enthusiasm and acknowledged the dramatic rise in pupil attendance.

Sharon Bell, chief executive of Services For Education, said: “Kirsty will be responsible for further developing our critical work with schools, leadership teams, teachers and support staff as we revolutionise educational learning through evidence-led educational practices utilising technology where appropriate to make best use of everyone 's time. Our ambition is to become the distinctive leader in our sector. ”

Services For Education 's School Support Service provides expert training and development to teaching and support staff in nearly 600 schools in the West Midlands and increasingly across England, to improve practice and ensure teachers are best equipped to respond to developments in curriculum and policy.

As a leading provider of safeguarding education, Services For Education works with 400 schools delivering training in-person and on-line.

It also delivers innovative programmes to support the physical and emotional health of children and young people through Health for Life and other community-based activity.

In addition to its School Support Service, Services For Education is also well known for its Music Service which works with 93 per cent of Birmingham 's schools - teaching music to nearly 38,000 children.