New Assistant Director for Education and Skills for North Yorkshire

A new assistant director has been appointed to lead North Yorkshire County Council’s education and skills service.  Judith Kirk will be taking the lead for the council’s relationship with schools across the county.

Judith Kirk plans to join the council in the Spring, following the retirement of the current assistant director, Paul Brennan.  She is currently deputy director for education, employment and skills at Bradford Metropolitan District Council and has experience in a number of local authorities, including, Waltham Forest, Newham, Halton, Stoke, as well as a career in teaching.

Judith joins a service which sees high and increasing numbers of children and young people attend good or outstanding schools, outperforming national comparators.

Stuart Carlton, corporate director of children and young people’s service, said, “I am delighted that Judith will be joining us.  She will build on the great work already delivered by Paul Brennan and his team and I look forward to working with her to ensure the continued improvement of our schools, working collaboratively with them and the creation of opportunities for our young people, despite the challenging budget climate that the education system faces.”

Judith began her career in teaching in Barnet in 1986 and is qualified in educational leadership and management and has been a registered Ofsted inspector.

She said:  “I am delighted to be joining North Yorkshire County Council and very much look forward to working with partners across the sector, united in our ambition to achieve the best we can for all our children and young people. I bring a relentless commitment to Education and improving outcomes for children and young people. I want life chances increasingly to be in young people’s own hands and not determined by geography or family circumstances, I am determined that every young person in North Yorkshire’s schools must have access to the right opportunities, experiences and support that they need to succeed. I look forward to meeting the challenges and delivering opportunities.”