Jo Fairclough, who joined the school at Easter, is an experienced educator with six years’ experience heading a successful school in Staffordshire.
She said: “It’s an absolute privilege to have been chosen for this incredible job – it feels like it was meant to be.
“With Arthur Terry having such a good reputation locally, it’s exciting to be leading the next part of the school’s journey.”
Jo, who lives with her partner and is the proud owner of two sausage dogs, grew up in the Sutton Coldfield area.
With both her parents working in the education sector, the industry was always close to home for her – but it wasn’t until she studied history at Sheffield University that she discovered her passion for teaching.
Jo said: “I’ve always followed my passion for the humanities, and university made me realise the pathway I wanted to take. It also made me appreciate the value of dedicated teaching staff and opportunities for personal development – both of which Arthur Terry is well-known for.”
It was Arthur Terry’s local prestige among Sutton Coldfield residents which persuaded Jo to leave her six-year role as Headteacher at Wolgarston High School and take on her exciting new headship role in Sutton.
Jo said: “I loved my position at Wolgarston. It was a lovely school and it was performing well, so it would have taken a truly special opportunity to make me even consider leaving. That special opportunity was Arthur Terry.
“Growing up locally, I’d always been aware of Arthur Terry’s excellence, and it represented what I believed was the best of education – academic excellence combined with extracurricular opportunities and pastoral care.
“When I found out there was the vacancy, I went straight for it. There’s so much here which is already brilliant, and I can’t wait to build on the success here further.”
Among Jo’s plans for Arthur Terry are planning improvements for the ever-changing curriculum, embracing technology to enhance the quality of teaching, and boosting GCSE and A Level results as much as possible.
Since arriving at Arthur Terry after the Easter holiday, Jo has received a warm welcome from staff and students.
She said: “I’m not currently teaching in the classroom alongside my Head role, which has given me the advantage of having some time to get to know the staff and students better. I expect in September I’ll be picking up some lessons in history!
“The students have been really lovely. I can already tell that politeness and kindness are part of the school’s DNA, from how welcoming the young people have been and the high standard of behaviour here.”
Jo has also briefly met some PTA members and parents, though she is enthusiastic to engage with the community much more going forward.
She said: “I’m looking forward to strengthening our community links – it was a real strength of my previous school, so I know how important it is for parents and locals to feel connected.”
And with Arthur Terry being part of the respected Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP), Jo is in a great position to reach out to the wider education community.
She said: “I came from a smaller trust with seven schools. Part of the appeal of this job for me was getting experience as a leader within a different trust – especially a big one like ATLP.
“ATLP’s ‘one trust’ ethos and commitment to keeping children at the heart of everything we do really resonated with me.
“I’ve had lots of support from ATLP and its other schools so far. I’ve been visiting some of the other schools within the Partnership and already there’s such a family feel.”
As Jo settles into her new role, she looks forward to paving the way for great achievements at Arthur Terry.
She said: “I have sky high expectations of students and what they can achieve. I always say to them, why would we expect average when they are anything but average?
“We want them to do the very best they can as an individual to access the best universities, apprenticeships and careers and develop the Arthur Terry character - being proud, ready and kind.
“There’s a reason Arthur Terry is such a desirable school among Sutton parents. The learning environment here is excellent – staff and students are so dedicated – and I can’t wait to help this already amazing school flourish even further.”