Following the retirement of Mr McParland, I am delighted to have been appointed Principal of this wonderful school. The welcome and warmth I have felt stepping into this school community has been exceptional and I intend to build on the Academy’s status as the school of choice for pupils, students and families in Ashford and the surrounding areas.

I am joining The John Wallis Church of England Academy with a commitment to excellence. In leading the next phase in the Academy’s journey, I will be working with the whole community unpicking what makes this school great… and asking ‘what could make it even better?’

I have seen the incredible power of community and know that by working together we can build on the wonderful legacy that Mr McParland is leaving behind and create an exceptional education experience for all our children and young people.

RECONNECTING

Re-opening the Academy will provide our pupils and students with a connection to a world with which they are familiar. Our Academy values of ‘Love, Integrity, Generosity, Hope and Tolerance’ are more important now than ever before. We know that during the past 6 months some members of our school community will have experienced tragic loss, we know that some may have experienced difficult and challenging times whilst others may have not. In reopening the Academy, we will provide more than just an excellent education but an opportunity to reconnect.  

Our vision for The John Wallis Church of England Academy is for our Academy to be an ‘outstanding’ school with a common set of Christian values which can be shared with teachers, parents, pupils, students and governors, in order to make the world a better place in which to live.