International schools group GEMS Education has recruited the chief executive of a large multi-academy trust (MAT) in England.
Rob Tarn will leave the Northern Education Trust to join GEMS’ (FSM) division, which was recently launched with the aim of improving school management and performance.
Mr Tarn, who took up his post in 2017 and was appointed England’s ”attendance tsar” under the previous Conservative government, will be based in Dubai, although his leaving date remains to be confirmed.
He was appointed a CBE in the 2023 New Year Honours.
The Northern Education Trust includes 13 primary schools and 17 secondaries across the North of England.
‘Exceptional leadership’
Sunny Varkey, chair and founder of GEMS Education, praised Mr Tarn’s “exceptional leadership” for having a “transformative impact” on the Northern Education Trust.
He said: “His deep commitment to improving schools and changing students’ lives aligns perfectly with our mission to provide life-changing education to as many children as possible.”
Mr Varkey added that Mr Tarn would bring “expertise, passion and vision” at a time when GEMS will “continue to expand and enhance opportunities around the world”.
Around 200,000 students currently receive a GEMS education, many based at its 44 schools in the United Arab Emirates. The group, which was formed in 1959, has around 15,000 teachers.
FSM, which has bases in Dubai and London, was and aims to “boost operational efficiency, raise education standards and drive sustainable success”.
The Northern Education Trust, in announcing Mr Tarn’s departure, noted that when he joined in 2017, “many of the trust schools were judged as ‘requires improvement’ or ‘inadequate’” but that “all inspected schools are now judged to be ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’”.
A by Ofsted cited the “exceptional leadership” of the Northern Education Trust’s CEO. The work of Mr Tarn and colleagues had “transformed the schools in the trust and the experiences and life chances of the students”.
Establishing and revitalising schools
Mr Tarn said: “The decision to leave the trust has been an incredibly difficult one. My wife and I have always wanted to spend some time living abroad, not least so that my two children can experience different cultures and opportunities.”
He had been “incredibly fortunate” to be offered a role at FSM that is “dedicated to provide school management services to governments, school networks, private investors and developers worldwide to establish high-performing schools and revitalise struggling institutions”.
Mark Sanders, chair of the Northern Education Trust board, said it had been a “privilege” to work with Mr Tarn and “witness the incredible transformation we have achieved in such a short space of time”.
For the latest education news and analysis delivered every weekday morning, sign up for the Tes Daily newsletter
