The Trustees of The Corinium Education Trust are pleased to confirm that from September 2022, Headteacher, Chiquita Henson, will move fully into the role of Chief Executive of The Corinium Education Trust. This is a post she has held alongside her role of headteacher of Cirencester Deer Park School since the formation of our multi-academy trust in 2018.

The time is right for The Corinium Education Trust to appoint a dedicated Chief Executive. The Corinium Education Trust is ambitious for all children and young people and is committed to working collaboratively with more schools.  A new Education White Paper is anticipated shortly and it is likely to focus on wider academisation. The Corinium Education Trust offers schools a genuine partnership within a diverse local family.

This is an exciting prospect for Chiquita Henson, as she will have the capacity to focus on the growth and development of The Corinium Education Trust, including preparing the Trust and wider community for the opening of a new primary school in 2024. Furthermore, it presents the opportunity for The Corinium Education Trust to appoint a new headteacher for Cirencester Deer Park School from September 2022 and a recruitment process is now underway.

In the last two years, while still Head of Deer Park and Chief Executive of the multi academy trust, a lot of Chiquita Henson’s energy has been focused on leading Cirencester Deer Park School and The Corinium Education Trust’s three primary schools through the pandemic. Consequently, she has successfully steered Cirencester Deer Park School and The Corinium Education Trust through an unprecedented period of uncertainty and challenge.

While focused on leading the school and wider organisation through significant periods of lockdown, Chiquita Henson and her team have endeavoured to ensure continuity in our provision for children in Cirencester and the South Cotswolds.  Furthermore, she has been committed to bringing about wider school improvements and all schools within The Corinium Education Trust have made good progress.

In her role as Chief Executive, Chiquita Henson will continue to support Cirencester Deer Park School.  She has high expectations and is committed to inclusive and comprehensive education.  She will work closely with all of The Corinium Education Trust’s headteachers, including the new appointee at Cirencester Deer Park School, to ensure The Corinium Education Trust’s ambitious goals can be achieved.

I have enjoyed every moment of my headship at Cirencester Deer Park School. I have been incredibly well supported by the wider team and I am immensely proud of all that our learning community has been able to achieve together. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity I am now being given to work more strategically across our dynamic partnership of schools. 

Chiquita Henson

‘I have had the great pleasure of working alongside Chiquita Henson as a Local Governing Body Member and, subsequently, Chair of the Local Governing Body since 2018. I am confident that the excellent foundations she has laid at Cirencester Deer Park School allow us to appoint a new Headteacher with the attributes required to further lead our aspiration to be in the top 20% of schools nationally. I am also reassured that in her role as dedicated Chief Executive, Chiquita Henson will continue to be a welcome presence at Cirencester Deer Park School and provide a steady hand on the tiller of our journey towards future excellence.’ Adrian Danks