St Edmund Arrowsmith deputy headteacher exits, Liverpool 2026

Key Points

• Anna Kenny, who was deputy headteacher at St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy in Whiston, has officially quit the school as she has been absent in her job for over two years now.
• Ms Kenny has been absent in her job since May 2024 when headteacher Lee Peachey too went missing without any reason.
• The Pope Francis Catholic Multi-Academy Trust stated that Ms Kenny quit the school “to pursue other opportunities” at the end of the summer term 2026.
• While Mr Peachey quit the job in December 2025, both continued to feature on the school’s website until very recently.
• Interim headteacher Clare McKenna has introduced new and stricter discipline rules in the school where more than 200 students were suspended in just three weeks last summer.
• Parents have been concerned about the absenteeism of both senior leaders since 2024 and 2025.

Liverpool (Liverpool standard) September 5, 2026 — The deputy headteacher of a Merseyside school who has been absent from her role for over two years has officially left the institution, marking the conclusion of a prolonged period of leadership uncertainty at the Whiston-based academy.

What happened to the deputy headteacher at St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy?

Anna Kenny, who served as deputy headteacher of St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy, has departed the school at the end of the summer term 2026, according to a statement from the Pope Francis Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, which oversees the academy. A trust spokesperson said: “Anna Kenny left St Edmund Arrowsmith at the end of the Summer term 2026 to pursue other opportunities. We thank Anna for her service and wish her well in the future”.

Ms Kenny’s absence from the school first came to light in May 2024, when the Liverpool ECHO reported that she was suddenly away from work without explanation. Her departure from daily duties coincided closely with the absence of the school’s then-headteacher, Lee Peachey, who also stopped attending work around the same period.

For the remainder of the 2024-2025 academic year, Ms Kenny’s name remained listed on the school’s website as deputy headteacher, with Clare McKenna serving as headteacher following Mr Peachey’s resignation. However, ahead of the new term starting in September 2026, Ms Kenny’s name was removed from the school’s leadership listing altogether.

Why were both headteacher and deputy absent from the school?

The dual absence of St Edmund Arrowsmith’s two most senior staff members sparked considerable concern among parents and the local community throughout 2024 and 2025. In a letter to parents, Andrew Dawson, chief executive of the Pope Francis Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, explained that Mr Peachey was “taking some time away from SEACA for personal reasons” following what he described as “a very intense period for the school”.

As reported by Dan Haygarth of the Liverpool Daily Post, the trust acted quickly to secure interim leadership, appointing Clare McKenna, who was at the time deputy head at St Gregory’s Catholic High School in Warrington, to lead the school “for as long as is needed”.

However, no official explanation was ever provided for Ms Kenny’s absence. The Liverpool ECHO understood in December 2024 that neither Mr Peachey nor Ms Kenny had returned to work at the start of the new school year in September 2024, and both remained away from the school as the academic year drew to a close.

In August 2024, a school spokesperson told the ECHO: “While an acting headteacher has been appointed for the foreseeable future, our substantive headteacher and deputy headteacher are still both employed at the academy. At the current time, however, they are not working at the school”.

When did the headteacher formally resign from his position?

The mystery surrounding the extended absence of both senior leaders continued until December 2025, when the school confirmed that Mr Peachey had officially resigned from his role as headteacher. As reported by Liam Thorp of the Liverpool ECHO, Mr Peachey’s resignation came after he had been credited with turning the Whiston school’s fortunes around, leading it out of an inadequate Ofsted rating for the first time since 2015.

Despite his formal resignation, both Mr Peachey and Ms Kenny remained listed on the school’s website for the remainder of the academic year, with Ms McKenna continuing as headteacher. It was only ahead of the September 2026 term that Ms Kenny’s name was removed from the school’s leadership listing, confirming her departure from the institution.

How has the school changed under new leadership?

Following the departure of both Mr Peachey and Ms Kenny, Clare McKenna has established her own approach to leading St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy. Last summer, the ECHO reported that a new drive on discipline and standards under Ms McKenna’s leadership had led to more than 200 pupils being suspended in a period of around three weeks.

The school said the new behaviour policy was put in place to “raise the bar” of what is expected at St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy, working with the Education Exchange—a network of schools, local authorities and education providers that offers guidance to schools—on its new disciplinary policies.

Six months after that policy came into effect, the ECHO reported that school data showed the strong approach to behaviour and discipline was working for both pupils and staff. Speaking at the time, trust chair Mr Dawson said:

“In 2024 the school came out of special measures for the first time in a decade – but there were some stubborn, residual behavioural issues that were becoming a barrier to further improvement”.

He added:

“Since implementing the new behaviour policy, there is real evidence that those barriers are being eroded away”.

What concerns did parents raise during the leadership absence?

Several parents contacted the Liverpool ECHO throughout 2024 and 2025 to raise their concerns about the situation at the top of the school, particularly given the positive recent news for the academy. The school had moved out of special measures following an Ofsted inspection that found it had taken “effective action to address a legacy of weaknesses”.

Speaking after the Ofsted inspection in 2024, Mr Peachey said:

“The fact that it has been the best part of a decade since our school was last graded as anything other than Inadequate really does speak volumes for the changes that needed to be made”.

He continued: “Over recent times, but particularly since we joined the Trust, we have been systematically making the changes needed. It is because of the efforts of our whole community that there is much in the report that is a cause for celebration and it is right that, after so effort and dedication, that we acknowledge what has been achieved”.

Despite these positive developments, the prolonged absence of both the headteacher and deputy headteacher without clear explanation continued to concern parents throughout the 2024-2025 academic year.

Background of the particular development

St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy had been in special measures since 2015, receiving an inadequate Ofsted rating for nearly a decade before improvements under Mr Peachey’s leadership led to the school moving out of special measures in 2024. The school’s turnaround was considered significant, with Mr Peachey credited for leading the institution out of its long-standing inadequate rating.

The Pope Francis Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, which runs the school, had overseen the improvements that led to the better Ofsted rating. However, the simultaneous and unexplained absences of both the headteacher and deputy headteacher from May 2024 onwards created uncertainty about the school’s leadership stability during a critical period of improvement.

The trust’s decision to appoint Clare McKenna as interim headteacher ensured continuity of leadership, though the prolonged absence of both substantive senior leaders without clear public explanation remained a source of concern for the school community throughout 2024 and 2025.

Prediction: How this development can affect parents and the school community

The resolution of the leadership uncertainty at St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy is likely to provide clarity for parents who have raised concerns over the past two years about the prolonged absences of senior staff. With Ms Kenny’s departure now confirmed and Ms McKenna firmly established as headteacher, the school can move forward with a clear leadership structure.

For parents, the confirmation of Ms Kenny’s departure may address some of the questions that have persisted since May 2024 about the status of the school’s senior leadership team. However, the lack of detailed explanation for the extended absences of both Mr Peachey and Ms Kenny over such a long period may continue to raise questions about transparency and communication between the trust and the school community.

The stricter disciplinary approach implemented by Ms McKenna, which has already shown measurable results according to school data, suggests the academy is prioritising behavioural standards as it builds on its exit from special measures. Parents and students will likely be watching closely to see whether this approach continues to yield positive outcomes for pupil behaviour and academic performance in the coming academic year.