Geoff Barton, a former headteacher of Bury St Edmunds' King Edward VI School, to stand down from top job at Association of School and College Leaders

Former Bury St Edmunds headteacher Geoff Barton has announced he is stepping down from his role heading up a union for education leaders.

Mr Barton, formerly headteacher of King Edward VI School, was first elected general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) in 2017 in a landslide victory and was re-elected for a second term last year.

He will be stepping down from the role in April 2024.

Mr Barton said: “I’ve decided to step down as ASCL general secretary in April 2024. By that point I will have been in post for seven years, and I believe it will be the right time for our association to have a new leader with a fresh approach.

“Over the next 18 months, it will be business as usual for me, and I look forward to continuing to work with the ASCL team – with, and on behalf of, our 22,000 members.

"As we always say, we work on behalf of members and act on behalf of children and young people. That’s what I’ll keep doing.”

In a statement, the ASCL said: "The legal and constitutional process for electing a new general secretary necessitates a process that takes place over a lengthy period of time, and Mr Barton has therefore given advance notice now to ensure that there is a smooth transition."

Prior to his headship at King Edward VI School, Mr Barton was deputy head of Thurston Community College in the nearby village of Thurston.

The ASCL is a professional association and trade union for school, college and trust leaders.