A Derbyshire special school has welcomed a new head teacher who has spent her career working with or for children with special educational needs.
Jo Howarth has worked in special education for more than 30 years and is now turning her expertise to Peak School in Chinley, where she has become the new head teacher.
Jo joined the school, part of the Esteem Multi-Academy Trust, in April and has spent the past two months getting to know the school and drawing up exciting new plans, including involving the whole school community in a review of their aims, values and vision. These will be launched in the new academic year in September.
Jo joined Peak School from a head teacher role at a primary special school in Sheffield for pupils with autism. For Jo, who had also previously worked at another Esteem school – Stanton Vale – coming back to a school with pupils aged 2 to 19, felt a little like coming home.
“When I came here it just felt right,” she said. “I think it is like a lot of things in life, like when you pick a nursery for your own children, you walk around and get a feel for it, and that was the same with Peak, it just felt familiar to me, like I was coming back to something I knew.”
Jo is also looking forward to being more hands on at Peak School.
“In Sheffield my school grew very big very quickly. I went from having 90 children to 180 which meant my role was almost entirely strategic and I was unable to spend much time at all with the pupils, staff and wider community. Whilst I enjoy the strategic aspect of my role, I’m very much looking forward to being more hands on again.
Jo has enjoyed a varied career, managing Derbyshire County Council’s Early Years Service for children with SEND, and has worked at several special schools before becoming a head teacher six years ago. While special education has changed significantly over the years, Jo’s desire and passion have not. Working with children with special education needs is her vocation and she chose the career early, completing her four-year university degree in teaching children with severe learning difficulties. She has never looked back.
“I am passionate about ensuring that our pupils get the best out of their education, and that they are prepared for their lives beyond Peak. Our role as educators is to teach our pupils the necessary skills
