As a woman in STEM and Executive Principal of two academies, Kate Tague is leading the way in the future of education. In just six years, Kate has built a team of over 100 staff and 700 students, creating two successful West Midlands University Technical Colleges with a focus on science, technology, engineering and maths.
Just five years after opening, in 2019, the sixth form at WMG Academy for Young Engineers topped the Coventry school performance tables, ahead of all state in independent schools in the city.
Kate’s vision was to provide a school of the future, where businesses collaborated with academics to help bridge the skills gap and produce professionals of the future. WMG Academies now work closely with more than 20 businesses, supported by WMG at the University of Warwick, to provide a career-focused education for 14-19 year olds. Many go on to work or train with some of the biggest names in engineering, technology and business, as well as gaining places at top universities.
Kate is passionate about increasing the number of women in STEM – with the percentage of female students at the academies currently double that of the national engineering industry average.
Before launching WMG Academy for Young Engineers, Kate worked as Assistant Principal at Black Country University Technical College. Previously she worked as a local authority advisor for the qualifications body Pearson, leading the company’s BTEC and vocational education programmes across the country.
Kate lives in Stone, Staffordshire with her husband and two teenage children.
