I'm Mrs Watkiss and I am the Headteacher of two wonderful schools: Co-op Academy Smithies Moor and Co-op Academy Beckfield. 

I have not always worked in education. Prior to becoming a Teacher, I worked with children and young people in NHS and private Mental Health Services, predominantly working in deaf services and later in Early Intervention. I had many roles over 10 years and developed a lot of skills that prepared me really well for working in schools. 

I started working at Co-op Academies Trust in September 2019 and it remains one of the best decisions I've ever made. Working for the Trust makes you feel part of something special and important. There are so many talented and knowledgeable adults I have the pleasure of working with every day and their shared purpose is to improve the lives of children and young people. This is very humbling. 

My journey in the Co-op Academies Trust started at Beckfield, where I first worked as a Year 6 Teacher and Key Stage 2 Leader. Since then, the team and I have built a place where children succeed and feel good about themselves. This is my ambition for Smithies Moor. I believe in the children and I know what they can achieve. 

I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to work with a great team across both schools and to have an impact on the lives of all the children who attend. I have the best job in the world!