Our People

The Trust has over 2,200 staff committed to improving the life chances of young people across the network.

While the Trust provides the framework and foundations, our successes are the collective efforts and achievements of everyone associated with the network.

This is underpinned by the vision of the Trustees, and supported by the expertise of the Trust’s Chief Executive, Directors and Heads of Service and the educationalists who work across the Trust to ensure best practice and innovation is embraced and embedded.

Executive Team

 

• Stuart Burns
  Chief Executive Officer
  Stuart Burns

  Stuart Burns took up post as Chief Executive of the David Ross Education Trust in July 2020.

  A teacher of 26 years, 15 of which have been spent as a head both in the UK and abroad, Stuart was previously the Founding Principal of Bobby Moore Academy in the David Ross Education Trust on the Olympic Park.

  During this time, Stuart established excellent working relationships with DfE and ESFA, as well as chairing several academy boards and providing executive leadership to help integrate new academies during a period of growth for the Trust.

  Prior to joining the David Ross Education Trust, Stuart was Chief Executive of the International School of Monaco.

  Stuart is a firm believer in combining high academic standards with sport, music and other wider interests to help prepare young people for their next step in life.

• Simon Rose
  Deputy Chief Executive Officer
  Simon Rose

  Simon is the Trust's Deputy Chief Executive Officer. Within his portfolio, Simon is responsible for our 25 primary academies (including 1 outstanding special school) as Director of Education - Primary; and is the Trust wide accountable Director for safeguarding, DRET’s Teaching School Hub (TSH) and the Trust’s enrichment programmes of music and sport. Simon has more than two decades of school and executive leadership experience at director and headteacher level, with an MA (distinction) in educational leadership and management from the University of Nottingham. Before joining DRET in 2016, Simon was a Headteacher for ten years, and worked at Assistant Director level for Buckinghamshire County Council during 2015. Simon's priority is leading a positive culture where leaders, teachers and support staff at all levels drive improvement for the benefit of all children in our Trust.

• Steve West
  Interim Director of Secondary Education
  Steve West

  Steve has held Senior Leadership roles for over ten years leading on all aspects of school life. As a headteacher Steve has led schools in challenging circumstance in several highly successful multi-academy trusts. His career has primarily been spent leading in inner-city schools and as a head he led a failing school in South-East London to an Ofsted Good for the first time in the school's history. In 2022, Steve joined the David Ross Education Trust as Executive Principal for Bobby Moore Academy, the Trust’s only all-through academy situated on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London. He later extended his role to include Executive Headship of Havelock Academy and Humberston Academy in Grimsby. Steve is now in post as Interim Director of Secondary Education.

• Rachel Ridgill
  Director of HR
  Rachel Ridgill

• Jane Spencer
  Chief Finance Officer
  Jane Spencer

  Jane joined the Trust in March 2018 as Chief Finance Officer.

  As a member of the Trust's executive management team, Jane is responsible for ensuring effective financial management and control across the Trust. Jane also has responsibility, along with the rest of the executive team, for the development and delivery of the Trust's strategy, objectives and business plan.

  Jane is an experienced finance leader with a proven track record of delivering positive change in financial controllership and governance, as well as experience in more commercial finance roles. Jane trained initially as a Chartered Accountant whilst working in audit at Deloitte, before moving to Experian where she spent 11 years across a range of finance roles and ultimately as Financial Controller for Experian UK & Ireland.

  Prior to joining the Trust, Jane was a Trustee and Finance Committee Member of Greenwood Academies Trust.

• Jonathan French
  Director of Operations
  Jonathan French

  After earning an BSc Honours degree in Computing Studies from Nottingham Trent University, Jon started his career working for Lincolnshire County Council as an Infrastructure Engineer, building complex ICT networks and email systems. After 7 years, Jon moved away from ICT into relationship management when Lincolnshire County Council outsourced its support services, in the first ever Public, Private, Partnership. After a further 3 years, in 2008, Jon joined Redhill Academy Trust and was appointed to the role of Director of Operations in 2015. During this time, he has been fortunate enough to gain extensive knowledge in all education support services. In addition to my primary functions, Jon has been responsible for project managing 14 academy conversions and the centralisation of Trust support services.

• Maria Maltby
  Director of Governance
  Maria Maltby

  Maria joined the Trust in August 2018 as Head of Governance and Company Secretary. Maria is responsible for supporting the Trust Board and all academies in ensuring compliance with the appropriate legal and regulatory frameworks. Maria also oversees Trust complaints and has oversight of Trust policy development.

  Maria has experience of working in the private sector, local government and the NHS in project management and corporate governance roles.

• Peter Wilson
  Commercial & Transformation (Projects) Director
  Peter Wilson

  Peter joined the Trust in February 2023 as Interim Chief Finance Officer.

  As a member of the Trust's executive team, Peter is responsible for ensuring effective financial management and control across the Trust.

  Peter has responsibility, along with the rest of the executive team, for the development and delivery of the Trust's strategy, objectives, and business plan.

  Peter is an experienced finance leader with a proven history of delivering strategic improvements in both financial and operational matters.

  Peter is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, having trained in both large and small audit practices.

  Prior to joining the Trust, Peter spent 4 years as the Chief Finance and Operating Officer for Academy Transformation Trust (ATT), successfully delivering the financial recovery of the Trust, and driving strategic improvements across all operational activities. Peter initially volunteered at ATT as a Trustee and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee in 2017.

  Before moving to ATT he spent 10 years working in logistics, with responsibility for corporate finance, taxation, insurance, pensions, and statutory reporting matters.

 

Primary Education Team

 

• Simon Rose
  Deputy Chief Executive Officer
  Simon Rose

  Simon is the Trust's Deputy Chief Executive Officer. Within his portfolio, Simon is responsible for our 25 primary academies (including 1 outstanding special school) as Director of Education - Primary; and is the Trust wide accountable Director for safeguarding, DRET’s Teaching School Hub (TSH) and the Trust’s enrichment programmes of music and sport. Simon has more than two decades of school and executive leadership experience at director and headteacher level, with an MA (distinction) in educational leadership and management from the University of Nottingham. Before joining DRET in 2016, Simon was a Headteacher for ten years, and worked at Assistant Director level for Buckinghamshire County Council during 2015. Simon's priority is leading a positive culture where leaders, teachers and support staff at all levels drive improvement for the benefit of all children in our Trust.

• Rod Warsap
  Director of Primary Quality Assurance
  Rod Warsap

  Rod joined the Trust in January 2019 as the Regional Director for primaries in the south of England.

  Previous to joining DRET, Rod has held two headships in Primary schools before becoming the Executive Headteacher of a small MAT in Cambridgeshire.

  Rod has considerable experience in successful school leadership and school improvement, having supported schools on their journeys to be good schools. Rod has several years' recent experience as an inspector for Ofsted. This is an area in which Rod can add to the core education team's offer, supporting schools in their preparation and readiness for inspection.

  Rod works with schools in Northampton and Corby. One of his key objectives is to foster closer working between the Trust schools to ensure the very best practice is shared. Rod works closely with middle and senior leaders, ensuring leaders are at their most effective in leading on curriculum design and its implementation, so the provision of our schools is the best it can be.

• Judith Wesley
  Deputy Head of Safeguarding
  Judith Wesley

• Wendy Baxter
  Director of Primary Development
  Wendy Baxter

  Wendy joined the Trust in September 2018 as the Regional Director for primaries in the north of England. More recently she has moved into the role of Primary Director of Development.

  Wendy's role involves developing opportunities for strategic primary growth and acting as a key liaison point for external organisations. She also takes the lead on mentoring and developing our staff and primary school leaders. Much of the latter is done through her close involvement with the DRET teaching school hub.

  Wendy has worked in a variety of different schools in both the primary and secondary sector. More recently she has specialised in supporting some of the most challenging schools in the country. As such she is widely experienced in school 'turnaround' and is passionate about making sure that every pupil has high aspirations for their future. She has also visited and studied some of the very best schools, both in the UK and US, as part of her participation in the Future Leaders programme.

  Prior to a career in education, Wendy spent nearly 20 years in health service leadership as well as running her own successful consultancy business.

  Wendy is keen to support the development of new education leaders and currently acts as visiting fellow to deliver NPQH. She continues to support a number of our senior leaders through formal mentoring arrangements and is also a governor at two of our primary academies.

• Sandra Appleby
  Senior Regional Director
  Sandra Appleby

  Sandra Appleby has taught and led in primary schools in London and the East Midlands for more than 25 years. She joined the David Ross Education Trust (DRET) in 2015 and is currently a Principal and Senior Regional Director of Primary Education. As a system leader within the DRET multi-academy trust, Sandra's role involves strategic trust-wide planning, providing training, support and challenge to the Principals, senior leadership teams, staff and governors across the trust in order to ensure the best quality of education for all pupils. She is also responsible for trust-wide leadership of DRET's strategy to support its most disadvantaged pupils.

  As Principal of Greenfields Primary School and Nursery in Kettering, rated Outstanding (Ofsted, Jan 2020), she has seen many key successes, amongst which was the crowning of the school as East Midlands Primary Champion at the prestigious TES Pupil Premium Awards. Â Her successes have secured her place as a well-respected educator and, to this end, she regularly speaks at national and local events and is in demand to provide strategic support and challenge to other multi-academy trusts and within the Local Authority.

• Kim Lawton
  Regional Director
  Kim Lawton

  Kimberley has worked in the Trust for over 10 years and worked in four of our schools: Thomas Hinderwell, Quay Academy, Malcolm Arnold Academy and Endike Academy. Kimberley has been fortunate to have led schools in both the primary and secondary sector within DRET due the CPD and secondment opportunities available within the Trust and is now a Regional Director in the north across four of our academies in Hull and Bridlington.

  Kimberley has successful experience in school improvement where she ensures academies continue on their journey of development and become high performing, ensuring children have the best possible outcomes academically and pastorally and be the best they can be.

• Janey Cooksley
  Regional Director
  Janey Cooksley

  Janey joined the Trust in 2012. She is a passionate and innovative leader with a strong vision, relentless drive, in the pursuit of excellence in education. Schools she has worked in have been on transformational journeys. She has been in education, across five schools, for 18 years plus most of which have been at senior leadership level.

  Janey is responsible for the curriculum and teaching and learning across the trust and drives the Trust's school improvement strategy across its primary schools, working closely with the Trust's curriculum Principals, and leadership teams.

  Janey is also Principal at Briar Hill Primary School, part of the David Ross Education Trust. She led the school from RI, to Good and recently to Better than Good with OFSTED in 2021. The school is a system leading school, where it has outcomes consistently well above national average for progress and attainment. It has been a top 2% of schools nationally and number one school in Northamptonshire. The school serves one of the top 5% deprived areas in the country and the school ensures the disadvantaged gap is closed. Briar Hill is a Talk for Writing Training Centre.

  Janey has a deep understanding of strategic leadership and school improvement. Her specialist areas are; curriculum, behaviour, wellbeing and teaching and learning.

  As a system leader, Janey's Regional Director role involves providing support, challenge and guidance to the Principals and teams across her schools in order to ensure excellence in education and personal development.

• Dominique Osborne
  Regional Director
  Dominique Osborne

  Dominique joined the Trust in 2014 and is one of five Regional Directors, as well as Principal at Edward Heneage Primary Academy in Grimsby. She has been in education for 16 years most of which have been at senior leadership level and in schools which serve areas of high deprivation.

  Dominique specialises in leading schools on their improvement journey to good, using her understanding of strategic leadership to develop middle and senior leadership to secure sustained school improvement. She is passionate about ensuring that all children receive a high standard of education and achieve their full potential.

  Dominique is responsible for leading special educational needs and disabilities across the primary sector of the Trust. Her priority is to ensure that through a cohesive approach across the 22 primary academies and learning from best practice within the sector, pupils with special educational needs and disabilities thrive.

• Karen Smith
  Head of Primary Maths and Assessment Lead
  Karen Smith

  Karen has worked in primary education for 23 years and joined DRET in 2018 as Primary Head of Maths. She has a relentless passion for primary maths education and is committed to the belief that all pupils can achieve highly in mathematics. Â Karen has been an integral part of DRET primaries' journey towards implementing a teaching for mastery approach, which has high expectations of all pupils and gaining a deep understanding of mathematical concepts at its heart. Karen is an NCETM accredited PD lead and Primary Mastery specialist teacher working with East Midlands East Maths Hub, leading teaching for mastery workgroups with schools across Lincolnshire. Her academic achievements include BSc Joint Honours in mathematics and psychology, PGCE and, more recently, Masters (MSc) in Strategic Leadership. She is also a Visiting Fellow with Ambition Institute, currently delivering the Early Career Framework for Early Career Teachers.

• Claire Tyrell-Smith
  EYFS Strategic Lead
  Claire Tyrell-Smith

  Claire holds a Trust wide role for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Claire is currently Deputy Head of Greenfields Primary School and Nursery, that was rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted in January 2020.

• Helen Savage
  EYFS Specialist Lead Practitioner
  Helen Savage

  Helen has over 20 years of experience working across many different educational contexts including Primary schools, Children's Centres, Sure Starts, PVI and International language schools. Currently Helen is a nursery teacher and Early Years lead based at Endike Academy in Hull. She is also privileged to work Trust wide in the roles of SLE and EYFS Trust lead. Â

  Helen is the Area Lead for Croydon and is involved in overseeing and delivering the EYFS Covid19 Recovery Programme for the DFE. Helen lives and breathes early years and is an enthusiastic advocate for play. Her mission is to ensure all practitioners have a strong understanding of child development, play, practice, and pedagogy. She is passionate about giving educators the best possible toolkits for their roles and enjoys developing high quality training that is accessible to all. She has a keen interest in international early years practice and has had experience of working overseas and of visiting a range of international early years settings

 

Secondary Education Team

 

• Steve West
  Interim Director of Secondary Education
  Steve West

  Steve has held Senior Leadership roles for over ten years leading on all aspects of school life. As a headteacher Steve has led schools in challenging circumstance in several highly successful multi-academy trusts. His career has primarily been spent leading in inner-city schools and as a head he led a failing school in South-East London to an Ofsted Good for the first time in the school's history. In 2022, Steve joined the David Ross Education Trust as Executive Principal for Bobby Moore Academy, the Trust’s only all-through academy situated on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London. He later extended his role to include Executive Headship of Havelock Academy and Humberston Academy in Grimsby. Steve is now in post as Interim Director of Secondary Education.

• Juliet Jaggs
  Director of Inclusion
  Juliet Jaggs

• Judith Wesley
  Deputy Head of Safeguarding
  Judith Wesley

• Stuart Rutter
  Trust Wide Lead for SEND
  Stuart Rutter

  Stuart Rutter joined DRET in September 2022 and brings a wide range of experience from alternative provision, SEND and mainstream settings. As Trust Wide Lead for SEND (Secondary) Stuart supports all of the SEND teams to ensure all students are accessing a high quality curriculum, in which they can thrive and achieve alongside their peers.

  Stuart qualified as a teacher in 2004 and has completed his Masters in Education, NPQEL and NASENCO. Previously Stuart was the Executive Principal for Catch22 Independent Schools, following time as the UK Manager of an education charity that supported girls into education in Uganda.

• Danny Bradford
  Trust Wide Lead for Alternative Provision Development
  Danny Bradford

  Daniel (Danny) Bradford. NPQSL / QTLS / MEd / CMgr FCMI.

  Danny has a wealth of experience in improving schools' behaviour, safeguarding and SEND, making them more inclusive to all students. He has created numerous internal alternative provision settings which have been recognised by trusts and other external organisation such as NASEN, Mentoring Schools, Pearsons National Teaching and TES as having exceptional high standards.

  His vision and goals are that all schools promote inclusion by allowing students to remain within their mainstream community. This helps to reduce stigmatization and ensures that students receive the necessary support while maintaining their connection to their peers.

  Internal alternative provisions play a crucial role in supporting students who require additional help with their social and emotional welfare or have specific behaviour/SEND needs. By providing tailored interventions within mainstream schools, these programs help students overcome barriers to learning and promote inclusion.

• Kimberley Willmot
  Director of Standards
  Kimberley Willmot

• James Scarrott
  Compliance Director (Secondary)
  James Scarrott

• Carol Kerry
  Trust Wide Attendance Lead
  Carol Kerry

  Carol has worked in education for over 20 years and, as a qualified Education Welfare Officer, currently holds a central role within the Safeguarding team, specialising in student attendance. As a Trust, we are committed to improving outcomes for all our learners and understand the vital work undertaken by our academies in supporting students to remove any barriers that may be preventing them attending school regularly. Carol is immensely proud of all the staff across the Trust for who student attendance is the upmost priority. Every academy has dedicated attendance team consisting of solution focussed and highly trained, knowledgeable staff who work tirelessly to create a sense of belonging for all children.

  Carol works hard to lead academies to create a school climate that encourages students to come to school every day and embed ‘The working together to improve school attendance guidance’. She oversees all staff training, offer support, advice, and guidance and the ensure the ‘support first’ ethos across the trust. She has extensive knowledge of education and attendance law which allows her to ensure appropriate use of enforcement when all other interventions have been exhausted and have proved unsuccessful.

  Carol models best practice in working directly with families who need additional support and she enjoys being an advocate for parents.

  Carol is in contact with all local authorities and other support services to guarantee our students receive all entitlements available to support their education and well-being.

  Carol considers herself to be truly privileged to work alongside an outstanding team of safeguarding experts and practitioners all with a shared commitment to keeping children safe in education, improving student attendance allowing the opportunity for all children to achieve their potential.

• Grace Healy
  Education Director (Secondary)
  Grace Healy

  Grace is Education Director (Secondary) at David Ross Education Trust. In this role, Grace leads a curriculum team of Trust-wide subject leaders in Trust-wide curriculum and teacher development and works closely with Principals to sustain a model for continuously renewing all aspects of curriculum intent, to build capacity in senior curriculum leadership, and to ensure a culture of subject-sensitivity and disciplinary rigour pervades all work on teacher development. Grace was the founding Director of DRET Teaching School Hub (TSH), serving in that role until April 2022; Grace now how holds strategic oversight of DRET TSH for the Trust, as Chair of the TSH's Strategic Board.

  She has previously led the geography subject community across a multi-academy trust of 13 primary and secondary schools and contributed to the leadership of a SCITT. She has held academic and pastoral leadership roles, served as a primary and secondary school governor, and holds a Masters of Education from the University of Cambridge. Grace is currently undertaking a PhD at the UCL Institute of Education. Grace chairs the Teacher Education Phase Committee of the Geographical Association and has been elected on to the Council of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) as Honorary Secretary (Education). She is Treasurer for GEReCo and the RGS's Geography and Education Research Group. She also serves on British Educational Research Association's (BERA) Publication Committee and on the editorial boards of The Curriculum Journal and the London Review of Education.

• Joanne McCluskie
  Trust Wide Lead - English
  Joanne McCluskie

  Joanne has been a secondary English teacher for over 20 years and she is a senior examiner for GCSE English Literature. Â Previously a Head of English, she went on to hold associate-leadership roles such as Whole School Literacy Co-Ordinator and, also, Research Lead where she led on professional development and teaching and learning. Â Prior to joining DRET, Joanne worked for a Multi-Academy Trust as Curriculum and Research Lead in the school improvement team developing Trust-wide, evidence-informed professional development, in particular, the evidence-informed strand of the Trust's early career provision. Â Joanne was a founding member of the Wolds Associate Research School as Research Lead specialising on Implementation and Literacy. Â She has led the vocabulary strand of the East Riding School Improvement Partnership's Reading Project. After successfully implementing a Whole School Tutor Read Aloud Scheme in 2017, Joanne has presented on 'reading aloud' at various education conferences and has consulted with schools to support implementation in their context. Â For a year, Joanne has worked a day a week on secondment to the Teacher Development Trust as an Expert Advisor and Curriculum Designer on the new NPQ suite. Â She has written articles as CPD columnist for TES and has contributed to their TES Develop online platform.

• Steve Walker
  Trust Wide Lead - Mathematics
  Steve Walker

  Steve moved into the education sector following a successful career in structural engineering, where he worked on several high-profile sports stadia including the new Wembley Stadium. He holds a BTEC HND in Civil Engineering and a BSc in Mathematics. After gaining his QTS in 2013, Steve began his journey in to school leadership as a Head of Department, quickly followed by roles as an Assistant Principal, Vice Principal and Head of School. He has gained both the NPQML and NPQH qualifications and acted as a course facilitator for the NPQML course.

  Steve has a passion for curriculum development and after joining the Harris Federation's central team as a Senior Maths Consultant in 2017, he was appointed as lead consultant for the redevelopment of the trusts KS3 maths curriculum. During his time as a Senior Consultant, he was appointed to the Harris Academy Improvement Team, supporting and preparing colleagues for Ofsted inspections and driving forward improvements in teaching and learning, as well as being seconded to the NIoT to work as a materials writer for the new NPQLTD course. He joined DRET in February 2024 when he started at Bobby Moore Academy in London as Senior Assistant Principal and holds this role alongside his Trust-wide leadership responsibility.

• Natalie Johnston
  Trust Wide Lead - Science
  Natalie Johnston

  Natalie started her teaching career in the East Midlands in 2005, before moving to London holding both academic and pastoral leadership roles and serving as a school governor. In 2014 Natalie relocated to the Cotswolds and moved into the independent sector. There she was Head of Teaching and Learning; leading pedagogy, professional development and Digital Learning. Natalie is a Microsoft Innovative Educator Trainer lead the college's move to integrated digital classrooms. In January 2022, Natalie initially joined the David Ross Education Trust as the Assistant Trust Wide lead for Science. Â Natalie holds a BSc Hons in Human Genetics from Newcastle University, QTS from Bishop Grosseteste College Lincoln, a Masters of Education in Educational Leadership from University of Buckingham and is currently completing her NPQSL. Natalie is an active member of the Association of Science Education (ASE) and The Royal Society of Biology (RSB). In 2018 Natalie was a finalist for the RSB's Biology Teacher of the Year. Natalie is a Founding Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching (FCCT) and the Lead subject tutor for PGCE Biology at the National Institute of Teaching and Education. In her capacity as a fellow she sits on the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Teaching Profession with particular interest in ITT provision.

• Ben Walsh
  Trust Wide Lead - History
  Ben Walsh

  Ben Walsh has been involved in History education for over 30 years as a teacher, subject leader, trainer, examiner and author. He has worked with many school, Local Authorities and Trusts in England and the UK, and delivered training in Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East. He is well known to History teachers as the author of many textbooks and has also written many online resources for organisations including The British Library and the UK National Archives. Ben is also a senior examiner for GCSE History. He has a particular interest in helping students to develop the same ways of thinking which professional historians use. He believes in the importance of authentic historical investigations using a wide range of source material including documents and other sources from the period being studied. Ben also has a strong interest in helping students to see how History can be, and has been, interpreted differently by different writers at different times and it is this driving passion for real History which underpins his work with History teachers in DRET academies.

• Chantal Mayo-Hollaway
  Trust Wide Lead - Geography
  Chantal Mayo-Hollaway

  Chantal has taught for 20 years, 15 of which as head of department. This has been across five schools in the South and Midlands regions. Chantal has worked with academics, exam boards and the Decolonising Geography team to review resources, content and deliver professional development. Chantal has presented at TeachMeets, GA and SHARE conferences, as well as working with secondary geography trainees. She is also a co-founder of theVoicesProject.co.uk, a free resource aimed at increasing the diversity of the voices heard within geography classrooms.

• Cristo Rodriguez-Casado
  Trust Wide Lead - RE
  Cristo Rodriguez-Casado

  Cristo has been working to support the RE community since 2020 and joined as Trust-Wide Subject Lead in RE Curriculum in September 2021. Cristo has experience of teaching RE in various contexts from KS2 to KS5 and is MD of a Christian Education Charity. Cristo holds an MA from the University of Sheffield, writing his thesis on Bible Translation Theory combining his background in languages with theology and interpretation. Cristo is interested in the ways of knowing in knowledge rich RE and the national conversations around the subject of RE. Cristo is a member of the British Sociological Association Society of Religion and participated in the Chairs' Response Day on Teaching Religion 2021. He is currently developing a project with Culham St Gabriel's on disciplinary knowledge in our trust-wide RE curriculum.

• Virginie Barre
  Trust Wide Lead - MFL
  Virginie Barre

  For over 20 years, Virginie has taught Modern Languages in large community schools and sixth form colleges in London, leading teams and developing curriculum materials. Before relocating and joining the David Ross Education Trust, she was Deputy Headteacher in a large suburban 11-18 school for ten years. There, she played a role in the school being awarded two Outstanding ratings by Ofsted, and Teaching School status. She has a MA in Comparative Literature from Sorbonne University, Paris, an MFL PGCE from Brunel University, and an NPQH from UCL Institute of Education.

• Jo Pickering
  Trust Wide Lead - MFL
  Jo Pickering

  Jo Pickering has been involved in education for nearly 30 years as a teacher, mentor, leader and examiner and trust lead for MFL in a small trust. She has worked in a variety of different schools in Germany, France, Greece and the UK, teaching English, French, German and Spanish. Jo has led Primary MFL professional development in North Warwickshire and has a particular interest in teaching pupils with SEND and languages for all. During her career in education, she has been a director of specialism, an advanced skills teacher, a lead practitioner and head of faculty. With professional development at the centre of her interests in education, she has developed and delivered programmes for new entrants to the profession, trainee teachers and UPS teachers. She has worked with a number of teacher training providers and has contributed to their course delivery for MFL teachers in London, Leicester and Warwick. Jo is passionate about how learning a new language can open the door to new cultures and ways of thinking and the employability skills of learning a new language.

• Joanne Woodhouse
  Trust Wide Lead - PSHE
  Joanne Woodhouse

  Joanne has been part of the David Ross Education Trust since its inception in 2008. Joanne joined Havelock Academy as Head of Illustrious House. She then led on careers and employer engagement, including work experience and later personal development in her role as Assistant Principal since 2018 and Head of the Sixth Form. Before joining Havelock Academy Joanne worked for The Princes Trust leading their alternative provision programme across Yorkshire and the Humber region and a pilot programme in Young Offenders Institutes. Joanne represents DRET on the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership Employment and Skills Advisory Panel and is Chair of the Enterprise Adviser Network Steering Group. Joanne remains a member of the Havelock Academy Scrutiny Committee

• Linda Brothwell
  Trust Wide Lead - Art and Design & Art and Technology
  Linda Brothwell

  Linda Brothwell joined as the Trust Wide subject lead for A&D and D&T in 2022.A practising artist and previously a lecturer at The Royal College of Art, and international institutions she leads debates around art, craft and materiality. As an artist, she has exhibited globally at Palais de Tokyo, V&A, the Design Museum, and represented the UK at Cheongju Biennial and EXD Biennial. Linda Brothwell is a graduate of both The Royal College of Art, and Sheffield Hallam University. Her 'Acts of Care' series initiated a repair movement in the arts and earned recognition through international gallery support, the Jerwood Makers Open, and a place on the Design of the Year shortlist. In 2019 she travelled to Japan as a Churchill Fellow researching 'The Lifecycle of Tools in Japanese Culture'. Â Linda Brothwell's testimony to the value of craft skills and tools was celebrated in an award-winning co-produced BBC4 documentary 'Handmade in Hull'. She is a trustee of Spike Island Artspace, a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Churchill Fellow.

 

Heads of Service

 

• Richard Widdison
  Head of HR
  Richard Widdison

• Ellis Jacklin
  IT & Data Director
  Ellis Jacklin

  Ellis joined the Trust in January 2011.
  
  He leads the IT Team on all issues related to service quality and management, working with all areas to improve systems across our IT architecture.
  
  Ellis has extensive experience in IT in Education, particularly major transformation projects across all systems, telephony and network services are drivers to ensure the Trusts IT architecture is world class.
  Ellis is Chair of Governors for a Trust Primary Academy which secured a 'Good' Ofsted rating in 2017.

• Shane Ward
  Head of Sports Enrichment
  Shane Ward

  Shane joined the David Ross Education Trust in 2013, to develop the Trust's Sports Enrichment programme.

  As part of his role, Shane supports academies to shape and deliver their annual sports enrichment plans. Shane is also responsible for delivering the Trust's talent programme and offer CPD to develop our workforce.

  During Shane's time at the Trust, he has enjoyed seeing our programmes develop. Every one of our academies now embraces the importance of sport in a child's development. Seeing students, who only started taking part and competing in sport through the support of their academies, going on to win national titles is incredible.

  Shane has a Sports Development and Coaching degree and fifteen years experience in education and sports coaching.

  He has been working with the Trust for several years, meeting many people and offering some fantastic sporting experiences for students within our academies.

  Shane's previous experience includes County Sports Partnerships and National Governing bodies, including sports development, event management, and funding and club development.

• Simon Toyne
  Executive Director of Music
  Simon Toyne

• Amy Neeves
  Head of Estates & Capital Programmes
  Amy Neeves

• Mandy Joiner
  Head of Primary Operations
  Mandy Joiner

• George Selby
  Head of Data Protection and Compliance
  George Selby

  George joined the Trust in January 2012.
  
  He leads the trust on all issues related to data protection and compliance including UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, working with all departments to improve compliance across the trust.

  
  George has experience in data in Education, having previously worked within the central data team prior to taking up his current position and has worked in the education sector since 2008.

  George is a Governor for a Trust Secondary Academy which secured a 'Good' Ofsted rating in 2023.

• Jo Bailey
  Head of Procurement
  Jo Bailey

  Jo joined the Trust in September 2020.

  She has extensive experience managing procurement activities in the Education Sector since 2015 and a background in contract management, working with suppliers across all categories and buyers across the Trust to simplify procurement that will deliver best value outcomes, mitigate risk and ensure compliance with procurement regulations.

  Jo has worked with the DfE School Commercial Team for several years to consult and advise on procurement, commercial and contract management initiatives for the Academy Sector, including advising on commercial capability standards, category procurements and the Procurement Act 23.

• Kate Venables
  Head of Finance
  Kate Venables

 

Members

 

• David Ross
  Chair of Trustees
  David Ross

  David Ross is a UK based entrepreneur and philanthropist best known for co-founding The Carphone Warehouse Group plc in 1991.

  David's philanthropic work is carried out through the Ross Foundation which he founded. The Foundation makes charitable donations to a range of educational, community and cultural initiatives, including the David Ross Education Trust, the University of Nottingham, Nevill Holt Opera Festival and projects in Lincoln with the Historic Lincoln Trust and Lincoln Cathedral.

  In 2007, David founded the David Ross Education Trust. The first school to join the Trust in 2007 was Havelock Academy, a secondary school based in David's hometown of Grimsby. Recognised as one of 11 system leaders nationwide, the Trust has 34 primary and secondary schools in the East Midlands, Yorkshire and London. David is also Chair of New Schools Network.

  David is Chair of the National Portrait Gallery and Chair of The University of Nottingham's Development Committee. David is a board member of the British Olympic Association and Commonwealth Games England.

  David was educated at Uppingham School and Nottingham University. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Andersen & Co, working with the firm from 1988 to 1991.

• The Ross Foundation
  represented by Joanne Hoareau
  The Ross Foundation

  Joanne Hoareau runs the Ross Foundation which is the sponsor of The David Ross Education Trust. She previously served as a Governor at Newnham Primary Academy and Bobby Moore Academy. Joanne joined the Trust and help extend the vision to give all children the best opportunities through education, sport and cultural experiences. She studied Economics & Politics at Loughborough University and previously worked at Carphone Warehouse and also in private equity at Oxford Technology.

• The Diocese of Peterborough
  represented by Peter Cantley
  The Diocese of Peterborough

  Peter is Director of Education for The Diocese of Peterborough, which has 103 Church of England schools. He is the principal adviser to the Diocesan Board of Education and leads the DBE Education Department. He holds a number of board member positions across the Diocese (with Peterborough Diocese Education Trust, Peterborough Diocese Church Schools, Nene Education Trust, Pathfinder Schools, Guilsborough Multi-Academy Trust, Innovate Multi-Academy Trust, Evolve Church Academy Trust, Learning for Life Education Trust, The Rutland Learning Trust, William Law CE Primary School, Hartwell Primary School & St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy). He also represents the Diocese of Peterborough on the Rutland County Council Education Performance Board Member and the Peterborough City Council Children & Education Scrutiny Committee.

  Peter has 22 years teaching experience in both primary and secondary schools, and has extensive senior leadership experience in good and outstanding secondary schools. He has contributed to major regional and national education programmes Excellence in Cities, Greater Manchester City Challenge and National Challenge. He has significant project leadership experience of complex, change management projects, from new school launches to school restructuring and school mergers. He is an ASCL NPQEL professional mentor. He has also undertaken national educational consultancy work with BBC Schools Television, QCA, CARE, Damaris Trust and the Culham College Institute.

  Peter was educated at William Hulme's Grammar School, Manchester Grammar School, Warwick University and Manchester Metropolitan University. He qualified as a teacher with a BA Hons QTS in 1989 and as a Church of England school inspector in 1999, before being awarded the NPQH in 2003 and completing postgraduate research for his MSc in Educational Leadership and Management in 2013.

• David Overton
  David Overton

  David was invited by David Ross to join the founding governing team for DRET in 2007 at the time of the re-constitution of Havelock Academy, and was for many years a Trustee and Vice-Chairman of the Trust Board.

  His own early education included a choristership at Westminster Abbey Choir School and he was one of the youngest members of the choir for the Queens Coronation in 1953. Although he subsequently chose a professional career as a solicitor, he continued pursuing his interests in music as conductor and composer, working alongside many pre-eminent musicians such as Sir James Galway.

  He believes passionately that all pupils should have access to the benefits that the performing arts offer in education, and was pleased to be able to play a part in the design of the new Havelock Academy to achieve this.

• Christopher Houlding
  Christopher Houlding

  Christopher was educated at Trinity School Croydon before embarking on a career in financial services, initially joining stockbroker W Greenwell & Co. Christopher built his early career as a fixed income specialist and held senior positions at several leading investment banks. From 2003 to 2019 he was employed by UBS AG where he was a Managing Director in the Wealth Management division, before retiring from banking to run his own consulting business. Christopher is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment. He is currently Chairman of the Court of Governors of the John Whitgift Foundation in Croydon, which operates three leading independent schools and provides care for the elderly in the borough, a position he has held since 2015.

 

Trustees

 

• David Ross
  David Ross

  David Ross is a UK based entrepreneur and philanthropist best known for co-founding The Carphone Warehouse Group plc in 1991.

  David's philanthropic work is carried out through the David Ross Foundation which he founded. The Foundation makes charitable donations to a range of educational, community and cultural initiatives, including the David Ross Education Trust, the University of Nottingham, Nevill Holt Opera Festival and projects in Lincoln with the Historic Lincoln Trust and Lincoln Cathedral.

  In 2007, David founded the David Ross Education Trust. The first school to join the Trust in 2007 was Havelock Academy, a secondary school based in David's hometown of Grimsby. Recognised as one of 11 system leaders nationwide, the Trust has 35 primary and secondary schools in the East Midlands, Yorkshire and London. David is also Chair of New Schools Network.

  David is Chair of the National Portrait Gallery and Chair of The University of Nottingham's Development Committee. David is a board member of the British Olympic Association and Commonwealth Games England.

  David was educated at Uppingham School and Nottingham University. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Andersen & Co, working with the firm from 1988 to 1991.

• Christine Counsell
  Trustee
  Christine Counsell

  Christine Counsell taught history in state schools, in Gloucestershire and Bristol, for 10 years, holding positions as head of department, head of faculty and deputy headteacher and as local authority adviser for primary and secondary schools. After leading one of the first school-centred initial teacher training programmes (secondary history) for Gloucestershire's headteachers, she was appointed Senior Lecturer at the University of Cambridge in 1997. There she built a history PGCE course which became renowned for a community of school-based subject mentors who, unusually, shared responsibility for the scholarly content of the course and engaged in extensive reading of research with their trainees, applying it in the school context. While at Cambridge, Christine was awarded the Pilkington Prize for outstanding teaching (2006) and the Cambridge University Students Union student-led award for outstanding lecturing (2015).

  Christine has carried out wide-ranging national and international work on curriculum policy and teacher education, working with teachers, scholars and policy-makers in America, Australia, Singapore, Europe and the Middle East.

  Editor of the journal  Teaching History, since 1998, Christine has also published widely, including academic works, practical guides and classroom resources. In 2015, she served on the DfE's Workload Challenge group for Planning and Resources. In 2016, Christine was appointed Director of Education at a Norfolk-based Multi-Academy Trust, where she launched a Trust-wide knowledge-rich curriculum for primary schools, secured DfE funding to establish the long-term impact of a broad curriculum in boosting reading standards for disadvantaged pupils, implemented processes for Trust-wide collaborative curriculum design in secondary subjects and founded a large SCITT, distinctive for its subject-specificity. Christine is now an independent education consultant specialising in curriculum and teacher development, working nationally and internationally. She is also a member of Ofsted's Curriculum Advisory Panel advising on the 2019 Ofsted framework.

• Joanne Hoareau
  Trustee
  Joanne Hoareau

  Joanne Hoareau runs the David Ross Foundation which is the sponsor of The David Ross Education Trust. She previously served as a Governor at Newnham Primary Academy and Bobby Moore Academy. Joanne joined the Trust and help extend the vision to give all children the best opportunities through education, sport and cultural experiences. She studied Economics & Politics at Loughborough University and previously worked at Carphone Warehouse and also in private equity at Oxford Technology.

• Tracey Maloney
  Trustee
  Tracey Maloney

  Tracey is an Education Consultant, advising schools on improving academic performance across a range of sectors. She began her career teaching English, moving to becoming a Leading Teacher with a brief to exemplify excellent practice, followed by other roles as Head of English and Assistant Headteacher.

  Tracey has a keen interest in education research and policy, completing an MA in English in Education at King's College and working as a Senior Lecturer in Education at Canterbury Christ Church University. She also works on the development of curriculum resources for the London Grid for Learning; creating curriculum resources in conjunction with authors, theatres and museums. In addition to writing and delivering grammar courses for teachers across all key stages.

  Tracey is part of an eQualitas team, carrying out whole school reviews for leading multi academy trusts and is a tutor at Buckingham University, providing mentoring for graduate teachers following the GTP route into teaching

• David Hall
  Trustee
  David Hall

  David is a Chartered Accountant with over 30 years experience working as an external auditor. David retired from Deloitte in February 2017 after serving for 15 years as an audit partner based in the Midlands. After graduating from the University of Birmingham in 1985 David trained with Arthur Andersen rising to the position of audit partner, and joined Deloitte in 2002.

  Over the last 10 years, David has worked extensively with clients in the Education sector, primarily in Higher Education. He served as audit partner for several Universities and led the Deloitte responses to technical accounting and other issues arising in the sector. He was the Deloitte representative working with sector bodies such as the British Universities Finance Directors Group and the Financial Reporting Group.

  David is experienced in financial reporting and governance in Education as well as in risk management and internal control. He has also benefited from exposure to a wide range of organisations in the corporate sector as well as charities and government bodies.

• Nigel Langstaff
  Trustee
  Nigel Langstaff

  Nigel spent 18 years with Carphone Warehouse Group until its merger with Dixons Retail in 2014. He held a number of senior finance roles within the group, including UK FD and Group FD, before becoming CFO in 2010. He was also on the board of Virgin Mobile France.

  Prior to this, he qualified as a chartered accountant with Arthur Andersen. He has an MA in modern history from Oxford University.

  Between 2017 and 2021 he was a Non-Executive Director at TalkTalk Telecom PLC. Nigel is a trustee for a number of other charities, including BookTrust, Renaissance Foundation and La Difference.

• Richard Emerton
  Trustee
  Richard Emerton

  Richard was a Managing Partner at the global leadership advisory and executive search firm Korn Ferry, the largest executive search firm and the world's leading talent and leadership consulting organisation.

  He led the Board and CEO services practice for the firm across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Richard has spent the last 18 years in the search and leadership consulting sector.

  Prior to that, Richard was a partner at Arthur Andersen,where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant and led a large consulting practice across Europe.

  Richard studied Law at Oxford University, where he gained a rowing Blue, and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

• Will Bickford-Smith
  Trustee
  Will Bickford-Smith

  Will is the Schools Policy Advisor to the Education Secretary. Prior to this, he was an advisor to the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter, and was an advisor to the Schools Minister and Education Secretary between 2020-22. In government, Will has supported ministers to shape and deliver their policy priorities for schools. This includes reform to the Initial Teacher Training market, the creation of high-quality professional development programmes for teachers at every career stage, the creation of a national teacher development infrastructure - including a new teaching university, the establishment of Oak National Academy as an Arm’s-Length Body, and the £137m re-endowment of the Education Endowment Foundation. Will also shaped the 2022 Schools White Paper, setting out an ambitious reform agenda for the next decade. Will trained to teach through Teach First in 2012 and taught for four years. He graduated from the University of Nottingham with a BA (Hons) in Politics and holds a Master’s in Education Policy from King’s College London.

• Andrew Read
  Trustee
  Andrew Read

  Andrew has extensive experience of leading schools, academies and trusts as a senior leader, MAT CEO, maintained school governor and academy trustee having taught, led, and managed in all phases from Early Years to Higher Education. He has extensive previous experience as a lead Ofsted inspector, lecturer (Cambridge University), specialist advisor for local and central government, and has previously spent a decade as a director in the commercial sector. He is an active trustee for a range of national educational and children’s charities, particularly those focused on improving the life chances of vulnerable children. Andrew has a passion and track-record for taking on and turning-around schools in challenging circumstances. He attributes this success to the power of strong teams and the amazing commitment of the staff and volunteers he has had the privilege to work with across the sector.