Yahoo News York head gets national acclaim in award filled year
A head teacher in York has received national acclaim, in what's becoming an award filled year.
Rod Sims, of York High School, was honoured earlier this year in the Educate North Awards.
He has since added to his tally, picking up a prize at the Education Business Awards.
Mr Sims won the "Education Business Leadership Award - Secondary" at the ceremony in London, on June 12.
After York High School received an inadequate rating in 2017, Mr Sims has overseen a series of changes to get to a point where Ofsted now rates them as Good.
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Mr Sims said: "It’s a real honour to receive this award, but it has never been just about me as an individual.
"This award is for the staff, students and parents of York High School.
"We have never accepted that we should be second best and this award is a vindication of our belief that York High School is as good as any school in the country."
Mark Hassack, Chief Executive of South Bank Multi Academy Trust (to which York High School belongs) said: "Rod thoroughly deserves this award but is, as ever, very clear that the award is for the school and the community and not really for him.
"However, we all know how hard he works and the passion he has for York High School, so it seems very fitting that he has been recognised not once, but twice this year, for his dedication, commitment and determination to make York High the best it can be."
As previously reported by The Press, Mr Sims retires at the end of the Summer term.
Mr Sims, who is 56, had a cancer diagnosis last year, underwent chemotherapy and surgery and has now had the all-clear, but says "it's time to do something else".
He has been head for five years and before that spent ten years as deputy head at York High. Prior to that he worked at Archbishop Holgate's CE School across the city in Badger Hill.
Back in November 2022 York High was rated 'good' in all areas by Ofsted following a concerted campaign by the Acomb secondary school to get the inspectors in.
Previously it was judged 'inadequate' at an inspection in January 2017 and staff had been fighting hard to get a long-awaited fresh inspection.
