Birmingham Headteacher takes on new role helping disadvantaged children

The headteacher of a Birmingham secondary school has been appointed to a new role with the Sutton Trust charity, helping more young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into competitive universities and careers.

Sophia Haughton, who leads E-ACT Heartlands Academy in Nechells, is one of a small group of school and trust leaders selected for the charity’s Regional Ambassadors pilot, which runs until July 2027. The Sutton Trust works to improve social mobility through its research and programmes, which include summer schools at leading universities and Pathways schemes into professions such as law and medicine. 

Many of the young people who would benefit most never hear about these opportunities, and the ambassador scheme aims to close that gap by working through school leaders with strong local networks. As an ambassador, Ms Haughton will make sure schools across the region know when Sutton Trust programmes open for applications and will meet with other ambassadors from around the country to share what is working in their schools. 

She will also help shape the areas the charity’s research looks at next, bringing the experience of a school serving one of Birmingham’s most disadvantaged communities. The appointment follows a strong year for Heartlands Academy, which was named School of the Year at the Tes Schools Awards.

Sophia Haughton, headteacher of E-ACT Heartlands Academy, said: “Our young people are every bit as capable as those anywhere else in the country, but they don’t always get to see what’s out there for them. 

“I’ve watched pupils from Heartlands go on to places they never thought they’d get to, and often it started with someone telling them about an opportunity at the right moment. I’m really pleased to be working with the Sutton Trust to make that happen for more young people, here in Birmingham and across the region.”