Today, the PSHE Association begins its search for a new Chief Executive to take up the baton from Joe Hayman. After three and a half years in the role, Joe will be leaving the Association later this year to explore new opportunities.
Joe joined the Association in 2012 and has led the organisation to achieve significant growth in its membership, income, size and reach while building unprecedented cross-sector support for raising the status of the subject.
During the last three and a half years, the Association’s membership and income have tripled, significantly increasing its ability to support PSHE education practitioners across the country. At the same time, a coalition of over 100 leading bodies have joined the campaign for statutory status for PSHE, along with the Chief Medical Officer, the Children’s Commissioner, the national police lead for child sexual exploitation, 85% of business leaders, 88% of teachers, 91% of parents and 92% of young people.
Announcing his planned departure in September, Joe said:
“I am very lucky to have had the chance to lead this remarkable organisation through a critical period in its history, and to make the case on behalf of children, young people, parents and professionals for all school pupils to receive a curriculum which prepares them for life and work. This is a cause I will champion until I hand over to my successor in September.
Today’s children are growing up in a rapidly-changing world, full of opportunities but with few guarantees and many risks and worries. I share with the overwhelming majority of people across the country the belief that lessons preparing pupils for life and work in this changing world should be an essential complement to academic learning in our schools. I will continue to urge government to listen to parents on this matter until my last day in this role.
Given the growing support for the subject, the exceptional team at the Association and the continued dedication of our members and partners across the country, I am sure that, for both the organisation and the subject, the best has yet to come.”
Chair of the Board of Trustees, Carol Beaumont, said:
“Joe is an outstanding CEO who has dedicated the last three years to the service of high quality PSHE provision for all children and young people.
When he took on the role, he immediately grasped the need to respond to the demand for support from the professional community and nurtured an exceptional team of staff to rise to the challenge. He has forged partnerships with politicians from across the spectrum, professional bodies, parents, business leaders, faith groups and youth organisations amongst many others, building an overwhelming consensus behind the campaign for statutory PSHE education.
His drive for increased recognition of the fundamental importance of the subject, not just to pupils’ safety and wellbeing but also to their attainment, employability and future life chances has led to a huge increase in the Association’s impact.
We will all miss Joe very much and are delighted to have him with us for a few months yet before he heads off to pursue the next chapter in his career. In the meantime, our search for a leader who can build on the momentum of the last few years begins.”