Geoff Barton will serve a second term as General Secretary of the
Association of School and College Leaders after being re-elected
unopposed.
Mr Barton was first elected as General Secretary in 2017
following a career in education which included 15 years as
headteacher of King Edward VI School, Bury St Edmunds. Under
trade union law and the ASCL Constitution, the process of
electing the General Secretary must take place at least every
five years, and this has now been completed without challenge
from any other candidate. Mr Barton will therefore serve a
further term of five years beyond April 2022.
ASCL President Richard Sheriff said: “I'm delighted that Geoff
will serve a second term as General Secretary. He has risen to
the enormous challenge of leading the association through the
Covid pandemic with great integrity and humanity. Geoff is a
well-known and familiar national voice on education, but what the
public doesn’t see is the personal support and reassurance he has
given to school and college leaders during a time when they have
faced the most extraordinary pressures imaginable. His videos,
messages, and responses - all delivered in his distinctively
good-humoured style - have been very well-received and
appreciated. Geoff is a great believer in ASCL's motto - we speak
on behalf of members; we act on behalf of children and young
people - and I know that he will continue to be a great champion
for leaders and learners in his second term as General
Secretary.”
