Unity Schools Partnership announces Dominic Norrish as new chief executive

Unity Schools Partnershiph has appointed Dominic Norrish (pictured above) as its new chief executive officer. 

A career educationist, Mr Norrish joins Unity after working as chief operating officer for United Learning and then chief executive of IAPS, a headteachers’ association representing 650 independent schools in the UK and overseas.

Mr Norrish said he was delighted to be taking on the role of leading the 40-school Multi-Academy Trust following Tim Coulson’s departure in September.

He said: “I’m excited to be joining Unity Schools Partnership for the opportunity to play a role supporting the brilliant work done by staff with pupils in the Trust’s family of secondary, primary and special schools. 

“Having spent almost all of my adult life living in East Anglia, I feel privileged to contribute to the success of its next generation.”

The Trust Board at Unity Schools Partnership highlighted Mr Norrish’s “wealth of experience and deep commitment to the organisation’s core values”.

Chris Quinn, the chair of the board, said: “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Dominic Norrish as our new chief executive.

“We would also like to take this opportunity to offer our sincere thanks to everyone who has provided support and leadership during the recent interim period. 

“Their commitment and resilience have been vital in maintaining the stability and momentum of our schools and their efforts exemplify the spirit of Unity Schools Partnership. 

“As we prepare to welcome Dominic in the New Year, we look forward to working collaboratively to achieve even greater successes for our staff, students and communities.”

Mr Norrish trained as a history teacher and worked in classroom and leadership roles in a number of state schools, teaching a variety of subjects across Key Stages 2, 3, 4 and 5. 

He spent a decade on the executive team of United Learning, the latter half as its chief operating officer, where he helped steer the country’s largest MAT through the pandemic, before becoming chief executive of IAPS.