ATTENBOROUGH LEARNING TRUST - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Trust Leader Special Educational Needs and Disabilities ( SEND )
Aimee Hubber has over 13 years of teaching experience having been at Highfields Primary school for the past 12 years, teaching across all key stages. She has experience in leadership and has led all phases across the school. She is currently the school SENCo, a role which she has held for the past 7 years having gained her SENCo award qualification in 2017.
Job Titles:
- Executive
- Executive Business Support
Amanda Bailey is the Executive Business Support for the Trust. She is an experienced manager and has over 20 years of school administration and management experience. Amanda has worked in a variety of settings including mainstream schools, higher education and the residential childcare sector.
Over 40 years' experience in the construction industry, having been involved in various significant major infrastructure projects.
A proven track record of success in business having held director roles in Operational, Project Management, Business Development and Commercial. With a focus on partnership and collaborative working.
Job Titles:
- Trust Leader Teaching & Learning and Curriculum
Dan Cheetham has 20 years' experience working in primary schools and joined Sparkenhoe in 2011 initially as Assistant Headteacher. As well as leading the school's Initial Teacher Training program, since 2018 he has been responsible for Teaching and Learning and the curriculum at Sparkenhoe. Dan has worked closely with the University of Leicester, lecturing and running course content for the Primary PGCE and the Masters in International Education courses and being part of the PGCE Partnership. More recently, Dan has also been working to support schools both within and beyond the Attenborough Learning Trust.
Job Titles:
- Director Finance and Operations and Chief Financial Officer for the Trust
Dave Nimmo is the Director Finance and Operations and Chief Financial Officer for the Trust. He's a CIMA qualified accountant with over 20 years experience and has supported a range of Leicester city schools with financial turnaround plans, and the implementation of effective financial management and governance.
Job Titles:
- Trust Leader Early Years Foundation Stage ( EYFS )
Gemma Waddington has been appointed to the role of Trust leader for Early Years. Gemma has been a teacher at Green Lane Infant School since 2006 and has worked specifically in the Early Years since 2012. Her passion for Early Years led to her being appointed as Early Years Lead at Green Lane in 2021. Gemma is currently working as part of the Department of Education's Early Years Covid Recovery programme providing support for a range of settings in the role as Expert to help raise standards in early years provision, for young children within Leicester City.
Job Titles:
- Member / Director Solicitor With AGR Law, Specialising in Family Law and Support to New and Established Businesses
Director Solicitor with AGR Law, specialising in family law and support to new and established businesses.
Job Titles:
- Trustee / Retired Teacher and Head of Department With 30 Years' Experience in the Secondary School Sector
Retired teacher and Head of Department with 30 years' experience in the secondary school sector.
Experienced chartered accountant, currently Financial Controller at Howes Percival LLP, a leading commercial law firm.
Previously worked in audit for BDO LLP for 13 years, where I specialised in the Academy Sector and the Charity Sector, gaining valuable experience and insight in the sector.
Was previously a parent governor at Highfields Primary School, and have three children who currently attend the school - thus very attached the Trust.
Extensive experience in finance, external and internal audit, control environments and governance.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer of the Trust
- Executive Team
Jane was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the Trust in 2019 having previously been the Headteacher of Highfield Primary School. Jane has been a designated National Leader of Education since 2016 and provided external leadership support to a number of schools in Leicester. She was Headteacher at Highfields Primary from 2004 to 2021. The school has been Ofsted Outstanding since 2013.
In addition to being CEO of the Trust Jane undertakes a number of city-wide leadership roles in Leicester including: Co-chair of the Leicester Primary Partnership; Headteacher mentoring; leading the development of the early reading and writing strategy in the city, known as Knowledge Transfer Centres (KTC) increasing city wide Phonics results from 68% in 2014 to 80% in 2017; Primary sector representative on Leicester Education Strategic Partnership board; and has previously served on Leicester's Safeguarding Improvement Board.
Experienced consultant and commercial business development director across private and public sector organisations in Leicestershire, nationally and internationally.
Climate Change and Sustainability Fellow in the Institute of Education Research and Knowledge Exchange at Sheffield Hallam University.
Over 20 years' experience in education including ten years science teaching in secondary schools. PGCE in Science, MA in Environmental Education and MSc in Conservation Genetics.
Previous Sustainable Schools Manager at Leicester City Council, providing strategic delivery of the Eco-Schools programmes across over 100 schools in the city through the City Council's Environmental Education offer with significant experience of coordinating environment, health and wellbeing education offer to Leicester Schools including programme of funding bids and externally funded projects delivered in a timely manner (in excess of £100k per year).
Nearly 10 years of school governance experience, including Chair of Governors at Sparkenhoe Community Primary School.
Extensive 30 year career in Information technology and System Integration, covering systems integration, Security; providing consulting & transformation services for more effective business processes and cost reductions to client organisations.
Principle Solutions & Technical Architect at CGI, leading the global team for SAP Technology and responsible for System Integration Consulting and developing the strategic direction for the company's technology.
Job Titles:
- Head of School Improvement and Partnerships for the Trust
Monika Singala is Head of School Improvement and Partnerships for the Trust. She has over 20 years experience teaching across the primary range at Highfields Primary School and 8 years experience as a member of the Senior Leadership Team. She was also awarded Specialist Leader of Education status in 2017. Monika has worked in a number of schools across Leicester City to drive school improvement in the core areas of learning and works in partnership with the local authority to deliver CPD in the areas of phonics, reading and writing.
Job Titles:
- Trust Leader Safeguarding and Attendance
Penny Cooper has worked at Sparkenhoe Community Primary School since 1995. She has been the Deputy Head there with responsibility for Pastoral Care since 2017. She is an experienced Designated Senior Leader for Child Protection and is also the attendance manager. Penny has worked with schools across the Trust since it was launched, offering support and sharing best practice for both attendance and safeguarding. She works with networks across the City, including Early Help teams and Mental Health Services, to keep up to date with the current trends and opportunities in safeguarding and attendance both locally and nationally.
Job Titles:
- Director of Operations for Loughborough Schools Foundation
- Vice - Chair of Trustees
Rob is the Director of Operations for Loughborough Schools Foundation which comprises independent day and boarding schools, and nursery provision. The Foundation is one of Britain's leading independent schools with over 525 years of history and tradition.
Prior to working in the education sector Rob worked in construction and latterly in facilities management where he was the account manager for a facilities provider supplying a major UK bank.
Job Titles:
- Trustee / Professor of Education at the University of Leicester National Teaching Fellow
Job Titles:
- Trustee / Retired Senior Civil Servant With Extensive Director Level Operational and Financial Management Experience
Retired Senior Civil Servant with extensive Director level operational and financial management experience.
Experienced IT programme director in central government and in the NHS. Volunteered as strategic IT advisor to a major overseas aid charity.
Active school governor for 20 years with in-depth experience of financial and resource issues. Governor roles included an inner-city primary school in Liverpool, a struggling rural primary school in Shropshire, and inner-city schools in Leicester. Previously Finance Governor at Uplands Infant School.
Sunil has lived in the area previously for over 25 years, where he was brought up and educated in schools in Highfields. He knows the area and local community well and has strong local connections.
Tom has worked in the education sector as a School Business Manager for over 15 years, he has experience in all aspects of the Business Manager role and has worked as a consultant for a number of Leicester City schools. Tom's specialism is within finance and the effective management of budgets.
An experienced property investor and developer with over 20 years in the industry in both Residential and Commercial property, in the UK and Internationally.