I started my career in education over 20 years ago as a teacher of German and Russian in an 11 - 18 high school in Cumbria. I led the Modern Languages Department for several years before moving to Parklands High School in September 2009, when I was originally appointed as Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for the Language College, and later secured promotion to Deputy Headteacher for Achievement, working alongside the Deputy Headteacher for Teaching & Learning. In September 2018 I became headteacher of Parklands and, in collaboration with my dedicated colleagues and governors, continued to ensure Parklands went from strength to strength. I have experience of implementing a variety of initiatives to improve outcomes and have a track record of successfully managing underperformance of both departments and individuals, which has positively impacted the school community. I am passionate about providing a holistic approach to education and firmly believe in supporting our local community. In February 2023 we received approval from the Department for Education to form our own multi-academy trust, Aspirational Futures, which I am privileged to be able to lead as Chief Executive Officer, and in autumn 2023 I successfully passed the National Professional Qualification in Executive Leadership.

I have dedicated 15 years to the education sector, holding various leadership roles including Finance Manager, School Business Manager, and most recently, Chief Financial Officer. Throughout my career, I have gained a broad range of experience in school business leadership, but my passion and expertise lie in finance. I am committed to ensuring that financial resources are utilised effectively to create the best possible outcomes and opportunities for children and young people within our Trust.

In addition to my role as CFO, I am the Chair of the BBL CFO/COO Network, where I actively promote the power of networking and the exchange of best practices across the sector.

Outside of my professional life, I enjoy walking, kayaking, and spending quality time with my family.

I have worked in management roles within Education since 1992. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team in a high school my leadership roles included management responsibility for 25 support staff within 5 departments. I have delivered on over £13 million pounds of capital projects ranging from major plant and heating replacements to minor refurbishments. My responsibilities include the development and implementation of our estates and operations strategy including facility management, health and safety, capital projects and investment, compliance, catering, cleaning, and security and business management. I have a strong commitment to education and am motivated to positively impact the lives of our pupils and local communities. My goal is to ensure that they have access to the highest quality facilities and resources necessary for their development and success.

Outside of work my passion is to spend time with my family. My hobbies include playing the Flugelhorn and going to concerts and the theatre.

I have worked at Parklands since September 2009 having had 20 years working in banking in various branch and managerial roles. My first role was as the exams officer then I moved into Human Resources and Payroll following the school's conversion to Academy status in 2012. I completed my L3 Associate CIPD qualification in 2015 and since then have been on various training and development roles, am currently working my way through the ACAS training suite and regularly attend employment law workshops to keep my knowledge current. I am a member of the Confederation of School Trusts and the Academy HR Managers Network. I have been involved in investigations, disciplinary meetings, capability meetings and TUPE transfers. I have had mediation training and provide advice and support to managers dealing with these issues and more. I am responsible for recruitment and new employment contracts, co-ordinating payroll, TUPE, policy management, staff absence management and general HR provision. I am currently working on a project to introduce a new online recruitment platform and an online HR system to ensure a smooth HR service provision to all the schools in the Trust and I also have a keen interest in employee well-being and mental health and it’s link to absence levels and staff retention.

Outside of work I enjoy travelling, interior design, the gym and generally being active. I have just worked with a landscape contractor and re-designed my garden and am really excited to see that come to life over the next few months.

I have a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, as well as a Master's Degree in Computer Networking. I previously worked for Lancashire County Council in educational IT support for 5 years, before moving on to Parklands High School where I was Network Manager for 7 years. I have experience in designing, implementing, and supporting computer networks in schools, and all the various devices that go with it. I am very aware of the role IT Services play within education, and the importance of my position within that. I am also accustomed to providing technical support to all ranges of user types, in many different environments, and have honed these skills over many years.

Outside of work I enjoy running, and following my beloved Blackpool FC.

I previously worked as part of the site team at Parklands High School, where I gained experience in school facilities management, including day-to-day maintenance, compliance checks, and supporting refurbishment projects. This hands-on position gave me a strong understanding of how well-managed estates contribute to a safe and welcoming environment for staff and students.

Now, I bring that experience into a wider role within the Trust, I am responsible for overseeing the estates and compliance function across all five schools. This includes maintaining high standards of site safety and functionality, ensuring full compliance with all statutory and regulatory requirements. I support risk management, audits, and statutory checks, while managing projects and coordinating with staff and contractors to ensure smooth day-to-day operations and long-term development.

I am also the sustainability lead within the trust, responsible for implementing the school’s sustainability strategy, with a focus on reducing environmental impact through initiatives in energy efficiency, waste reduction, climate education, and sustainable procurement. I take a practical, people-focused approach and I’m always looking for smart, forward-thinking ways to improve how we work and care for our spaces.

Outside of work, I enjoy playing golf, supporting my local team Chorley Football Club, and spending time with my family.

I have worked in primary education in Lancashire for nearly 25 years and have been a Headteacher since 2012. I was appointed Headteacher at Highfield Community Primary School in 2015 and since that time I have worked tirelessly to improve the reputation of the school within the community. I am passionate about inclusion and giving every child, no matter what needs they may have, the opportunity to have a happy and successful education. I established an SEN unit for pupils with Speech, Language and Communication Needs and/or ASD which now educates 18 pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) from Chorley and the surrounding areas.

I am also the lead Headteacher in the Chorley Inclusion Hub. Working with an educational psychologist we have established the Chorley Inclusion Support Service. Assistant Educational Psychologists employed by CISS provide support to mainstream schools with the intention of improving inclusive practice. We have also arranged two successful inclusion conferences for staff from across the district.

Having recently completed the NPQEL through Teach First, I now have the knowledge to develop processes and systems that enable and encourage collaboration between staff within and across the primary schools in the MAT. I am looking forward to furthering the relationship between the schools and working with the rest of the central team to establish AFMAT as one of the best trusts in the area.

Outside of school, I am passionate about sport and I'm a season ticket holder at Preston North End. I also enjoy the outdoors – dog walking and cycling in particular and have a love of the natural world.

I started my career as a teacher over 20 years ago teaching Geography and Travel and Tourism on the Fylde Coast. Having led these departments to be some of the most successful in the school, I was then promoted to the position of Head of Faculty in a South-Ribble School where I led a faculty of Modern Foreign Languages, English and Humanities. I have held senior positions as Assistant Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher, having responsibility for assessment, recording and reporting, curriculum and safeguarding amongst others. At the request of the local authority, I have also worked with several high schools in Lancashire, giving support to schools requiring assistance. I have 12 years’ experience working in academies as a senior leader and understand the opportunities and intricacies of this educational sector. My most recent position has been as Headteacher for the last 5 years, Accounting Officer and Chief Executive Officer of a local academy. I am committed to supporting schools to improve and have worked at a variety of settings in both challenging and successful schools.

Since 2012, I have been employed at Highfield Community Primary in multiple roles, including Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead, Senior Learning Mentor, Wellbeing Coordinator for staff and pupils, and Schools Senior Mental Health Lead. These roles are interconnected, all founded on protecting children and young people from harm and supporting families in need. I have a qualification as a Children and Families Practice Manager.

Throughout my time at Highfield, I have built strong relationships with children and families to provide the best possible outcomes when they face challenges. If a child experiences one factor or a combination of barriers to learning, this may lead to low self-esteem, disruptive behaviour, or a negative attitude toward learning, which can result in the child not fulfilling their potential. As a Learning Mentor, I help the child develop strategies and skills to enable them to make positive choices and learn. I support pupils by providing a diverse range of learning opportunities. I work with pupils, families, school staff, and other professional agencies to help pupils develop their potential by removing barriers to learning, whether these barriers exist in school or at home.

I work closely with a variety of outside agencies and the local community to promote collaborative efforts. Additionally, I lead a cluster group for pastoral support leads and outreach workers from primary and secondary schools within the Chorley district. This group serves as a platform for sharing best practices, training events, and making direct links to Children's Social Care, along with providing peer supervision to support wellbeing and mental health.

I am passionate about my role and work flexibly to meet the needs of children and families, offering advice, support, and guidance while promoting positive care and parenting skills. I believe that safeguarding in school is vital and should be embedded as a whole school approach to ensure pupils are kept safe. I actively keep up to date with new legislation and updates, ensuring all staff are made aware of these changes. I truly value the sense of achievement that comes from supporting children and understand the immeasurable impact that education and nurturing have on young lives. My time in this post and the experience gained have reinforced my desire to help and support children, young people, and their families.

I started working at Parklands over 10 years ago and before this I was a Team Manager for NatWest and RBS Corporate and Commercial Banking. I left the bank in my mid 20s to start a family and worked part time while my children were young. I qualified as a Teaching Assistant as I wanted to start my new life in education. After 12 months on reception at Parklands the Attendance role became available and I thought this would be a new challenge for me - I must say that I love my job! I moved across to Walton-Le-Dale in October 2024 to support the Attendance Team full time in a drive to improve overall attendance. Attendance is fundamental to attainment and every day is a new challenge. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and best practices with both primaries and secondaries; attendance is a high focus since the pandemic and keeping up with new legislation will be a new challenge too.

Outside of work I like to spend time with my family, walks with our dog, holidays and watching my team, Liverpool!

I started working at Parklands High School in 2017 as a Finance Officer. I supported the school with allocating payments via SCOPay and general finance tasks. I joined the Central Finance Team in February 2025, firstly supporting Parklands High School and later supporting Highfield Primary School as well. I deal with processing purchase orders and invoices for both schools and also provide advice and guidance when needed. Out of work I enjoy reading, skiing and swimming.

I joined Walton-Le-Dale High School in 2015 and have had a variety of different roles including catering, business support and finance. I joined the Central Finance Team in February 2025, firstly supporting Walton-Le-Dale High School and later supporting Balshaw Lane Primary School as well. I deal with processing purchase orders and invoices for both schools and also provide advice and guidance when needed. Out of work I enjoy spending time with family, going to the gym and gardening.

I have worked in two primary schools and multi-academy trusts over the past ten years and joined Aspirational Futures in May 2025 as HR and Finance Officer. I have completed my AAT Level 2 and am currently working towards my AAT Level 3. I have also been supporting the HR Manager in rolling out MySAM and SAM People, an online HR system that will be accessible to all staff across the Trust. Outside of work, I enjoy keeping active by going to the gym and taking part in Parkrun on Saturdays. I also love spending time with my partner, family, and friends, and travelling to different parts of the world whenever I get the opportunity.