MOWBRAY EDUCATION TRUST - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Central Team
- IT Services Technician
Alison was appointed as a trustee in February 2023, and values this opportunity to continue to support local education.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Head of School at Ab Kettleby and Somerby Primary Schools
Job Titles:
- Executive Lead for People and Development
Anna studied at Liverpool University before completing her teacher training in 2002.
She spent the first half of her career teaching in Manchester, progressing from secondary maths teacher to subject leadership before moving into senior leadership. With a passion for working in urban settings, Anna completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Urban Education. Anna then relocated to Leicestershire and was Vice Principal at a school in Nottingham before leading secondary maths for a Multi Academy Trust.
Anna moved to Mowbray Education Trust as Maths Lead across the primary and secondary schools over five years ago and secured SLE status and became a PD Lead with the NCETM. Her role has evolved in response to Trust priorities and now, as Executive Lead for People and Development, she oversees the professional development offer across the Trust from ITT and ECTs through to leadership and leads on recruitment and retention. Anna has recently completed an MEd in School Based Leadership and Management and a Senior Leader Level 7 Apprenticeship.
Anna is also a Visiting Fellow for Ambition Institute, facilitating on the NPQSL and ECF and is Chair of Governors for two local primary schools.
Anne began her working life in retail management before becoming an officer in the Royal Air Force serving in the UK and Hong Kong.
She then joined the civil service where her roles included responsibility for transport policy in the West Midlands, running a college for senior fire service personnel, and a range of senior civil servant posts in the Department for Education. Anne retired from the civil service in June 2020 shortly after joining the MET Board. She was elected as Chair from 1 September 2020.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Team
- Interim Chief Finance Officer
Job Titles:
- Member of the Central Team
- Trust IT Services Manager
Job Titles:
- Executive Lead for Secondaries
Following a brief career in banking, Carl has been involved in teaching and school leadership for almost 20 years.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Central Team
- Trust HR Advisor
Job Titles:
- Member of the School Improvement Team
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Member of the Executive Team
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- CEO of Mowbray Education Trust and Headteacher at John Ferneley College
- Head of School at John Ferneley College
Christine Stansfield is the CEO of Mowbray Education Trust and Headteacher at John Ferneley College.
With over twenty-five years of experience as a teacher and fifteen years as a school leader, she brings a wealth of experience and expertise.
She has experience in turning round schools in challenging circumstances both as Headteacher and Executive Headteacher.
As a National Leader in Education (NLE) and prior to this a Local Leader in Education (LLE), she has experience both in supporting school leaders and wider leadership teams, to bring impact to schools across all functions.
Recent work includes commissioning as part of the DFE Trust School Improvement Offer and working to support leadership development in MATs. She has contributed extensively to NPQH programmes with TELA.
Most recently, Christine has successfully achieved a Distinction in an MBA in Educational Leadership.
Job Titles:
- Trust Lead for Safeguarding
Conroy is a Retired Aerospace Engineering and IT Manager.
All his 3 children attended John Ferneley. He joined as a parent governor in 1986. He was Chair of John Ferneley governors for 20 years, then Chair of Mowbray Education Trust for the first 2 years. He is a founding Member of Mowbray Education Trust.
He cares passionately about improving the quality of education for our students and has been involved in all the reorganisations in Melton Mowbray. Conroy is a member of Melton Mowbray Lions Club, a charity serving the local area. He has been Region Chair, Zone Chair, President, Secretary and Treasurer.'
Job Titles:
- Member of the Central Team
- Trust Operations Officer
Dawn O'Higgins was appointed a Member of the Trust in May 2017.
Prior to retirement, Dawn worked in education for over 30 years and has been through many of the changes that have impacted upon our schools, and the sector.
She was formerly the Business Manager at John Ferneley College and helped lead the College through the academisation process as one of the first academies in Leicestershire, in 2011.
Debbie was appointed as a Trustee in September 2020.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Director of Learning Environment at Iveshead School
Initially a teacher in the primary sector, Denise's career evolved via educational publishing and public relations (including The Budgerigar Information Bureau) to the coordinator of Pedigree Masterfoods Education Centre.
Denise's own consultancy followed and included a variety of education/animal linked work and for a while an insightful period as part-time manager of a team of dedicated volunteers with Witness Service and Victim Support. Denise's first clerking role was in 1996 and this grew to cover many schools across Leicestershire and Lincolnshire. Denise was formerly a clerk to the MET Board.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Chair
- Partner
- Senior Independent Director
- Trustee
Drew Richardson-Walsh is a Partner of Peridot Partners Ltd, a London-based executive, and board-level search firm, where he leads the education practice.
Prior to working for Peridot, he worked as a senior leader in both colleges and universities being responsible for student services, marketing, alternative (14-16) provision, and safeguarding.
Drew has been a school governor and charity trustee for over ten years; namely as Vice-Chair of Nottinghamshire Clubs for Young People Ltd, a Governor of John Ferneley College, Governor of Brooksby Melton College and joined the Mowbray Education Trust Board as Vice Chair in 2018.
Elaine Welsh is a founding Member of the Trust.
Elaine has been involved with Trust schools for 15 years, and through her employment within educational publishing, she is able to bring a wealth of experience about current practices in the sector to her role with the Trust.
Assistant Head: Personal Development and Futures at John Ferneley College
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Operations Manager at Iveshead School
Job Titles:
- Member of the Central Team
- Apprentice HR Officer
Job Titles:
- Member of the School Improvement Team
- Trauma Informed and Therapeutic Wellbeing Practitioner
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Head of School at the Grove Primary School
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Head of School at Sherard Primary School
Ian Connerton was appointed a Trustee in May 2020.
Ian is an experienced programme and portfolio manager, and is inspired by innovative technologies and revolutionary ways of working.
Throughout his career, he has always looked for roles that make a difference whether helping people ‘feel good' through working at Boots through to transforming leadership in schools at the National College, or delivering strategic digital change in higher education at the University of Nottingham. Ian hopes his skills in delivering strategic programmes and projects, coupled with his experience working with technology, and his passion for collaborating to find innovative solutions, may be of benefit to the Mowbray Education Trust.
Job Titles:
- Executive Lead for Primaries
Ian is a graduate of Nottingham Trent University and has spent 29 years in the education sector currently holding the National Professional Qualification for Headship.
He began his teaching career in Nottinghamshire, working with all year groups across the Primary range. He moved into leadership as a deputy headteacher in Rutland; eventually becoming the acting headteacher of the school and proudly taking the school out of special measures to good in all areas.
Ian joined the Mowbray Education Trust as the Headteacher of Ab Kettleby School when the Trust was formed in 2014. In 2017 he took on the partner school at Somerby, to work as an executive head, and brought two governing bodies and staff teams together to work as primary partners.
Formerly the Chair Of Governors at Iveshead School, Jo was appointed as a trustee in February 2023 and is keen to contribute to the local community by being part of the Mowbray Education Trust.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Head of School at Iveshead
Assistant Headteacher: Behaviour and Attitudes; Safeguarding at John Ferneley College
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Management Accountant
- Member of the Central Team
Kcarrie grew up in the east end of Glasgow and attended Glasgow University, studying theology.
Kcarrie began his career teaching religious studies, followed by time spent as Head of Department and as Head of Year. Kcarrie has senior leadership experience spending seven years as Assistant Headteacher in Derbyshire, then as Head of School in Nottingham and achieved National Professional Qualification for Headship in 2012. He also led training and CPDL within and across schools and phases in the East Midlands and has had a range of articles published in the education press. Kcarrie joined the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Professional Development at the start of 2015 and was appointed as Director in 2016. He leads on ASCL's training and development, delivering a range of courses, conferences, consultancy and programmes for school, college and trust leaders around the UK.
Away from work, Kcarrie is a fully qualified football coach and coaches his daughters under 13 side who play in the Nottinghamshire County League. He is also a member of ABPCO, the Association of British Professional Conference Organisers and a Governor at a maintained secondary school in Nottinghamshire.
Job Titles:
- Finance Officer
- Member of the Central Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Central Team
- Community & Facilities Officer
Job Titles:
- Member of the Central Team
- Finance Apprentice
Job Titles:
- Assistant Head at Iveshead School
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Centre Manager at Oasis Pre - School & Retreat
Assistant Headteacher: Progress and Outcomes at John Ferneley College
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Team
- Executive Lead for Stakeholders & Partnerships
Matt graduated from the University of York with a First Class degree in Politics. After a brief career as an Estate Agent, he saw the light and completed his PGCE at The University of Manchester.
Job Titles:
- Finance Officer
- Member of the Central Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Central Team
- Trust Estates Lead
Job Titles:
- Assistant Head at Iveshead School
Job Titles:
- Member of the Central Team
- Senior IT Technician
Job Titles:
- Assistant Head at Iveshead School
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Member of the Executive Team
Job Titles:
- Executive Lead for Governance and Compliance
Following 25 years of running her own service led business Susan changed career path to pursue a governance professional role.
Susan has worked with the Local Authority, maintained schools, federations, single and multi-academy trust governance.
As Executive Lead for Governance and Compliance at Mowbray Education trust she oversees governance strategy and implementation and is responsible for risk related compliance processes and accountabilities for the Trust and its schools.
Susan also sits on the Nottinghamshire County Council Education Trust Board, is a chair of governors at a Nottinghamshire primary school and chair of the Executive Board of the Nottinghamshire Association of Governors.
Tendai is a graduate in Aerospace Engineering with up to 20 years working experience in aviation and aerospace.
Having worked for iconic organisations such as easyJet, Boeing and Rolls-Royce, he specialises in risk management, auditing, investigation, and crisis management.
A career highlight for Tendai was being named easyJet employee of the year in 2017, which he was recognised for by having his name put on the side of one the easyJet aircraft (aircraft registration: OE-IJA).
Tendai became a Trustee to support his community and help make education the best experience for children, teachers, and staff.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Head of School at Brownlow Primary School
Wayne Hickling was appointed a Trustee in 2019.
He grew up in the Black Country, but moved to Melton in 2002 and now lives locally with his wife and two children, both of whom went to Sherard Primary and John Fernley College. Wayne has worked in the engineering and construction industry for over 30 years and is currently a Director of a large UK contracting business.
Wayne was a school governor for over ten years and before becoming a Trustee was Chair of Governors at Sherard Primary School. He is keen to contribute to the local community by being part of the Mowbray Education Trust.