MAT Leadership Team
Sarah Bagshaw
Chief Executive Officer
Sarah has almost two decades of strategic leadership experience within the Trust and brings a wealth of experience from the education, business and charitable sectors. She has played a key role in shaping the Trust's vision, growth and development, helping to lead its journey from a single academy to the thriving family of schools it is today. Passionate about creating opportunities for children to flourish, Sarah works alongside headteachers, governors, trustees and staff to ensure every child receives a high-quality education in an environment where they are known, valued and encouraged to achieve their full potential. She is committed to building strong organisations, developing future leaders and creating a culture where staff feel valued, supported and empowered to make a difference. Alongside her leadership of the Trust, Sarah has contributed to education policy and sector development at both local and national level. She has advised the House of Commons on childcare affordability, represented the sector through her work on the NAHT School Business Leader Committee and contributed to Department for Education working groups, including the Academies Technical Advisory Board. Proud to lead a Trust rooted in Christian values, Sarah is dedicated to ensuring that every Quill school is a welcoming, supportive and inspiring place where children, families and staff can thrive
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
Carol Mee
Finance Director
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.
Karl Denton
Operations Director
Karl brings over 15 years of experience in educational operations and service leadership. As Operations Director, he is responsible for the strategic oversight of key services across the Trust and St. Bede Childcare Ltd., including IT, estates and facilities, catering, compliance, and operational infrastructure. He is committed to ensuring that operational services are robust, efficient, and aligned with the Trust's vision and objectives. By leading continuous improvement initiatives and working closely with specialist teams, Karl supports the delivery of safe, secure, and effective learning environments that enable schools to focus on achieving the best outcomes for pupils.
Anna Black
Headteacher - St. Bede CofE Primary Academy
With over 23 years' experience in education, Anna is the Headteacher of St. Bede CofE Primary Academy, a thriving three-form entry school dedicated to delivering educational excellence. As a Specialist Leader of Education with particular expertise in the Quality of Education, she has successfully supported a number of schools, helping to drive significant improvements in standards and outcomes. Her leadership has been recognised through external review, with one report noting that "the Headteacher leads with energy and vision."
Chris Howarth
Headteacher - Woodland Primary Academy
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 Woodland 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, Woodland is a special place where all children can strive to reach their full potential.
Claire Woods
Governance & Communication Lead
Before being appointed to her current role, Claire served as Office Manager at St. Bede and has worked within the Academy and Trust for over 13 years. Prior to joining the education sector, she spent 18 years with a large corporate organisation, specialising in internal communications and colleague engagement. Drawing on this experience, Claire provides strategic support to the Trust's leadership teams, helping to promote and embed the Trust's vision, values and mission across its schools. Claire is also the Trust's Governance Professional and holds the CGI Level 3 Certificate in Clerking of School and Academy Governing Boards, accredited through the National Governance Association (NGA). She is committed to continually developing her expertise and maintaining high standards of governance to support effective leadership and accountability across the Trust.
Jill Dring
EYFS Lead
Jill has over 20 years of experience in Early Years leadership and has taught Nursery and Reception classes across three local authorities. She is a Specialist Leader of Education (SLE) for Early Years and SEND and, as Trust Early Years Lead for The Quill CofE Trust, has led significant improvements in Early Years provision across the Trust. Working closely with Headteachers and Early Years leaders, she supports school improvement, develops strategy, builds leadership capacity and promotes collaboration to ensure children receive the best possible start to their education. Jill is passionate about Early Years pedagogy, particularly learning through play, inclusive practice, SEND, nurture and attachment. Prior to her current role, she was a Nursery School Headteacher, leading the school through its most recent Outstanding Ofsted inspection, and has also served as an Early Years Assistant Headteacher, SENDCo and Deputy Headteacher within The Quill CofE Trust.