Richard Sheriff

Richard started his career teaching Geography in Leicester before moving to Leeds as a Head of Department. Having worked as a Deputy Headteacher in a Bradford school he took up his first Headship in Leeds in 2001 before joining Harrogate Grammar School as Headteacher in 2007.

In 2018 Richard became the CEO of Red Kite Learning Trust. Richard is a National Leader of Education and has worked as an Ofsted Inspector but much prefers to focus on his work as Director of Red Kite Alliance and CEO of Red Kite Learning Trust. The Alliance is a thriving partnership of over 50 schools in the Leeds, Bradford and North Yorkshire area. Red Kite recently became one of the first Teaching School Hubs in the country, building on over 12 years of ethical, effective and collaborative school improvement work.

Red Kite Learning Trust is a growing MAT of 13 primary and secondary schools built on the same strong collaborative values that has supported and sustained the Alliance for over twelve years. Richard served as the President of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) in 2018/19 and took on the role again for 2020/21 becoming the first person to hold the position twice. Richard serves as a Trustee of the Professional Teaching Institute, Chair of the ASCL Trust Leaders Advisory Board and member of the National STEM Advisory Board. He occasionally rides his bike slowly around the Yorkshire Dales.