Our Executive Head

“I am proud to lead schools that serve a vibrant and diverse community in the heart of East London. I strongly believe that all children, irrespective of race, colour, creed or circumstance, have the right to a challenging, aspirational and high quality curriculum, that prepares them to become successful life long learners and to give them the best life chances. Our leaders are relentlessly focussed on ensuring that daily provision is tailored to meet the children’s individual needs, enabling all learners to make rapid and sustained progress throughout their primary education''

- Andy Bocchi

• NPQH - 2016
• Teacher from 2006 - 2011
• Deputy Headteacher - 2011-2014
• Head of school - 2014-2017
• Executive Head (Sybourn and Thomas Gamuel) - 2017 - Present Day 

I am focussed on ensuring all children’s right to an excellent education is met - through a  tailored and individualised curriculum so that all children make rapid and sustained progress regardless of their individual starting points. The focus on curriculum enrichment and the wider curriculum offer includes having established two Forest Learning provisions - allowing children the opportunity to discover, play, explore and learn within a natural, outdoor setting.

I am actively involved in the shaping and creation of the new Trust Foundation curriculum to create a challenging, ambitious and demanding curriculum that prepares our children for life in modern Britain and prepares them for their next stage in education. Building on my previous career in IT and software development, I am also firmly 

committed to internet safety, ensuring that through the curriculum we provide our learners with the tools and skill sets to keep themselves safe in a technologically advanced world.

What does leading two primary schools mean to you?

It is a privilege to lead two primary Schools within the culturally diverse community of Waltham Forest. 

Our school teams are relentlessly focussed on ensuring all children, regardless of their individual needs are in receipt of a tailored, challenging and aspirational curriculum that prepares them for life in modern day Britain.  Children only get one chance to benefit from a great education.

What is the one thing about your two Primary Schools you wish more people could see or experience?

Our high quality curriculum ensures that children are in receipt of a broad and balanced curriculum offer throughout their primary education. 

Through the curriculum, our core pedagogy enables children to identify and articulate what they are learning, how it relates to what they learnt last year as well as knowing what they need to learn next. 

We see this as the smartest way to create highly engaged and increasingly independent learners.

What are you the most proud of achieving in your tenure as Executive Head of School at Thomas Gamuel and Sybourn Primary?

Every child matters. At Sybourn and Thomas Gamuel, we are fully committed to inclusion, and have demonstrable plans to sustain and develop internal inclusive practice to ensure that all children receive the very best educational offer to enable them to be successful learners. 

Having received the Inclusion Quality Mark award, and being recognised as ‘Centre of Excellence’ enables us to disseminate exemplary inclusive practice across a broader cluster of schools.

 “The move to becoming a teacher and now a leader across two primary schools has been the most rewarding professional journey - and the visible impact our schools continue to have on young people’s lives remains something I am incredibly proud of.”

Andy Bocchi