Sir Nick Weller is to become the new chief executive of Academy Transformation Trust after 16 years leading Dixons Academies Trust.
He will be succeeded at Dixons by Luke Sparkes, the current deputy chief executive and former principal of Dixons Trinity Academy, one of the trust’s leading free schools.
A Dixons spokesperson said that, during Sir Nick’s time in charge, the organisation had grown from a single school in Bradford to a trust of 15 schools across four cities.
They added that, under Sir Nick’s leadership, all of Dixons’ free schools have been graded “outstanding”, and all of its sponsored academies have climbed at least two Ofsted grades.
Sir Nick was knighted for services to education in 2015 and, as well as leading Dixons, was commissioned by former chancellor George Osborne to produce a plan for raising standards in schools in the North.
Sir Nick will start his new role with Academy Transformation Trust, which leads 21 academies in the East of England, the East Midlands, the West Midlands and the North West, on 1 November.
Sir Nick Weller joins Academy Transformation Trust
The trust has been led by an interim CEO, Richard Elms, after Debbie Clinton stood down as its chief executive last year.
Pat Beanland, the chair of trustees at Academy Transformation Trust, said: “Sir Nick comes to us with a national reputation. He has been instrumental in leading Dixons to become one of the most respected multi-academy trusts in the country.
“We look forward to welcoming him and working with him as we continue to focus on transforming the lives of the children and young people we are privileged to serve.”
Sir Nick said: “It has been a great privilege leading Dixons for the last 16 years. In this time we have grown from one single academy to 15 schools across four cities. I am incredibly proud of everything that we have achieved together in our unwavering commitment to challenging educational and social disadvantage in the North.
“Academy Transformation Trust is a larger, strongly improving trust facing the challenges of a wider geographical spread. I am really looking forward to joining in November, and to working with the academies and the central team to build an even better future for ATT’s students and pupils.”
Dixons Academies Trust said: “It is with sadness and immense gratitude that we announce that Sir Nick Weller is stepping down as CEO of Dixons Academies Trust at the end of October…
“Sir Nick’s endless commitment to our mission - challenging educational and social disadvantage in the North - has provided thousands of children and young people in areas of high deprivation access to an exceptional education, and ensured Dixons’ place as one of the highest performing trusts in the country.
“We wish Sir Nick all the best in his new role, where he will no doubt build on the incredible legacy he’s left here and continue to make a huge difference to the lives of even more young people across the country.”
Mr Sparkes will take up the post as Dixons’ chief executive at the start of the new academic year.
He came through the national Future Leaders Programme, helped to open Dixons Trinity, in Bradford, in 2012 and led it to become the first secondary free school in the country to be rated as “outstanding” by Ofsted.
Dixons Academies Trust has grown from one of the country’s first city technology colleges.
Dixons City Academy was originally founded in Bradford 1990 as Dixons City Technology College under Margaret Thatcher’s government. In 2005, the school converted into an academy.
Dixons then grew into a multi-academy trust through the establishment of new free schools and taking on sponsored academies. It initially operated in Bradford but has since grown to also run schools in Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester.
