Pupils and staff at Bradford Girls’ Grammar School, located on Squire Lane, are thrilled to welcome new Headteacher, Caroline Foster, who brings with her a wealth of leadership expertise.
Ms Foster has nearly 20 years of experience as a teacher and school leader, most recently serving as Acting Principal at a top-performing school in West Yorkshire. Her sector knowledge and motivation to provide pupils with the very best education will further drive forward the school’s improvement strategy.
Ms Foster started her teaching career as a secondary Mathematics teacher, later transitioning to become an Advanced Skills Teacher before moving into a series of leadership roles. She also worked alongside the Department for Education to deliver best practice workshops to educators across the country and support fellow teachers to continually develop their teaching practice.
Leading Bradford Girls’, Ms Foster said she is dedicated to nurturing each and every pupil to thrive and will support pupils by further embedding the School’s positive improvement plans. This includes supporting colleagues with workload and wellbeing whilst maintaining the school’s high standards by sharing best practices so that all of our girls continue to fulfil their potential.
Alongside Ms Foster, Ms Nigat Ali also joins the School as Deputy Headteacher. Ms Ali is an alumnus of Belle Vue Girls’ School, also part of Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust, and is passionate about supporting and improving education in Bradford having previously worked in several local schools. She has a strong background in developing teaching and learning and will work to propel the School’s quality of education and staff CPD offer.
The two leaders join Bradford Girls Grammar School at a pivotal point in its history as the school is now de-amalgamated from its lower school, Lady Royd Primary School. During this transition, Chris Tolson will be extending his role as interim Executive Headteacher of Lady Royd for another year to ensure the new leaders are supported begin their new roles.
The two schools will remain on the same site and its two leadership teams will work in close collaboration to support learning across all ages, but they will now function as separate entities. This is an exciting time for the schools, ensuring they can work in harmony whilst focusing on how to best support pupils within each Key Stage to provide high quality education for every pupil in every classroom, further building on the successful outcomes of the 2024 year 11 GCSE results.
Caroline Foster, Headteacher of Bradford Girls’ Grammar School, said:
“I am thrilled to join the Bradford Girls’ community and be part of a school with such a fantastic provision and a rich history. Everyone has already made me feel extremely welcome, including staff and leaders from the central Trust.
“It’s clear to see that it’s the people who make the school so special. The staff, pupils and families all work incredibly hard to make it a positive teaching and learning environment where everyone is supported to thrive. I’m looking forward to now leading our mission toward excellence.
“As the first person in my family to go to university, I know how important education is, and the impact teachers and leaders who really care can have. I was incredibly fortunate to have teachers who encouraged me to pursue my education and career, so I am passionate about doing the same for others and inspiring young people to work hard and achieve their potential.”
Carol Dewhurst, Chief Executive Officer of Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust, said:
“We are delighted to welcome Ms Foster and Ms Ali into the BDAT and Bradford Girls family and are confident that their skills and expertise will be a positive driving force for improvement across the school. Their specialist knowledge and experience, as well as their commitment to education, will be invaluable and instrumental in ensuring all members of the school community continue to flourish.”