BRIGHT FUTURES - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Headteacher, St Patrick 's RC High School
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- Appointed Trustee
- Director for Leadershiip Ltd
Alison Gormally is the Director for Leadershiip Ltd which is an education consultancy specializing in School Improvement, Systems Leadership and Workload and Wellbeing. Alison has worked in a wide variety of leadership posts in secondary education for over 30 years. She retired as Headteacher of Golborne High School in December 2023, taking the school to an ‘outstanding' judgement in January 2023. Alison has vast experience of raising achievement across all cohorts particularly disadvantaged and SEND learners.
Alison founded Trinity Teaching Alliance in 2018 , offering ITT, ECF and NPQ expertise. As part of a Teaching School Hub, Alison led the Wigan cohort and has extensive knowledge and experience of the ECF and NPQ programmes. She is a coach for Headteachers as part of the Early Headship course and works as a facilitator for a variety of organizations including the National Institute of Teaching.
Alison has extensive experience of supporting schools and MATs across the North West region. She was part of the Executive Steering Group for Greater Manchester which provides leadership coherence and school improvement across all of Greater Manchester. Alison worked as part of the Wigan School Improvement Board supporting school improvement across the Wigan Borough. Alison believes in inspirational and innovative leadership that is underpinned by research-led best practice and well-informed self-evaluation. Alison is committed to building sustainable leadership structures throughout Greater Manchester and believes in the transformational power of ‘great ‘leadership to deliver exceptional educational provision for our young people.
Job Titles:
- Director of Education
- Director of Education for Manchester City Council
Amanda Corcoran has been Director of Education for Manchester City Council since October 2017 and was interim Director from May 2017. She started her career as a primary teacher in north Manchester and has worked in both mainstream and special education. She has held a number of different roles within the Council before being appointed as Director including Strategic Lead for Special Educational Needs and Disability and Head of Access and Inclusion.
Job Titles:
- Headteacher, Werneth School
Job Titles:
- Headteacher, Wellfield Infant and Nursery School
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director ( Education, Work and Skills )
Cathy trained as a teacher and worked in mainstream secondary schools until 2001. Her first post within an LA was as a Science Advisor and she worked in various roles in School Improvement for a number of years. She now holds the role of Assistant Director (Education, Work and Skills).
In her current role Cathy's key areas of responsibility are:
Quality of education and outcomes for children and young people aged from 0-25 years
Special education needs and disabilities and inclusion
Lead on safeguarding in schools, including independent schools, in partnership with Lead Headteacher representative on the Salford Safeguarding Partnership (SSCP)
Cathy is passionate about young people achieving their full potential and how, with our collective partnership resource, we can make a difference.
Job Titles:
- Operations & Engagement Manager
Dana taught at Manchester Metropolitan University and then at three different schools before she was appointed Deputy Head, first at Abraham Moss High School and then at All Hallows, Macclesfield. She was appointed as Headmistress of Altrincham Grammar School for Girls in 1999. She retired as CEO to Bright Futures Educational Trust on 31st December 2016.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Deputy Director of Teaching School Hub ( AB / ITT )
- Deputy Director of Teaching School Hubs ( AB & ITT ) & SCITT Director
- SCITT Director
Eleanor Davidson is a Deputy Director of Teaching School Hub; she holds strategic policy oversight for the Appropraite Body (AB) and Initial Teacher Training (ITT) as well as continuing to hold the position of School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) Director.
Eleanor has a breadth of teaching and leadership experience spanning a 20-year career within the education sector across a variety of age phases, schools, and institutions. She also has over 14 years of teaching experience within the secondary sector and more than six years of leadership experience within ITT.
Eleanor has held a number of positions including Assistant Vice Principal and Assistant Headteacher. She has a wide range of leadership experience in recruiting, training, and supporting trainee teachers and Early Career Teachers (ECTs), both within Edge Hill University and the SCITT. Eleanor has taken a lead on quality assurance across the vast and diverse ITT and ECTs partnership for many years, she was also part of the ECF early roll out across Greater Manchester.
At Edge Hill University Eleanor held the position of Assistant Head of Department (School-Based Training) within the primary sector and before this role she was the Director of the Future Teachers Programme; a programme designed to support Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs).
Eleanor's research interest is very much linked to the impact and effectiveness of the Pupil Premium funding. Schools in challenging circumstances quickly became Eleanor's research focus and the use of Pupil Premium and the ‘closing the gap' agenda became the emphasis of her Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PG CERT HE) for which she was awarded a Distinction. Eleanor is also an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director ( ECF )
Job Titles:
- Principal, Manchester Academy
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Director of Bright Futures Professional Development Institute
- Director of Professional Development Institute
- Director of the Professional Development Institute
Jayne is the Director of the Professional Development Institute at Bright Futures. Jayne's teaching and leadership experience spans a 25-year career within the education sector across a variety of roles and responsibilities.
She has over 20 years of teaching experience within the primary sector having held school-based senior leadership posts as well as a trust-level executive leadership post. Her areas of expertise lie within teaching and learning, Continuous Professional Development (CPD), Initial Teacher Training (ITT), assessment and Early Years.
During her time as a Senior Leader, in a previous trust, Jayne led the school's application to become a cohort 1 Teaching School. Assuming the role of Teaching School Lead, Jayne expanded the outreach work of the Teaching School where she fulfilled the roles of a Specialist Lead Education (SLE), ITT/School Direct Lead, National Professional Qualification (NPQ) facilitator and CPD programme delivery lead. Jayne created and developed the school's School Direct programme where she was accountable for recruitment and marketing, development of programme content/school-based training sessions and trainee placements. She took on the role of the lead school in visits to placement schools (lesson observations and mentor support) as well as managing relationships with Higher Education Institution (HEI) providers.
Job Titles:
- Director of Education Standards, Quality and Performance
Job Titles:
- Headteacher, St Andrews CoE Primary School
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- Appointed Trustee
- Group HR Director at Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC
Katy is the Group HR Director at Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC. She has had a 30 year career in Human Resources working in a number of different industries including banking, health, travel, IT and Pharmaceuticals. In her current role she is a member of both Remuneration and Nomination Committees and is closely involved in corporate governance. Katy has four children currently in high school or higher education and is passionate about accessibility of education to all children.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board
- Partner
- Solicitor
- Trustee
Daniel Rubin is a solicitor and partner in the Employment Team at Knights plc. Daniel started his career at Addleshaw Goddard LLP and worked in London before returning to his native Manchester. During his career he has also undertaken secondments at AstraZeneca plc, Barclays plc, BT plc and MyTravel Group plc. He is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association.
Daniel's wife is a Headteacher, having been in education for over 20 years, working in a variety of Local Authorities in the north and south of the country and in a range of diverse schools. Daniel has two primary age children therefore he is passionate about education and providing a good education for all.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Audit Committee
- Trustee
- Corporate Finance Director for Manchester Airports Group
Iain is the Corporate Finance Director for Manchester Airports Group (MAG) and a Chartered Accountant. Prior to MAG he was a Director in the corporate finance team at Deloitte and also worked at Lloyds Bank within its acquisition finance team.
As well as being a Trustee at Bright Futures Educational Trust he was previously the Chair of Altius Trust until its merger with Prospere Trust, where he remains as a Trustee.
Job Titles:
- Director of Communications and Business Development for Siemens Plc and to the Siemens UK Executive Management Board
- Senior Executive at Siemens Plc
Justin is a senior executive at Siemens plc and non-executive board member with a passion for responsible business, a wealth of experience and insight supporting a well-balanced strategic, digital and sustainable outlook.
He has a background in operations, strategy, business development, marketing and communications roles and is now working for one of the country's most successful industrial technology and service companies, translating innovation into tangible business performance.
Justin was appointed Director of Communications and Business Development for Siemens plc and to the Siemens UK Executive Management Board on 1 October 2017.
A Chartered Engineer with a BEng (Hons) from the University of Salford in Computers, Management and Electronics, Justin joined Siemens in 1994. He worked in engineering, product and project management roles before taking on senior marketing, strategy and business development positions within the organisation.
Justin now leads on all aspects of communications and business development at Siemens in the UK and Ireland including public affairs, research and development, the company's roadmap to carbon net zero committed for 2030, growth of the Smart Infrastructure business and Siemens' digital transformation (Internet of Things) consulting and solutions business.
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- Appointed Trustee
Mike has taught in every year group across the primary range and has held a wide variety of management and leadership positions across the primary phase. He became head of Prestolee Primary School in 2005. He moved Prestolee from satisfactory to Outstanding by 2011. It is now the lead school in the Prestolee Multi Academy Trust. The trust is built around the core value that every child deserves a first-class education.
As the Chief Executive of the Prestolee Multi Academy Trust he oversees all activity in the trust but is very well supported by a highly effective leadership team and school improvement team. Alongside his role as CEO Mike is part of the executive steering group for the Greater Manchester Learning Partnership. This works to provide system leadership coherence and school improvement across all of Greater Manchester.
He works across a number of local authorities to support school improvement and regularly leads a range of school improvement work.
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- Appointed Trustee
Robert is a serial Entrepreneur and Chairman of Omni Resource Management Solutions. Omni, a Sunday Times Fast Track 100 company, was established in 1998 by Robert and his father, with the simple aim of changing the way in which organisations recruit for the better.
As well as a Trustee at Bright Futures Educational Trust, Robert is also an Honorary Teaching Fellow and Entrepreneur in Residence at Lancaster University Management School and a past Chair of Governors at Connell College prior to it's transfer to The Co-operative Academies.
Job Titles:
- Founding Member and Trustee of the British Muslim Heritage Centre
- Managing Director of the Cohens Group
Yakub is the Managing Director of the Cohens Group, one of the largest independent retail pharmacy chains in the country founded 35 years ago. A qualified Accountant, he has been instrumental in managing and promoting significant growth of the business.
Yakub is a founding member and trustee of the British Muslim Heritage Centre, Founder of the Association of independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIMp) and Member and Trustee of the Prosper Multi Academy Trust. He has been instrumental in setting up the ESSA academy in Bolton and is a member of the academy. Yakub was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Bolton in 2009 and also an Honorary Fellowship by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN).
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- Appointed Trustee
- Member of the Black Leaders
Maureen is an organisational, culture and people change expert having led significant transformation programmes for many Public Sector, leading UK and Global organisations. She helps to shape and execute the right strategies, develop effective strategic business cases as well as facilitating the development and continuous improvement of people capability.
Currently she is Head of People Change at DWP Digital supporting major people transformation, enabling DWP to become a world class digital organisation, delivering critical systems and services through its people.
Maureen is also a member of the Black Leaders group whose vision is to enhance student, employee and economic progression for BAME communities.
Job Titles:
- Headteacher, Alexandra Park Primary School
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- Appointed Trustee
- Sustainability Officer at Greater Manchester Fire
Rachel Moonan is the Sustainability Officer at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service. Prior to this, Rachel completed her MSc with distinction in Management, Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability at the University of Bristol, whilst working at Climate Action Officer for the university. She works to protect the most vulnerable members of society, who will bear the brunt of the effects of climate change, and mitigate these impacts. She is passionate about embedding sustainability in leadership in all organisations, empowering others to deliver change and act responsibility.
Job Titles:
- Commercial Manager
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Assistant Director ( Commercial )
Rachel has worked within education for over 15 years, predominately working with groups of schools across the country. Rachel has recently moved from the children's Charity, The Youth Sport Trust where she was National Development Manager working with managers across the country to improve educational outcomes for children and young people through PE, School Sport and Physical Activity.
As the Commercial Manager at Bright Futures, Rachel plays a role in identifying, cultivating and securing new business, as well as managing existing work streams. Rachel's role is to lead the business and commercial services of the Teaching School Hubs, the Alliance for Learning and outward facing services.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director
- Trustee
- Appointed Trustee
Shaheen Myers took up post as Deputy Director of Learning for Leeds City Council in August 2021.
Prior to this she was employed by Co-op Academies Trust, first as a head in one of the Trust's academies and then as a member of the Central Team in the role of Executive Leader supporting school improvement across the trust as well as leading on national and local professional development for newly qualified teachers, middle and senior leaders.
Shaheen has also an inspected for Ofsted and sat on the board as Trustee for 2 MATs. She has over 20 years of experience in the education sector.
Job Titles:
- Principal, Altrincham Grammar School for Girls
Job Titles:
- Headteacher Wellington School
Job Titles:
- Principal, Melland High School
Job Titles:
- Director of Education for Tameside
- Joint Director for Education across Stockport and Tameside
Tim is the Director of Education for Tameside and Stockport Councils and has worked in Tameside since 2018. Tim has previously held senior roles in a number of Councils as well as working, briefly, in the Civil Service. Tim believes in the value of education and that great teachers and fantastic schools change children's lives. He is passionate about working together in children's services and putting children and families at the heart of everything we do.