Leasowes High headteacher leaves to "look for new challenge"

Matthew Mynott had been at Leasowes High for 15 years - rising to the rank of deputy head and then headteacher.

The Invictus Academy Trust, which runs the school on Kent Road, has confirmed that Mr Mynott left to "look for a new challenge" in April.

It said it felt it was an "appropriate time" for him to "bow out" and paid tribute to him for his contribution.

Interim head Miss Chris Papadopoullos has taken over while the school works to recruit a replacement.

Interim headteacher Chris Papadopoullos (Image: Leasowes High)

CEO of the Invictus Academy Trust Tony Bowles said: “Mr Mynott has been an invaluable, and very respected, member of Leasowes’ community for over 15 years.

“Since the end of the last academic year he had been giving some thought to his own future.

"He simply felt that he had reached a point in his career where he wanted to look for a new challenge.

“Given his impressive commitment, and the immense amount that had been achieved during his leadership at the school, the Trust worked with Mr Mynott to support him to bow out from Leasowes at a time that was appropriate from both him and the wider school community.

"We are immensely grateful that he continued to lead the school through to the point where the Year 11s were just about to start their GCSEs.

“On behalf of every member of the Trust and Leasowes High School, we would like to, once again, put on record our gratitude for all that Mr Mynott did for the school.

"There are over a generation of students who have benefitted from his expertise and caring nature.

“A very strong interim headteacher has been appointed while a national recruitment process is undertaken to find My Mynott’s permanent successor.”

Miss Papadopoullos was previously deputy head at Pedmore High which is another Invictus school.