A CEO says her ‘brilliant’ colleagues are to thank after being invited to The Queen’s Royal Garden Party.

Kate Brunt, CEO of The Rivers C of E Academy Trust, who was nominated by the Department of Education to attend the party said: “It was completely out of the blue, I wasn’t expecting it.”

“What makes my job easier is working with such a brilliant team. It’s not me it’s the people that work alongside me and support me.”

Mrs Brunt said: “My husband has also been really supportive.”

Mrs Brunt stressed the importance of working with other schools in the area to avoid becoming “insular.”

“We also work closely with Kings School and Royal Grammar School who support us. We are all educating Worcestershire children, so we should all be thinking about the bigger picture of how we are going to improve schools for children.”

After taking some time out after university to join the police, Mrs Brunt returned to teaching and eventually took headship of St Clement's C of E Primary School, Worcester. The Rivers C of E Academy Trust was developed in 2014. It now has 10 schools.

Mrs Brunt sits on the Head Teachers Board which discusses schools causing concern and schools becoming academies. She also sits on the National Head Teacher Reference Group which meets in London. She has met ministers Damien Hinds, Justin Greening, and Nick Gibb.

Mrs Brunt said: “None of this would have happened without my colleagues around me and of course, the children.”