The Diocese of Truro has appointed Lee Moscato as interim director of education. 

A key part of his role, which started on September 1, will be to give church schools a voice and shine a light on their work, which he describes as “a real privilege”. 

Lee was born in Truro and brought up in Redruth. His mother is of Italian descent; her father had come to Cornwall after the war to work in the mines. She raised Lee and his little sister as a single parent, in straitened circumstances.  

“That’s where a lot of my passion for supporting the most disadvantaged people comes from,” he says. “I’m proud of my background. It’s really important to know that it doesn’t matter where you’re brought up – you can always do great stuff.” 

Lee trained to be a teacher in Redruth, and spent his entire professional career in Cornwall, completing a foundation degree and then a BA while training at Pennoweth primary school in Redruth. “I’m something of a homebird,” he says. 

He worked at Pennoweth for 12 years, progressing from teaching assistant to teacher, before taking a teaching position at Falmouth’s King Charles primary school in 2010. He stayed there for 13 years, rising to become its headteacher. 

Leading a school is now perhaps harder than it has ever been, he says, with people tending to turn to schools in times of crisis. “We’ve been through the pandemic, which was incredibly tough. But today, with the cost-of-living crisis and an ever-changing educational landscape, it’s really very difficult.” 

Lee sees his new role primarily as giving those schools and their leaders the support they need. He pays tribute to his predecessor, Katie Fitzsimmons. “It’s a bit like being on Britain’s Got Talent when the person before you has just got the golden buzzer,” he laughs.  

“What she’s done has been really quite something – she’s really set the standard. It’s a bit daunting but very exciting. The big thing is to build upon the support and trust she’s developed with schools.” 

Lee will be formally commissioned to his new role at a special service to be led by the Right Reverend Hugh Nelson, Bishop of St Germans, at Truro Cathedral on September 16.