Progress Schools appoint Charlotte Barton as interim managing director

National alternative education provider, Progress Schools, has recently appointed Charlotte Barton as interim managing director of their growing school network. The post will see Charlotte lead on the ambitious strategic development of the alternative provision provider.

Charlotte, who has been with Progress Schools since its inception in 2016, was previously the educational executive at the organisation, supporting the nationally based schools to fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities as well as the education offered across the country. Charlotte has previously worked for over 10 years with a national training provider of pre and post-16 education and in a special education school.

Charlotte’s new role will see her become fully integrated into the senior leadership team across Progress Schools’ parent company, The Progress Group. She will be responsible for driving the growth and development of Progress Schools nationally.

Talking about her appointment, Charlotte said: “Alternative provision plays such an important role within the education system, supporting some of the most vulnerable young people in society to achieve their full potential – despite their circumstances.

“It is no secret that the sector has been overlooked in the past, with government priorities focusing on mainstream education settings. As a business, Progress Schools is committed to tackling the stigma around alternative provision and bringing to light the sheer importance of alternative education and the role it plays in boosting the life trajectories of vulnerable young people.

“My priorities coming into this role centre around quality and growth. I have ambitious plans for the business but remain committed to ensuring the high-quality and bespoke education our current students receive is maintained.”

Progress Schools recently made headlines after launching a national campaign to target the risk posed by unregistered alternative provisions. The provider visited the House of Commons, an event sponsored by Sally-Ann Heart. The aim of the event was to discuss the tightening of what defines as a school in England, and how the government can enforce stricter regulations to reduce the risk of unregistered providers.

Talking about Charlotte’s appointment, CEO of The Progress Group, Jayne Worthington said: “As a group, we pride ourselves on our commitment to delivering high-quality and effective education and training, championed through the make-up of our workforce. Our colleagues across the group are our biggest assets. They work extremely hard on the ground to deliver on our promise to drive forward social mobility nationally.

“Charlotte comes into this role armed with a wealth of knowledge and experience within the sector and the business. Charlotte’s values align with those of Progress Schools, and I am confident that she will have a huge impact across the business.”