THE founder and director of an educational trust is retiring after a 40-year career.

Jeff Brindle, who is the director of the Sigma Trust, which works with 12 primary and secondary schools in north Essex, will be handing over the reins to deputy Lyn Wright from September.

Mr Brindle started his teaching career in 1980 as a Maths teacher before becoming a deputy headteacher at Clacton County High School in 1994.

After 12 years he became headteacher until he stepped down in 2015 to form the Sigma Trust.

Mr Brindle, who will continue to work for the Trust two days a week, said: “I am proud of what has been achieved at Clacton County High School.

"When I stepped down it had the highest Progress 8 score in Essex and still retains well above average outcomes.

“What I am most proud of is that I can genuinely say that every school is stronger now than when they first joined Sigma.

“Huge credit goes to all staff within those schools, of course, but, the fact we have been able to work together and provide additional capacity and support has been particularly evident to me in what we have seen during this crisis.

“Whatever happens, the Trust has always been about turning education into something that’s not about a single school, but about the whole community.”

The Sigma Trust is now the largest multi-academy trust working with schools based in Essex including Clacton County High School and St Helena School, Stanway School, Thomas, Lord Audley School, Monkwick Infants School and Nursery, Monkwick Junior School, Paxman Academy and Philip Morant School and College in Colchester, Harwich and Dovercourt High School, Alton Park Junior School, Clacton, Colne Community School and College, Brightlingsea, and Holland Park Primary School.

Mr Brindle added: “One of the worst aspects of the education system is when schools are placed in competition with the school down the road, the school doing better because of where it was geographically, getting the better results and therefore getting praised more.

“That’s not the way to run schools, in my opinion, but instead you have to work together.

"When schools are looking to join Sigma, what they like the most it is the fact that no school is left behind.”