The headteacher who turned around the fortunes of a "broken school" has announced he will be stepping down this summer.

Matthew Tate, who has led Hartsdown Academy in Margate since September 2016, confirmed his final day will be on August 31.

The statement comes as Turner Schools announced him as its new Director of Secondary Education.

Following a rigorous two-day selection process, Mr Tate emerged as the ideal candidate to lead and further strengthen secondary education within the trust.

In a letter to parents and carers, Mr Tate said: “It is with mixed emotions that I write to inform you that after nine rewarding years as headteacher at Hartsdown Academy, I have made the decision to step down from my role, with my final day being August 31.

“As I reflect on my time at Hartsdown, I want to express my heartfelt thanks for your support, trust and commitment to the academy.

“It has been an absolute privilege to work alongside such a dedicated and caring community of staff, students and parents.

“Together we have achieved a great deal, and it fills me with pride to see the academy in such a strong position as I prepare to move on.

“When I first arrived at Hartsdown we had a clear vision for improving the school and I am pleased to say that over the years we have made tremendous strides in fulfilling that vision.

“The academy is now in a much stronger position with balanced finances, a steady increase in student numbers and a recent Ofsted inspection that praised the hard work and dedication of our entire school community.”

Mr Tate added that he believes the school is “well prepared for the future” with strong staff and leadership teams in place.

He signed off by saying: “Being a part of this community has been an honour and I will always hold Hartsdown Academy close to my heart.”

The statement comes just weeks after Mr Tate temporarily left the school to begin a secondment until June after taking on a role at the Turner Schools trust.

Speaking on his new role, Mr Tate added: “I have thoroughly enjoyed working alongside Turner Schools since the start of this year and I am thrilled to be joining the team.

“Leaving Hartsdown Academy has been a difficult decision and I have been privileged to work with incredible staff and students there.

“However, I am excited about this new challenge and look forward to contributing to Turner Schools’ mission of ensuring students in our coastal communities receive the very best possible education and opportunities.”

Mr Tate’s departure comes after nearly a decade of transformation at Hartsdown.

He took over at a time when the school was struggling, previously describing it as “broken.”

Under his leadership, the school went from a ‘Requires Improvement’ rating from Ofsted in 2018 to achieving a ‘Good’ rating in 2022.

But his approach wasn’t always without controversy and in his first days at the school, he made headlines by sending home more than 50 pupils in two days over uniform breaches.

He accepted the temporary role at Turner Schools trust, which has locations in Folkestone, Dover and Canterbury with provisions for four to 18-year-olds, last month to fill an urgent gap in leadership and was due to return to Hartsdown at the end of June.

Turner Schools chief executive Seamus Murphy said: “We warmly welcome Matt to the Turner Schools and look forward to him joining the team.

“His leadership at Hartsdown Academy has demonstrated his commitment to raising aspirations and improving outcomes for students, and we have been impressed by his work since joining us on secondment earlier this year.

“We have no doubt that Matt’s experience and expertise will have a hugely positive impact on our schools and students across Kent.”

During his absence, deputy headteacher Ian Wallace stepped up as acting head.