Minister of State for Schools, Damian Hinds and Robin Walker MP attended Cherry Orchard Primary School and Northwick Manor Primary School during a visit to recognise our former CEO Kate Brunt’s service to education. 

The East Hampshire MP, who was appointed Minister for Schools on 13 November 2023, having previously served in the Ministry of Justice, was keen to visit Kate to acknowledge her commitment to educational excellence and to discuss her many years in teaching and leadership. 

Kate’s passion for creating inspiring learning opportunities and improving life chances for all led to the establishment of The Rivers CofE Academy Trust in 2014, which now has 16 good and outstanding primary, first, pre-school and nursery settings together with the Rivers Teaching Alliance. 

Kate retired as CEO of the trust in September 2023 and is still actively involved in education, working as a consultant.

During the visit the minister met with year 6 learning ambassadors and visited a y1 phonics lesson at Cherry Orchard. Headteacher Karen Banford said, “It was helpful for a minister to see our school in action and to talk about the current challenges and successes we experience on a day-to-day basis.”

At Northwick Manor, the Minister, Robin Walker and Kate Brunt met with Year 6 pupils and talked about their current topic WW2 before talking about the job of a minister and the Houses of Parliament.