MAT Leadership Team
Mrs Sarah Bagshaw
Chief Executive Officer
Worked nationally at a strategic level in the Education sector for over 15 years. Upholds the Christian ethos of the MAT. Manages the overall operations of the organisation. Develops and approves strategies to meet members, parents, children, educational agencies and employee needs. Communicate with people inside and outside the organisation to discover what policies and operational and marketing strategies will help the Trust move forward. Underpinned by a background as a Chartered Accountant with over 30 years experience driving successful business operations in a variety of sectors, dealing with growth and change management at a strategic and operational level.
Mrs Sarah Rostron
Chief Operating Officer
Sarah has over 19 years of experience in primary school education. As Chief Operating Officer, Sarah works with Headteachers on strategy and improvement to ensure that children have access to an education package that prepares them for the future. She creates working groups across the Trust to develop new policies, practices and educational approaches to improve outcomes for both staff and pupils. Sarah is a Specialist Leader of Education with specialisms in teaching and learning, curriculum leadership and quality standards. She has successfully led initiatives at St. Bede and other schools to raise standards in Maths and English, improve the quality of teaching, and improve data reporting and analysis. She has also played a leading role in a number of 'Deep Dive' diagnostics, which have led to whole school improvements in the Trust and beyond. Previously Headteacher at St. Bede, a three-form entry primary school in Bolton. In 2021, she received the TES Headteacher of the Year award after being nominated by staff, Governors and parents for her dedication and hard work during the pandemic
Mrs Carol Mee
Finance Director
Over 30 years experience of working within a finance and payroll environment, both within the public and private sectors. Extensive experience in financial and payroll administration, process control and multi-site operations team. Works closely with the senior leadership team at each academy and within the Trust for over six years, supporting the education team to drive forward changes which benefit the children and the Trust. Provides mentoring and advice to other academies and schools within Bolton on finance and administration issues.
Mrs Emma Pendlebury
Human Resources Director
Emma has experience of working in the Public Sector, Further Education Sector and the Not for Profit Sectors, and has tangible experience in leading and managing HR services, delivering on a number of key organisational objectives. She is currently responsible for Human Resources across the Trust and St. Bede Childcare Ltd and leads on supporting the senior management team on all aspects of Human Resources. Emma has designed a quality improvement plan and works closely with Finance and IT teams to deliver a positive customer–led service. Emma is responsible for a team consisting of an HR Attendance Officer and HR Assistant.
Mr Karl Denton
Operations Director
Karl has over 15 years experience of working in ICT within the education sector. He is currently responsible for ICT across the whole of the Trust and St. Bede Childcare Ltd. Karl continually strives to ensure the ICT services are working effectively, while constantly reviewing the efficiency of organisational systems and comparing performance/costs to new emerging systems within the IT sector. Karl manages a small ICT team whom ensure that network resources on and off site, for all end users including children and staff, are working effectively, to ensure a high level of security and keep up to date with the changing demands of the organisations.
Mrs Anna Black
Headteacher
Over 19 years experience in education, Anna is the Headteacher at St. Bede C of E Primary Academy, a three-form entry primary school, and is committed to providing educational excellence. A Specialist Leader of Education, with particular expertise in the Quality of Education, she has been successfully deployed to support a number of schools resulting in significant impact on standards. A recent external review report stated, 'The Headteacher leads with energy and vision'.
Mrs Nicola Whittaker
Headteacher
Headteacher since September 2019. Within three years of headship, including during the global pandemic, has ensured sustainable whole school improvement at Tonge Moor Primary Academy from an OFSTED judgement of ‘Inadequate’ to ‘Good’. Has almost 27 years experience in five primary schools and senior leadership experience in four schools. Held a variety of leadership roles including whole school responsibility for Special Educational Needs, Safeguarding, Teaching and Learning and Assessment. As a senior leader, responsible for ensuring the highest standards of teaching and learning, developing positive school and pupil culture as well as the strategic planning and monitoring of continual school improvement.
Mr Chris Howarth
Headteacher
Education is actually Chris' second career, the first being in internet banking. However, he didn’t find this particularly rewarding and decided to change career to become a primary school teacher. For 10 years he was a class teacher at St. Mary’s C of E Primary School, working with children in Years 2, 5 and 6, where he justified his career change by developing relationships with children and watching them fulfil their potential. Whilst at St. Mary's Chris also led ICT and Inclusion and became an Assistant Headteacher. In July 2018, he came to Washacre as the Acting Deputy Headteacher and became Acting Headteacher in the September. Chris loves being part of a fantastic school community, from the teachers to the parents to the children and became Headteacher permanently in April 2019. He believes with the strength of the Local Governing Body, the dedication and expertise of the staff and the support from parents, Washacre is a special place where all children can strive to reach their full potential.
Mrs Claire Woods
Governance & Communication Lead
Before being appointed to her current role, Claire was Office Manager at St. Bede and has been with the Academy/Trust for over 11 years. She previously worked for a large corporate company for 18 years, specialising in internal communications and colleague engagement. With key knowledge and expertise in communication and public relations, Claire continually provides support to the MAT Leadership and Senior Leadership Teams across the Trust in promoting the vision, values and mission. Claire is also the Governance Professional (Clerk) to the Board of Directors. She is currently studying for a Level 3 Certificate in Clerking of School and Governing Boards through the National Governance Association (NGA), and hopes to develop her knowledge and skills to become an expert in this field.
Mrs Jill Dring
EYFS Trust Lead
Jill has over 20 years experience in Early Years leadership and has taught both Nursery and Reception classes across three Local Authorities; she is also a Specialist Leader of Education (SLE) for Early Years and SEND. As the EYFS Trust Lead, Jill supports our Early Years teams across the Trust, specifically focusing leadership and raising standards. She researches and develops Trust initiatives and strategy, and facilitates effective collaboration. Jill is passionate about Early Years pedagogy and has a particular interest in learning through play, inclusive practice and nurture and attachment. Before joining the Trust, Jill was a Nursery School Headteacher, leading the school through their most recent 'Outstanding' Ofsted inspection. She has previously held the positions of Early Years Assistant Headteacher, SENDCo and Deputy Headteacher within the The Quill C of E Trust and is delighted to return to support Early Years.
Mr James Palmer
Catering Manager
Over 20 years catering experience working both within the private and public sector. Experience in managing teams, driving strategy, controlling budgets, and delivering a high level of service to stakeholders. Liaises with catering teams to ensure our children: are provided with nutritious and delicious meals; experience foods from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds; receive a consistently positive dining experience in comfortable and inviting surroundings; feel listened to and included on menu choices.