Francesca Brown Appointed as Deputy Headteacher at Mary Astell Academy

Prosper Learning Trust are delighted to announce the appointment of Francesca Brown to the new position of Deputy Headteacher at Mary Astell Academy. Francesca was previously Assistant Headteacher at Thomas Bewick School, another school within Prosper Learning Trust.

Francesca is originally from Consett and now lives in Newcastle. She completed her BSc in Psychology from University of Hull before undertaking her PGCE at Northumbria University. Francesca was initially a Teacher in mainstream education for two years, before joining Thomas Bewick School in 2008, where she has taught ever since, progressing in her teaching career and becoming Assistant Headteacher in 2020. During her time at Thomas Bewick School, Francesca has worked with Newcastle City Council’s SEND Advice and Support Allocation Panel (SEND ASAP) as a specialist Communication and Interaction Teacher, providing training and support to mainstream schools for SEND pupils in the classroom and to help schools to set up their own internal SEND provisions.

When asked about her transition from Thomas Bewick School to Mary Astell Academy, Francesca said:

“I feel very privileged to have been part of Thomas Bewick School’s many developments and improvements. I have worked with the school to build a reputation for excellence within the field of Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) education, training, and support, whilst developing my own teaching practice, specialist skills, knowledge, and leadership style.”

She added:

“I have led on behaviour and positive handling at Thomas Bewick School for the past ten years. I am excited to bring my SEND expertise to Mary Astell Academy. I look forward to supporting staff and pupils to build positive relationships in order for pupils to get the most out of their time at the school. I am also excited to continue to work with governance members, students, families and the leadership team to lead on an ongoing journey of improvement at Mary Astell Academy.”