Tom Holdstock

Accomplished Executive Leader, Program Director, and Safeguarding SME with over 10 years of institutional headship and 15+ years leading cross-functional teams, multi-year strategy, and high-stakes operational delivery. Combines a quantitative engineering background (BSc Civil Engineering & Management) with deep domain expertise in child protection, regulatory compliance (Online Safety Act, AADC, KCSIE), and Generative AI workflow integration. Proven track record of acting as Single-Threaded Owner (STO) for multi-year expansion projects, building scalable safety mechanisms, and mentoring executive leaders across public and private sector domains.

Headteacher & Executive Lead at Harvington CE First and Nursery School (2025-09 – Present)

• Act as Single-Threaded Owner (STO) for institutional strategy, statutory compliance, multi-site resource allocation, and team management across an 'Outstanding' rated institution.
• Direct all institutional safeguarding and threat-mitigation workflows, establishing zero-tolerance compliance standards across physical and digital environments.
• Champion ethical Generative AI tool adoption across all staff teams, embedding data protection guardrails and automating routine reporting tasks to increase team operational efficiency.

Headteacher & Executive Lead (DSL) at Defford-cum-Besford Church of England First School (2021-01 – 2025-08)

• Led a complex, multi-year organizational transition expanding the institution from a First to a full Primary School stage, managing facility growth, curriculum scaling, and budget expansion.
• Conceptualized, designed, and deployed a custom digital assessment tracking platform, converting complex raw student metrics into actionable visual insights while reducing admin workload.
• Secured 100% regulatory compliance during Ofsted and SIAMS inspections, establishing standardized investigation protocols that withstand rigorous external scrutiny.
• Re-engineered internal operating procedures and communication frameworks, creating a high-retention workplace culture described by inspectors as "feeling like a family".

Headteacher & Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) at Oak Hill CE Primary School (2016-04 – 2021-01)

• Held single-point accountability for organizational strategy, staff development, policy implementation, and financial governance for a 70-pupil institution.
• Re-engineered incident reporting pipelines and safer recruitment processes, reducing administrative processing overhead while elevating safety auditing standards.

Deputy Headteacher at Sedgeberrow CE First School (2008-07 – 2016-04)

• Managed multi-stage curriculum development, data tracking pipelines, and direct line management for teaching personnel across a 180-pupil school.

Volunteer Governor (Safeguarding Lead) at Bredon Hill Academy (Middle School) (2022-01 – Present)

• Provide independent governance oversight, regulatory safety auditing, and strategic challenge across Key Stage 2 & 3 age groups (ages 10–13).
• Audit digital platform risks, age-appropriate design frameworks (AADC), and child protection mechanisms.

Executive Mentor & Local Authority Advisor at Worcestershire Local Authority (2024-01 – Present)

Selected to mentor newly appointed executive leaders through change management, inclusion strategy, risk mitigation, and operational scaling.

BSc (Hons) in Civil Engineering and Management – Swansea University

Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) – University of Worcester

National Professional Qualification in Headship (NPQH) – Department for Education (DfE)

International Baccalaureate & A-Levels – Anglo European School, Ingatestone