Geoff Barton is to serve a second term as general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders after being re-elected unopposed. 

Mr Barton was first elected as general secretary of the school leaders’ union in 2017, following a career in education that included 15 years as headteacher of King Edward VI School in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

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Under trade union law and the ASCL constitution, the process of electing the general secretary must take place at least every five years, and this has now been completed without challenge from any other candidate, so Mr Barton can therefore serve a further term of five years beyond April 2022.

ASCL president Richard Sheriff said: “I’m delighted that Geoff will serve a second term as general secretary.

“He has risen to the enormous challenge of leading the association through the Covid pandemic with great integrity and humanity.

“Geoff is a well-known and familiar national voice on education, but what the public doesn’t see is the personal support and reassurance he has given to school and college leaders during a time when they have faced the most extraordinary pressures imaginable.

“His videos, messages, and responses - all delivered in his distinctively good-humoured style - have been very well received and appreciated.

“Geoff is a great believer in ASCL’s motto - we speak on behalf of members; we act on behalf of children and young people - and I know that he will continue to be a great champion for leaders and learners in his second term as general secretary.”