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New principal of Thurston Community College, near Bury St Edmunds, speaks about her first few months at the school and her goals in interview with SuffolkNews




It may be one of the largest schools in Suffolk, but the new principal of Thurston Community College spoke of how they pride themselves on their warm and friendly welcome.

Maéve Taylor, who took over from the previous principal Nicki Mattin, herself received a welcome that was ‘so very warm’ from pupils, staff and families, she said.

Initially the school’s interim head from January this year, Ms Taylor was announced as its permanent principal in March, with the role technically starting this September.

Maéve Taylor, the new permanent principal of Thurston Community College. Picture: TCC
Maéve Taylor, the new permanent principal of Thurston Community College. Picture: TCC

She said: “It’s a fabulous staff here and I have been really lucky to have had a warm welcome from everybody, and everybody in the school community wants the same, which is the very best outcomes and opportunities for each young person.

“They are precious to their parents, they are really important to us and actually we are all working towards the same goal. Everybody is not just welcoming, but committed to that same view.”

Based near Debenham currently, Ms Taylor grew up just outside Sudbury and started her teaching career at King Edward VI School, in Bury St Edmunds.

Thurston Community College is Maéve Taylor's fourth school. Picture: TCC
Thurston Community College is Maéve Taylor's fourth school. Picture: TCC

She had worked at just three schools, most recently Claydon High School, prior to the move to Thurston Community College (TCC), near Bury St Edmunds.

The community college is in the village of Thurston, in Norton Road, and has a sixth form campus, Thurston Sixth, nearby in Beyton.

Its catchment area reaches to the edge of the Norfolk border and down to near Lavenham in the south.

Ms Taylor said it was ‘definitely’ one of the biggest schools in Suffolk, with about 1,500 students on roll at the moment, including the sixth form.

They can currently take 300 in a year group at the main campus, which could increase to 330 if the local authority chooses, said Ms Taylor, as housing grows in the area.

She said: “It is double the size in each year group of my previous school, but here at TCC we also have a lot more space and additionally more staff to work with and support the students despite the size of the intake.

Maéve Taylor with students at Thurston Community College. Picture: TCC
Maéve Taylor with students at Thurston Community College. Picture: TCC

“The worry is that you won't get to know people, but all children have lots of people around them, they have tutors, year leaders and a student support manager as well as heads of school.

“They do, and I think just seeing the Year 6 visiting on their transition days and finding their way around so confidently, they have been well supported these last two days and you can see that in a big school you just work slightly differently to make things happen.”

She also spoke of a bigger school being able to offer some ‘enhanced’ opportunities in the way of trips, clubs and the range of subjects you can offer sometimes at GCSE.

When I visited the school to interview Ms Taylor last week, Year 6s – who will become the school’s new Year 7s – were there for transition.

Ms Taylor said TCC was making sure it was working closely with its local primary schools and also other 11-16 secondary schools to make sure any transition was coherent, well planned and positive for the children.

She has now visited most of the primary schools and she said how nice it had been to get to know the schools, communities and families.

She added: “I think it is really important – it is a community college, it does sit in a village – that we try and work to do that, and we have also got some plans about how we can develop that a little bit more into the community next year.

“It’s not about being complacent, but is about making sure it’s really high quality in the welcome and then the steps towards joining, making sure they are well prepared and well informed.”

The school has certainly grown since it first opened as Thurston Upper School in September 1973 under the leadership of headmaster Mr Napier, with building works still taking place.

Maéve Taylor with students and staff at Thurston Sixth. Picture: TCC
Maéve Taylor with students and staff at Thurston Sixth. Picture: TCC

As TCC entered its 50th anniversary year in September, 2023, it was celebrating the completion of a new block, Block 7, housing state-of-the-art science labs and modern social sciences classrooms.

This expansion, made possible due to funding from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), created 150 additional student places.

TCC – an Ofsted-rated ‘good’ school that is a popular choice with families – was also included in the former Government’s School Rebuilding Programme, although it is unknown as to when any work will take place. Ms Taylor said, if the programme continued as planned, the old main, single-storey block at Thurston would be removed and replaced with a new purpose-built building, with two existing blocks – those housing the library and new science labs – remaining.

Maéve Taylor spoke of her goals and the warm welcome she has received in an interview with SuffolkNews/Bury Free Press. Picture: TCC
Maéve Taylor spoke of her goals and the warm welcome she has received in an interview with SuffolkNews/Bury Free Press. Picture: TCC

I asked Ms Taylor about the main challenges in running a school and, as for schools up and down the country, they were the budget and recruitment. TCC is a teacher training hub, but some subjects are still particularly hard to recruit for, with Ms Taylor mentioning DT, food, maths and languages, but she added this is the case nationally.

I asked Ms Taylor about whether she was hopeful the new Government would bring about positive change in these areas.

She said the new Government had said it has a commitment to recruit a large number of teachers, which, if they do, is ‘absolutely what’s needed’ and she is also hoping they will act on other changes they have spoken about, like reviewing the Ofsted system.

Maéve Taylor outside Thurston Community College, one of Suffolk's largest schools. Picture: TCC
Maéve Taylor outside Thurston Community College, one of Suffolk's largest schools. Picture: TCC

She added: “I’m hoping in all of those respects I’m hoping we will see some really positive changes for education and therefore for the young people. I know there’s lots of areas that will want funding, but I think essentially to train up people, whether they become doctors or nurses or translators, whatever it is, it starts in a school.”

Of her goals in her role as principal of TCC, she said: “I guess we all know education and really society were very much affected by Covid and I think there’s been a lot of changes and now everything is back to normal it’s about building, but not building back the same. It’s about building back better.

“It is very much about ensuring we have high-quality teaching and learning and student conduct, but I guess around that it is about trying to look at the enrichment programme, alongside Student Leadership. For example, we are looking at relaunching work experience, which I think is something we really want to have.”

Maéve Taylor was announced as permanent principal of Thurston Community College earlier this year. Pictures: TCC
Maéve Taylor was announced as permanent principal of Thurston Community College earlier this year. Pictures: TCC

She added: “We know we have got great sports teams and [are] really great in the performing arts, music, dance, drama, but just to make sure that there’s enrichment across the school so there’s something for every child.

“And I think the more we can work with the local community and local schools as well that will actually allow us to understand what we can offer and hopefully tap into other useful resources.”

To help the school ‘build and go from strength to strength’ is what Ms Taylor is really keen to do, she said.

She said the fact there is so much going on at TCC was one of the reasons she was attracted to work there, and there are plans for an even richer school life moving forward, with three musical theatre productions next year and additional trips, for instance.

Ms Taylor said her time at TCC so far had been ‘brilliant’, adding: “It’s definitely a school I think I will be very happy at.

“It’s a real privilege to come here and work with the local community so I’m really looking forward to the years ahead.”