: Darren Turner

Mr D Turner BA Ed Hons, MA Ed – Executive Principal for Tudor Grange Academies Trust, currently Principal at Tudor Grange Academy Kingshurst. 

Darren Turner qualified as a History and PE Teacher from St Luke’s College of Education at Exeter University in 1996. Led a department at a successful school in Winchester to National recognition whilst continuing to play semi-pro football, a high standard of cricket and coached Hampshire and England U17 Rugby. 

He returned to Birmingham to become a Director of Specialism at another successful school and began a journey of research into outstanding teaching, learning and leadership. Worked closely with both the SSAT and National College and gained his NPQH and Masters from Warwick University in Educational Leadership in 2010. 

As a Vice Principal, Mr Turner arrived in North Solihull at a school which had been closed by the DfE in December 2010 and with the support of a sponsor school re-opened the school as a new academy. Changed a culture, constructed a positive climate with an aspirational ​‘can do’ and ​‘want to’ attitude and in the space of 29 months the academy received Outstanding in full Ofsted inspection.

Mr Turner continued to help other schools improve and continues to deliver National College programmes and inspire teachers and students to achieve their absolute best. In September 2014 he joined the Tudor Grange Academies Trust as Principal of Tudor Grange Academy Solihull, he then moved to a position of Executive Principal within the Tudor Grange Academies Trust in 2017 and has led and coordinated leadership & management and school improvement in 4 of the Trust’s 6 secondary schools.

Currently assisting two secondary schools and has an oversight of behaviour, recruitment and careers within the Trust, whilst facilitating the NPQEL.