The largest primary academy trust in the country has announced it has appointed a new chief executive officer.
REAch2‘s trust board has appointed deputy chief executive Cathie Paine who will take over in the role from April 2022.
Ms Paine will take over the leadership of the trust from Sir Steve Lancashire who established it in 2012.
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Sir Steve will stay at REAch2 in an advisory role until the end of August 2022.
Ms Paine said: “I am absolutely delighted to be appointed as CEO and I look forward to building on the strengths of the first 10 years.
“We will continue our unremitting commitment to the children’s education and will broaden our horizons to respond to wider challenges, ensuring that tens of thousands of children are fully prepared for the changing world around them.”
Sir Steve is one of the highest-paid academy leaders in the country. The latest accounts for REAch2 showed he earned between £220,000 and £230,000 in both 2019-20 and 2018-19. It is not known how much Ms Paine will be paid.
REAch2 is the largest primary academy chain in the country, having gone from just one academy in Walthamstow, London in 2012 to running 60 schools across 18 local authority areas.
Gavin Robert, chair of the Trust Board at REAch2, said: “We are delighted to have appointed Cathie as our new chief executive. We conducted a robust and competitive recruitment process, and Cathie stood out as an exceptional leader amongst a very strong field of candidates.
“With the organisation now approaching its 10 year anniversary, REAch2 has achieved an enormous amount. Of the academies that have been inspected by Ofsted since joining REAch2, 87 per cent are now graded as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding.’
”We are confident that, in Cathie’s excellent hands, REAch2 has an exciting future and - thanks to our hardworking, dedicated staff - it will continue to benefit the children, families and communities within its reach.
“Both I and the whole Trust Board look forward to supporting Cathie in the development of a continued compelling vision for the Trust.”
