It is our great pleasure to welcome our new Director of HR, Colin Hooker.
Colin has recently joined our Central Team and brings with him a wide breadth of experience in Education HR.
What lead you to HR?
Like most people, I fell into HR by mistake! I applied for a trainee role (we would know it today as an apprenticeship) with the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham way back in 1990. They employed 11 people and randomly placed me in the Education HR team. I consider myself very fortunate that they supported me through College and University, which meant I gained my qualifications at a young age. I always felt I was destined to work with people in some capacity and here I am, 32 years later!
Why do you enjoy working within the education sector?
Most of my 32 years in HR have been in the Education sector. I think it is important to be able to see the effect that the job I do has on the people I support. In the Education sector, it is very clear that the support I give to schools has a direct impact on the lives of the children and their families. This is also why I chose to be a school governor (and Chair) for 11 years and why I was also designated as a National Leader of Governance.
How do you plan to support our family of schools through your work?
I want to work closely with all of the schools to put processes in place to ensure that there is a fair, clear and consistent approach to HR management. We will implement a clear HR Calendar of events that act as reminders for schools around key HR issues throughout the year. Linked to this will be a training and development plan so that staff feel confident that they are implementing HR policies in a fair and consistent manner.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I am a keen cyclist and like to be out in the Essex countryside as often as possible (when the weather allows!). I also go to the gym, though this is more through necessity than enjoyment! I am a season ticket holder at the Raiders Ice Hockey team in Romford and attend there with my family most weekends.
Where is a place that you love to visit in Essex?
As a father to two daughters, I spent many happy hours at Colchester Zoo over many years. Those gold cards were worth every penny! We also enjoy a walk on the beach at Mersea Island and a visit to the Prom in Maldon. So many fantastic places to visit, we really are very lucky to live in such a beautiful place.
THANK YOU COLIN
Welcome to the Vine Schools Trust – we are happy to have you as part of our Central Team.
