Name: Maarten Crommelin
Professional title: CEO and Headteacher
Background: Maarten began his career as a secondary school English teacher in London and has over 33 years’ experience working across mainstream and specialist education. After holding a range of leadership roles in mainstream secondary schools – including Head of English, Head of Faculty, Head of Year and Assistant Headteacher – he moved into hospital education, where he has now spent nearly two decades.
He is currently Headteacher of Maudsley and Bethlem Hospital School and CEO of The Goldfinch Trust, leading education provision across complex medical and mental health settings. Maarten is deeply committed to hospital education and to ensuring that children and young people continue to experience high-quality, ambitious and humane education during periods of illness. His leadership is grounded in inclusion, relational practice and staff wellbeing, with a strong belief that putting staff first enables staff to do their very best work for pupils.
As a system leader, Maarten works closely with health, education and cultural partners to develop creative and innovative provision that sustains achievement, supports wellbeing and nurtures a love of learning for some of the most vulnerable young people. He is particularly interested in how schools can balance academic rigour with care, enabling pupils either to re-engage successfully with education or to secure meaningful alternative pathways to success.
Name of organisation: Maudsley and Bethlem Hospital School and King’s College Hospital School / The Goldfinch Trust
Status of organisation: Hospital School and Multi-Academy Trust
Area of the country: South East London
Description of your organisation: Maudsley and Bethlem Hospital School and King’s College Hospital School provide education for children and young people receiving treatment in mental health and acute medical settings across South East London. Although categorised as hospital schools, the majority of pupils remain on roll in mainstream or special schools, with provision designed to support continuity of education, recovery and successful reintegration wherever possible.
The schools deliver inpatient and outpatient education across multiple hospital sites, working in close partnership with clinical teams to provide highly flexible, personalised programmes from primary through to post-16. Provision is shaped around pupils’ health needs while maintaining high expectations, enabling access to academic learning, therapeutic support and creative opportunities that promote wellbeing, resilience and engagement.
Both schools are part of The Goldfinch Trust, which opened in September 2025 and now comprises three specialist schools. The Trust is committed to inclusive, high-quality education for children and young people with complex needs, alongside developing sustainable, compassionate systems that prioritise staff wellbeing, collaboration and innovation.