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Several schools are set for a leadership shake-up after the boss of an education trust revealed she will be stepping down.
The trust responsible for leading the two Wilmington Grammar Schools and Dartford's Stone Lodge School will bid farewell to its chief executive Donna Lodge, this summer.
Before becoming head of Endeavour MAT, Donna served as head teacher at Wilmington Grammar School for Girls, before taking the boy's grammar school under her wing.
In her latest role she was memorably invited along to 10 Downing Street to discuss plans for the new non-selective school in Stone.
Donna helped win the bid to open the area’s most oversubscribed non-selective school in Dartford, alongside the North West Kent Teaching School Alliance. It opened in 2019 and will move into a £29m new building next year.
After 35 years in education, Donna is now planning a phased retirement to spend more time with her family and new grandchild.
In the meantime, she had agreed to remain in a consulting capacity to support the new chief executive, as Endeavour MAT plans to open another secondary school in Gravesend.
The education chief will be replaced by Charlie Guthrie, who has been leading Wilmington Grammar School for Boys since 2017.
Charlie is said to be thrilled to be taking up this key role at this exciting stage in the Trust’s development.
He said: “Having worked closely with Donna at WGSB over the last few years I have played an active part in the progression of our Trust and look forward to leading the next exciting stage of Endeavour MAT’s development”
In turn, his role as head teacher will be taken by Stuart Harrington who is currently deputy head teacher at Dartford Grammar School for Boys.
As a local boy himself, Stuart says he is delighted to be given the opportunity to steer the ship in Wilmington and is keen to ensure the continued success of students in North West Kent.
Stuart said: "I am determined to help build on the success of recent years and work collaboratively with our ambitious students, motivated parents and dedicated staff to ensure every child reaches their full potential.
"I have already received a very warm welcome from everyone in the Endeavour Trust and my family and I are greatly looking forward to becoming part of this special community.”
Outgoing Endeavour MAT boss Donna Lodge paid tribute to the "phenomenal" school staff and wished her successors well in their new roles.
She said: “The pandemic has caused great disruption and anguish for so many and at Endeavour Trust, as with all schools, we have needed to adapt, and evolve to meet the changing needs and circumstances of our school communities.
"Our staff and students have been phenomenal in every way I am incredibly proud of the resilience, engagement, progress and care that I have witnessed across our schools.
"We are a small local Trust with community at the heart of our provision, working collaboratively to ensure that our students always receive exceptional learning and meaningful support across our schools.
"I have no doubt that Charlie, working with Stuart and head teachers, Michelle Lawson at WGSG and Gavin Barnett at Stone Lodge School will build on our achievements as we go on to open our newest school in Gravesend.”
