David Dawes

David Dawes moved back to the North East in 2008 to help lead the opening of one of The King’s Academy’s sister schools, Bede Academy in Blyth, where he was vice principal responsible for academic achievement. In the period prior to joining The King’s Academy, he led the transformation of Stainburn School in Cumbria, as well as helping students to secure the school’s best ever results. Originally from Leeds, David went to the University of Cambridge where he completed a masters degree in engineering. He then attended the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, and was commissioned into the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, reaching the rank of Captain and serving in Germany and Bosnia.

Married with three daughters, he went on to work in industry, for Walkers Crisps at Peterlee, then the large US consulting company A T Kearney and, finally, in private equity with a part of Prudential. After studying education at the University of London and qualifying as a mathematics teacher, he worked in two large comprehensive schools in the capital, becoming an assistant headteacher at JFS School in Harrow before joining Bede Academy.