: Kat McCarthy – Deputy Head of Exchange Research School

After nearly a decade at Don Valley, I feel incredibly fortunate to be taking on the role of Deputy Head of Exchange Research School within a school and community I know so well. It is here that my love affair with research began, fostered by colleagues and leaders across the trust who have brought so much enthusiasm and commitment to raising pupil outcomes. I am (perhaps predictably, given the role!) passionate about evidence-informed education and have developed a habit of enthusiastically sharing research, ideas and things I have read with anyone who will listen. I am fascinated by the question of how we can take what we know from high-quality research and use it to meaningfully improve classroom practice and outcomes.

During my time at Don Valley, I have held a number of roles, from Developing Leader in the DEEPs structure to Head of MFL, and now AAP/​Deputy Head of Research School. A particular interest of mine lies in the mentorship and training of ITTs and ECTs, and I was honoured to receive Sheffield Hallam’s Inspirational Mentor of the Year Award in 2022. As a bilingual speaker of both English and Welsh, with a degree in French and German and now primarily teaching Spanish, I am, of course, a true evangelist for language learning. Equally, developing inclusive teaching practices is of personal importance to me.

I am looking forward to continuing to learn, share ideas and develop alongside my colleagues at Don Valley, and I am particularly excited to meet more like-minded educators from the trust and beyond!