Prince Albert Community Trust are delighted to welcome Phillipa Sherlock Lewis, who has served as Deputy CEO for several years as our new CEO. Phillipa's extensive career in education, coupled with her passion for community development, has made her an invaluable asset and the perfect successor.  

Phillipa has dedicated over two decades to the field of education, holding various leadership positions across the City of Birmingham. Her experience and expertise have taken PACT from strength to strength since co-founding the Trust in 2015.  

As Deputy CEO, Phillipa played a central role in defining the Trust's strategic course. Her visionary thinking, strong leadership, and commitment to fostering a collaborative and inclusive culture have earned her recognition among stakeholders and colleagues alike. 

Beyond her responsibilities within the Trust, Phillipa actively participates in local educational networks, collaborating with other educational institutions to share best practices and drive innovation. She is an advocate for partnerships and consistently seeks opportunities to collaborate with community organisations and stakeholders to create impactful, sustainable initiatives that benefit students and their families. 

As we embark on this new chapter at PACT, we are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. We remain committed to providing the highest quality education to our students, and we look forward to continuing to work with our communities to achieve this shared vision. 

On her appointment as CEO, Phillipa Sherlock Lewis said “I am truly honoured and excited to take on the role of CEO at PACT. It's a privilege to lead an organisation dedicated to high quality education and community development, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with our incredible team to make a positive impact on the lives of our students and their families”. 

As the academic year draws to a close, I am delighted to address you all as, from September, the new Chair of the Trust Board, and share exciting news about our upcoming journey together. Furthermore, I take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support, and to extend a warm welcome to our newly appointed CEO.

First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to our incredible pupils/students, you are the heartbeat of our educational community. Your insatiable curiosity, boundless energy, and relentless pursuit of knowledge inspire us all. Throughout the year, you have shown incredible resilience, adaptability, and determination in the face of challenges. Your achievements, big and small, are a testament to your hard work, and we couldn't be prouder of each and every one of you!

Leaving PACT

Even as I begin to write this blog, I can feel a swell of emotion. With exception of Allah Almighty, everything begins and must have an end. My time at PACT is almost complete. It has been a privilege and an honour to lead Prince Albert Primary as its Headteacher and then the PACT as CEO. It felt surreal sitting on an aeroplane having been offered a job in Dubai. Since saying yes, I am awash with emotion, reflection and it has to be said, anticipation of loss of one of the great loves of my life – this job. It is a decision I didn’t have to make, a job I didn’t have to leave, so why? Why at this crucial stage of the Trust’s development; with PA High only in its second year, with schools about to join am I walking away. Why am I leaving the communities I have served for nearly 25 years at a time of great challenge? And why indeed is the move to a prestigious fee paying school half way around the world? All good, perfectly reasonable questions that I have been grappling with for many months and not just to have answers when they are inevitably asked by friends and colleagues.

It is with mixed emotions that we announce the departure of Sajid Gulzar from his position as CEO of Prince Albert Community Trust. After more than 26 years of serving children across Birmingham and 14 dedicated years of service at PACT Sajid has decided to take on an exciting new role in Dubai with Kings’ Education.

We've just signed up to the #SaferInternetDay supporters list! What are you doing for the day? Find out more by visiting https://saferinternet.org.uk.

Attention all ECTs! Are you looking for new and exciting opportunities to grow and advance your career? The Prince Albert Community Trust (PACT) are looking for energetic, committed Early Careers Teachers for September 2023 and are holding recruitment events to enable you to find out more.

Our recruitment events will bring together staff from across our schools, offering you the chance to network and connect with existing employees. You will have the chance to learn about the exciting opportunities that PACT has to offer, including our excellent professional development programme for ECTs. You will also have the opportunity to see our schools in action and meet with senior leaders, many of whom started their journey as ECTs at PACT.

As an ECT at Prince Albert Community Trust, you will be part of a dynamic and dedicated team who are passionate about children's learning, creative in our approach and constantly reflective in our philosophy. We also offer some fantastic incentives for successful completion of your ECT programme along with many other benefits as an employee at PACT.

Register for our recruitment events today and take the first step towards your Teaching career at PACT.

Virtual event - 31^st January 2023 (17:00-18:30)

Primary event - 8^th February (13:30-15:30)

Secondary event - 11^th February

Click on the thumbnail below for more information!

We are thrilled to announce that Sutton Park Primary has been selected by the Department for Education (DFE) to receive a school rebuild or substantial redevelopment works to its premises. Sutton Park Primary is one of 400 schools selected over the last two years as part of the school rebuilding programme.  

Prince Albert Community Trust are delighted to announce the appointment of Abbie Vlahakis, CEO of Millennium Point, Birmingham to its Board. With a 19-year career in financial services and an MBA in Business Administration, Abbie will offer a wealth of experience to the Board, becoming both Trustee and the Chair of Finance, Resource and Audit Committee. 

Currently leading a dedicated team at Millennium Point, Abbie is extremely passionate about supporting and promoting STEM, and creating as many opportunities as possible to support the future generation of innovators. 

On her appointment Abbie said “Growing up in a South Wales mining village, I am hugely aware of the importance of creating opportunities for the next generation, and so I am delighted to be a Trustee for PACT and be able to drive forward a strong STEM agenda that will not only recognise but also inspire future STEM leaders.”

Abbie steps into the new role after being one of the founding academy representatives at Prince Albert High School.

PACT CEO Sajid Gulzar OBE said “I would like to extend a very warm welcome Abbie Vlahakis as she joins the PACT board. Abbie shared our values and our ambition for our pupils and their families. She has a tremendous track record in the both the corporate world and the charities sector in her current role as CEO of Millenium Point. Her knowledge and skills will help to ensure every child at PACT succeeds in school and in life.” 

The Prince Albert Community Trust is delighted to announce that CEO Sajid Gulzar OBE has been appointed by The University of Birmingham School of Education as an Honorary Fellow at the Education Leadership Academy (ELA). This is in recognition of his outstanding contribution as a school and MAT leader in Birmingham.

The ELA educate, train and develop people with the knowledge, skills and capacities to provide leadership in the education sector. This includes the delivery of post-graduate masters programmes, researching educational leadership and building global leadership networks to develop and share best practise.