Emma Mills: Leading with Strength and Compassion at Birchwood Community High School

When Emma Mills took on the role of Head Teacher at Birchwood Community High School in Warrington back in 2019, she couldn’t have foreseen what lay ahead.

In just a few short years, her leadership would be tested by some of the most challenging times imaginable — from steering staff and students through the Covid pandemic to helping the entire school community navigate the grief and heartbreak following the tragic loss of 16-year-old student Brianna Ghey in February 2023.

Joining Phil on the morning show as part of our Meet the Head series, Emma spoke with openness and honesty about those difficult chapters — and about the remarkable strength shown by students, staff, and parents alike.

“At times, it was overwhelming,” she reflected, describing how the whole Birchwood community pulled together through compassion and determination.

From tragedy, however, has come hope and renewal.

Today, Birchwood Community High School is thriving — rated by Ofsted as a Good Provider and celebrating its best-ever exam results.

The school continues to champion student wellbeing and resilience, not only through outstanding teaching but also through forward-thinking initiatives that set it apart.

Phone Free

One of those is Birchwood’s Phone Free campaign, which locks away students’ mobile phones for the duration of the school day. 

The idea — designed to reduce social pressures and distraction — has proven remarkably successful, with the vast majority of the school’s 900 students embracing it as a positive step toward better focus and stronger relationships.

The conversation also touched on the extraordinary work of Brianna’s mother, Esther Ghey, whose courage has inspired change well beyond Warrington.

Following her daughter’s death, Esther launched a mindfulness project in local schools, raising £80,000 to deliver training that fosters calm, empathy, and emotional awareness — a lasting legacy for Brianna.

This initiative was recently supported by Dan Price through the Police & Crime Commissioner’s SWAP fund, helping to extend its reach and impact across the region.

She has since taken that mission to Westminster, joining Warrington North MP Charlotte Nichols to call for mindfulness programmes to be introduced in every school in England.

Emma Mills leads Birchwood with heart, humility and a steadfast belief in the power of education to shape kind, confident and capable young people.

Her vision is simple but profound: to nurture confident, independent students who love learning and carry forward strong community values — something that, at Birchwood, is clearly flourishing.

• Birchwood Community High School
• Mindfulness in Schools Project