New head for Vermuyden

Published on 8th November 2007 in News

The New Year will bring with it a change at Vermuyden School when Mrs Danuta Tomasz steps into the role of head teacher.

Mrs Tomasz brings with her a wealth of experience and will take up the appointment in January, 2008 after current head teacher Anne McErlane departs.

Originally from Nottingham, Mrs Tomasz started her first teaching job at Beverley Grammar School in 1983 after completing a PGCE at Manchester University. Before that, she had been studying for a degree in English and related literature at the University of York.

After two very happy years at Beverley Grammar School Mrs Tomasz moved on to Bridlington School to work as a drama teacher.

She said: "I stayed there for 15 years, during which time I was lucky enough to get experience as a head of English and head of Sixth Form.

"In 1999, I decided to broaden my horizons and I applied to work as a family learning and study support co-ordinator at one of the first statutory Education Action Zones in Bransholme. It was an excellent experience; I worked for Ian Turnbull, who was a great boss and from whom I learned masses about partnership working, networking and community liaison.

"By 2001, the opportunity arose to head up a huge school improvement programme for Hull called Excellence in Cities (EiC). I was successful in my application and led the development of EiC for four years. During that time, the scope of programme almost doubled from its initial five strands to nine and it was a very rewarding challenge, working with all 15 secondary schools in Hull and 40 of the primaries."

Mrs Tomasz added: "Working with the schools, not only in Hull but in many partner local authorities, made me realise how much I was missing working directly with young people, and so I applied for the post of deputy head teacher at Isaac Newton School in 2005. This school has subsequently been closed under BSF (Building Schools for the Future) and now amalgamated with the David Lister School in Hull, and I have enjoyed the further challenge of managing the process in close liaison with the acting head teacher."