Cabot Learning Federation CEO Knighted for Transforming Education in the South West
By Education Correspondent
One of Bristol’s leading educators has been awarded a knighthood in the New Year’s Honours in recognition of his work to ‘tackle educational inequality’ in the South West.
Steve Taylor is Chief Executive Officer of the Cabot Learning Federation (CLF), a multi-academy trust founded in Bristol, but now operating 36 schools between Gloucestershire and Somerset.
He has held the post for 11 years after previously leading schools in Bristol and overseas, and during that time has seen the CLF triple in size to now serve in excess of 18,000 young people.
CLF schools have seen dramatic improvement under his leadership, as the trust has earned a positive reputation for taking on struggling schools and supporting them to improve.
Steve has also instilled a values-led approach to the trust, which places equity at its heart as it aims to ensure all students are supported to achieve lifelong success irrespective of any disadvantage they may face.
Outside of the CLF, Steve is an active participant in local, regional and national networks designed to strengthen UK education for the benefit of all children, and has held a number of advisory and governance roles within the sector.
In 2015, Steve was appointed a National Leader of Education. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching, an inspector for Ofsted, and holds an honorary Doctor of Education degree from UWE Bristol.
The formal citation from the Cabinet Office said: “Under his leadership, CLF has transformed schools in East Central Bristol, once among the most underperforming areas, into thriving learning communities.
“CLF expanded from 12 to 35 schools across the South West, securing high standards in Ofsted and performance outcomes.
“He is a founder member and Chair of the Queen Street Group, a national organisation of trusts who promote sector collaboration and professional development of senior leaders, while acting as a sounding board for government and policy makers.
“He launched the Boolean Maths Hub and established the Five Counties Teaching School Hubs Alliance, creating partnerships to tackle educational inequity by driving school improvement across 750 schools and providing outstanding initial teacher training to the South West region.”
In accepting the award, Steve Taylor, CEO of the Cabot Learning Federation, said:
“Since learning of this award, I have thought about all those colleagues in the Cabot Learning Federation and in the wider sector, whose work and successes have inspired me over the years to strive to do my best for the children we serve.
“Anything I would count as an achievement has come about as the result of working in collaboration with great people I have had the privilege of knowing, in the CLF and beyond. That includes a number of leaders in the Queen Street Group whose work in education has been recognised over the years, and I feel fortunate to have them as colleagues.
“I am extremely grateful for this honour and look forward to sharing the news with colleagues and sharing the experience with my family, whose support I never take for granted."
