Appointment of a new Principal for Paddock Wood Primary Academy (PWPA)

Portrait of Tom Moore

Dear parent and carers

RE: appointment of a new Principal for Paddock Wood Primary Academy (PWPA).

Following a national recruitment search, I am pleased to announce the appointment of a new Principal for PWPA from September. The successful candidate is Mr Tom Moore. Mr Moore is currently Principal of Oaks Primary Academy in Leigh Academies Trust.

Mr Moore has worked for the Trust since 2017 and was part of the senior team at Oaks Primary which achieved an outstanding rating across the board from Ofsted in 2021. Under his leadership, Oaks in Maidstone has achieved some of the best results of any primary school in Kent.

Mr Page, who has led PWPA in an interim capacity since November, chose not to apply for the substantive Principal role. He will return to his deputy position in September. We are tremendously grateful for all of his hard work this year to guide the academy so successfully through its own Ofsted inspection in which PWPA achieved two outstanding grades.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Moore said:

“I am truly honoured to have been appointed Principal of Paddock Wood Primary Academy. I am deeply committed to ensuring every child at Paddock Wood receives an outstanding education and has the opportunity to thrive and succeed in everything they do. I am eager to work closely with the dedicated staff, yourselves – the supportive parents and the exceptional children to continue the school’s journey of excellence. 

“I am particularly proud of what the team has achieved this academic year. The recent Ofsted inspection is testament to the outstanding education on offer at Paddock Wood and I recognise the relentless work of all staff to achieve such a glowing report. I am confident that together we can build on the strong foundations laid by Mr Page and all of the team to achieve even greater success in the coming years. I look forward to meeting you all personally and working with each of you as we embark on this exciting new chapter.”

We are very grateful for parents’ support for PWPA. This year, the number of applications to join the school in Reception was higher than ever, meaning that for the first time, there were more 1st place preferences than actual places in our year group of 90 pupils. With your ongoing support, the future for the school is very bright indeed.

Yours faithfully,

Simon Beamish | Chief Executive