Jonathan is Chief Executive Officer and Accounting Officer of the Wonder Learning Partnership (formerly the Wolds Learning Partnership). As Headteacher at Woldgate School he led the school from Requiring Improvement to Good, transforming the quality of education, outcomes, raising the number on roll and addressing an historic deficit.
It was identified by the Department of Education as one of the ‘top 100’ most improved schools in the country in 2016 and is now heavily oversubscribed. The improvement journey was published in a national journal and resulted in an invitation to parliament. In 2018 he became a National Leader of Education. He was appointed to work with a junior and secondary school at this time by the Department of Education. The junior school (now part of the Trust) under the leadership of a dynamic headteacher was graded as ‘Good’ in 2019 – the first time in the school’s history. The secondary school had successive ‘Requires Improvement’ judgements. The resulting secondary intervention led to improved GCSE outcomes, and it was regraded to ‘Good’ in 2022 following the pandemic. In 2019 Jonathan was also appointed Executive Headteacher of Longcroft School following GCSE results that placed the school in the bottom 10% nationally. The Progress 8 score increased from minus -0.5 to be in line with National and the school is currently, with a new Headteacher, awaiting inspection.
He was previously Deputy Head at an Academy graded ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted and experienced the transformation of that school from it being one parents actively sought to avoid due to its reputation, into one that was highly successful and oversubscribed. Throughout this period, he was closely mentored by three highly successful and dynamic Headteachers, completing his NPQH at Manor School in York. As Academy Lead, he oversaw the academisation of Archbishop Holgate’s School and the creation of in-house procedures for finance, personnel and operations.
He had also, in this time, contributed to the design, creation and construction of a new Sixth Form that would be recognised by the Department of Education as the highest performing vocational centre in the country, it would also achieve ALPs 1 for A-Level and BTEC provision. As the founder and Head of the Pathfinder Teaching School, he has led on school improvement, staff development, leadership and teacher training, establishing one of the most successful Teaching Schools in the region.
Jonathan was also made a Lay-Canon by the Archbishop of York and appointed to the Chapter of York Minster as a non-executive Trustee in September 2023.
Outside of work, Jonathan is a father to his three children, a Formula One fan, enjoys cycling, reading and is an amateur gardener.
