FLOURISH LEARNING TRUST - Key Persons
Prior to retiring from her full time, permanent role in August 2017, Angela was the founding Executive Head Teacher/CEO of a Multi-Academy Trust in South East London and Kent. She has been part of the teaching profession for 36 years; twenty five of which have been as either a Head Teacher or as an Executive Leader in a wide variety of diverse schools. She feels extremely honoured to have been a school leader; a role that she undertook with integrity alongside an incredible sense of being a ‘servant leader', operating through a moral imperative to improve life chances for young people.
Angela was awarded an OBE for her services to education in January 2022.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Team
- Principal
- Principal of Joseph Clarke School
Chadia was appointed Principal of Joseph Clarke School in 2020 having joined as Vice Principal in 2016. Before joining the school, Chadia held a number of roles at Whitefield School including as Curriculum Leader and Deputy Head of Niels Chapman School.
Job Titles:
- Head of Flourish Specialist Education Services
Dr Jo Fitzsimons joined Whitefield School in 2002. She is Head of the Professional Development and Outreach Services, which runs high-quality Continuous Professional Development (CPD) courses and Foundation Degrees (FdA) in partnership with Greenwich and Kingston Universities, as well as excellent outreach services for mainstream schools in surrounding boroughs. She has a doctorate in SEND with a specialist interest in profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD), autism and sensory learning. Her previous appointments have included Deputy Head of School and curriculum management roles. Jo has also been involved in a wide range of International and European research projects and conferences offering training, support and advice on various aspects of SEND practice.
Elizabeth joined Whitefield Academy Trust in Summer 2021 as Safeguarding Lead. With a background supporting SEND services, Social Services and School Improvement across several London boroughs, she will lead on supporting staff to fulfil their safeguarding duties and ensure that safeguarding underpins every aspect of school life.
Job Titles:
- Trustee / Quality of Education
Job Titles:
- Chairman of Finance, Audit and Risk / Finance
George is a legal and risk management professional with expertise in the financial services sector. His particular areas of expertise include risk management, financial regulation, governance and compliance. His current roles include executive coach, Non-executive Director and risk consultant.
For 17 years George was General Counsel, CRO and an executive Director of Pacific Life Re, the global life reinsurance Division of US mutual insurance company, Pacific Life. George was instrumental in the growth of the Division into a leading participant in the life reinsurance market across 4 continents and in building its respected legal and risk function. George qualified as a solicitor in 1995 and previously held roles specialising in M&A and corporate finance transactions at Ashurst, Nomura International and RSA.
George also serves as a Trustee at Wickersley Partnership Trust, a multi-academy trust operating 14 primary and secondary schools in South Yorkshire. He volunteers at his local Citizens Advice and Foodbank in Wokingham, Berkshire.
Hayley graduated from Manchester University in 2002 with a Degree in English Literature before going on to became a qualified CIMA Accountant. She then worked with Bell UK before making the move in to the public sector, more specifically in Education in 2007 progressing to Trust Director of Finance & Operations.
Having first joined Whitefield School in 2007, Janet now heads our supported internship programme, Project SEARCH, which is run in partnership with Barts Health NHS Trust. She has over 15 years' experience of working with children and young people with SEND and holds a Foundation degree in Special Educational Needs in Inclusive Practice.
She is Co-Chair of the Whipps Cross Hospital BartsAbility Network which seeks to advocate for young people with SEND. She is also a regulator contributor to a number of education journals.
Job Titles:
- Trustee / Quality of Education
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Deputy CEO
- Member of the Executive Team
Jo is an experienced school and education business leader - both in the UK and internationally. With 31 years' experience spanning mainstream and specialist settings, she has worked as teacher, a senior leader for a London Local Authority and as a Principal. Jo is a Trustee of an education charity, as well as sitting on the board of an Early Years centre she was involved in setting up. Jo has a child with special needs and sits on a steering committee for a clinical trial focused on improving outcomes for children with epilepsy. Jo joined the Trust in April 2021 and is responsible for its day-to-day running, working closely with school leaders to ensure the very best conditions for learning for all the children and young people we support.
During the past 25 years Julian has advised on, structured, and led numerous economic & social infrastructure investments - variously, as corporate executive, sponsor-side principal, and development / corporate & investment banker. In addition to strong commercial, business development and financial analysis credentials, his experience includes the identification and mitigation of core project and transaction risks. Currently an independent consultant, Julian has held recent interim executive roles as: Commercial Head to a UK energy giant's business-solutions arm; and prior to that, Investment Funding Head to Europe's leading rail asset lessor. A recurring mandate, he serves as Independent Evaluator to a multilateral institution's Innovation Fund for low-carbon technologies, helping select the recipients of this public-sector capital.
Julian's motivation to support the Trust is influenced by family experience with the social and educational difficulties faced by children and teenagers with special needs. Having also spent two terms teaching two Sixth Form year-groups Economics at an inner-city London school and preparing the students for external exams, he has a clear understanding of how specialised intervention can help improve future adulthood life-chances.
Job Titles:
- Governance Consultant
- Trustee / Quality of Education Finance, Audit & Risk Safeguarding
Ken is an experienced governance consultant with extensive experience in educational governance and in organisational assessment and improvement. He's a well-established advisor to trusts and an experienced chair for maintained and academy secondary schools. He is an active National Leader of Governance (NLG) supporting trusts and their chairs.
Ken was previously a local authority chief officer and strategic director and understands in depth the corporate governance and management of public, professional, and educational organisations.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Member of the Executive Team
- Trustee
- Chief Executive / Flourish LearningTrust
- Director for the National Autistic Society
- Education Leader
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
- Its Chief Executive
Kirstie is an experienced education leader with a demonstrable track record for securing sustainable improvement in education across groups of schools. With 32 years' experience spanning mainstream and specialist settings, she has worked as a senior leader for a high-performing London Local Authority, as a school Principal and held executive leadership positions in three Multi-Academy Trusts, including the Harris Federation and Oasis Community Learning.
Having worked as a Director for the National Autistic Society, Kirstie has significant SEND expertise. She currently serves as a Board Member for a London Multi-Academy Trust and has held several non-executive Director positions as a Trustee for both specialist and mainstream schools.
Her varied career within the field of education has seen her work for Ofsted as one of His Majesty's Inspectors as well as for a global management consultancy in the international education sector. She has contributed to national developments in education and participated in global initiatives, including working with USAID and the New York State Department of Education.
Alongside her position as CEO of Whitefield Academy Trust, Kirstie is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), Founding Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching and holds the National Professional Qualifications for Headship and Executive Leadership.
Her areas of special expertise include autism in education, positive behaviour strategies, early reading and phonics and child safeguarding. The rich experiences she has had throughout her career continue to inspire her and inform her practice as our CEO.
Kirstie Fulthorpe joined Flourish Learning Trust as its Chief Executive in September 2020. In that capacity she also serves as a Director on our Board. Kirstie has extensive teaching and leadership experience, having worked in education for over 30 years.
Before joining Flourish Learning Trust, Kirstie was the Director of Education and Children's Services for the National Autistic Society. Previously, Kirstie was one of Her Majesty's Inspectors for Ofsted, a Regional Director for Oasis Community Learning and a Principal for the Harris Federation. She has contributed to national and international training and development and has particular expertise in early years education, primary and Special Educational Needs.
Job Titles:
- Parent Trustee / Quality of Education
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive at the Single Source Regulations Office
- Trust Board
Neil is currently the Chief Executive at the Single Source Regulations Office (SSRO), an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence, which plays a key role in the regulation of single source, or non-competitive defence contracts. Neil joined the SSRO in 2015 and was appointed Chief Executive in May 2018 having previously been the Chief Operating Officer.
Neil started his career as an engineer with British Aerospace before changing direction to train as an accountant with KPMG. After a move to the public sector, Neil worked in several frontline operational finance roles including as Deputy Director of Finance at a large NHS Trust in London. Neil joined the Audit Commission in 2003, initially as a Senior Manager and Health Policy Lead, where he worked on a range of national studies and publications before becoming Head of Technical Support for the Commission's Audit Practice in 2007. He was appointed Associate Controller Corporate Resources in 2012 and was responsible for the delivery of all support services during the transition to and eventual closure of the Commission.
With 25 years' accountancy experience, including over ten years in education finance, Paul joined Whitefield AcademyTrust in 2021. He has worked in both large Multi Academy Trusts and stand-alone academies as a Business Manager, Company Secretary and Financial Analyst managing all aspects of trust and school finances and budgets.
Peter joined Whitefield Academy Trust in 2015 and was appointed Head of Site Services in 2019.
He has 20 years' experience working in schools, particularly SEND schools, as a site officer and holds an Institution of Occupational Safety and Health qualification in Managing Safely.
Before working in schools, Peter worked in construction specialising in metal work fabrication.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager at the University
- Trustee / Finance, Audit and Risk
Rachel is currently a senior manager at the University of the Arts London (UAL), where she oversees the strategy and operations for student recruitment to London College of Communication. Her previous roles at UAL include overseeing surplus generating courses, with the surplus used to enhance the learning experience and environment for all students.
Rachel has over 20 years' experience in a wide range of education settings from teaching English in Asia to coordinating teacher recruitment campaigns for the Department for Education and managing placements for social work students. Rachel intends to apply her expertise in educational management to support Flourish Learning Trust's visions, values, and ethos.
Job Titles:
- Trustee / Quality of Education
Sarah joined the Trust Board as a Parent Trustee in October 2023.
Sarah has two children and a step-son. Her son Kyron, who is a pupil at Whitefield School, was diagnosed at birth with bilateral hearing loss after contracting Cytomegalovirus (CMV) in the womb. He also has Autism. In order to support Kyron, Sarah has been learning British Sign Language (BSL) and has completed BSL Levels, 1,2 and 3.
Using her own experience of supporting her own child, Sarah seeks to provide a parent's perspective at Board level and ensure that the needs of families are considered at all stages.
Job Titles:
- Chartered Member of the CIPD
- Director of People
Sharina is responsible for leading our People and Culture function. She joined Flourish Learning Trust in July 2023 and leads the HR team, developing the workforce and well-being pillar of our Trust Strategy and supporting the expansion of the Trust.
Sharina has been a chartered member of the CIPD since 2003 and has worked in HR for over 20 years. Before joining the Trust, Sharina had a long career in HR working in the public, private and third sectors.
She joins the Trust direct from the HR team at Highgate School, where, over the last 7 years, she has developed an extensive knowledge of the full spectrum of HR practice in education including safer recruitment, safeguarding, employee relations, learning and development, well-being and policy development. Outside of work, Sharina is a co-opted Governor for a high-achieving girls' academy in Hertfordshire.
Beginning his career in an educational setting in 2009 as a Finance Assistant whilst studying accountancy, by 2016, Tommy was acting as Finance and Business Manager for a Multi Academy Trust comprising of 9 schools.
In 2017, Tommy joined a Multi Academy Trust comprising of 8 schools in Kent of which he took up post as COO. In addition Tommy acts as the Chief Finance Officer of the Trust and is responsible for overseeing the operational departments of the Trust. With a passion for strong governance.
Tommy has worked closely with the DFE and ESFA on a number of projects, peer to peer mentoring programmes and continues to support them on a number of pilot schemes. Currently, he is an active member of the ESFA user group supporting a wider network of MATs across the country.
Job Titles:
- Principal of Whitefield School
Trevor Button joined Whitefield School in September 2023. Prior to joining Flourish Learning Trust he has led of two Alternative Provision Schools both of which achieved Ofsted Good grades during his time with them. Trevor has always had a passion for working with students in specialist education, he has more than 20 years' experience in education education and has played a pivotal role in securing stronger outcomes for students. Trevor started his teaching career after studying History at degree level and completing his MA in Politics. He trained as a teacher at Greenwich University and started teaching in 2003-04. Throughout Trevor's career he has always shown determination, drive and commitment to children and young people with different abilities and needs.
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- Managing Director at Karim Consultancy
Zakir is the Managing Director at Karim Consultancy, a boutique management consultancy practice. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant with extensive experience in the financial services sector. Prior to starting his own practice, he worked in large organisations including EY, KPMG and UBS. His areas of expertise are in compliance, culture & governance, and risks & controls.
Zakir is currently a school governor at a school in Waltham Forest. He was previously the Vice-chair of the governing body and Chair of the Resources Committee at a school in Enfield.