Our new CEO, joined us at the beginning of term

We are very pleased to welcome Phil Banks as the new Chief Executive Officer of St Christopher’s Multi Academy Trust. Phil joined us at the start of term and has already been warmly greeted by children, staff, and families across our schools.

Phil is passionate about education and brings a wealth of experience with him. Over the years he has worked as a class teacher, headteacher, executive headteacher, school inspector, and CEO of another Trust. His career has even taken him overseas, supporting schools in Dubai, before returning to the South West where he has led and supported schools across the region. Alongside this, Phil has continued his own learning — completing an MBA in 2022 and now studying for a PhD focused on the importance of belonging in schools.

What struck Phil most when joining St Christopher’s is how closely our values align. As he explains:

“The things that make St Christopher’s such a special place to work and learn are the very things that I value most in education. For me, the fundamental basis of any relationship is trust, and when there is trust, great things happen. I feel privileged to be taking over the reins at St Christopher’s and I look forward to developing strong relationships with children, families, staff, governors, and wider communities in the months and years ahead.”

Our Chair of the Board of Directors, Andrew Bailey, shared his welcome too:

“We are delighted to welcome Phil as CEO. His breadth of leadership experience, combined with his deep commitment to values such as inclusion and collaboration, will ensure St Christopher’s continues to provide outstanding education for our children. We look forward to the next stage of the Trust’s journey under his leadership.”

Phil has already begun visiting our schools and seeing first-hand the wonderful start our children are making to the year. At Ladysmith Infant School, he saw how high expectations and caring staff are helping children settle quickly into their new routines — a perfect example of the calm, purposeful learning environments across the Trust.

We are excited to begin this new chapter together and look forward to the future under Phil’s leadership.