Members

I bring long and broad experience in education, having spent forty years working in and with schools. I started my teaching career back in the mid-1970s with ten years as a secondary maths teacher. After ten further years of primary teaching, I became Headteacher of a junior school. I was appointed as a Primary School Adviser for Trafford and spent another decade working alongside Heads and teachers.

Throughout my career I developed a passion for the processes of learning and how teachers can best develop children’s ability to understand, reason, question, link, recall, build and use what they are learning.

Although I have retired for several years, I keep in touch with developments in education through my own reading, through my grandchildren, through having two daughters who are primary teachers and through my involvement with the Trust.

I ‘m delighted to be a Member at Inspiring Learners Multi-Academy Trust.

I qualified with PwC in 2000 and specialise in Public Sector Finance. For over 20 years I have managed my own business providing consultancy support to public sector, charitable and private organisations, including educational establishments. My roles have included supporting staff at all levels up to and including the Board.

From 2009 – 2015, I was a governor at Tyntesfield Primary School and was the Chair of the Finance Committee. My responsibilities, from a financial perspective were primarily to support the governing body, head and school in ensuring it had a sound financial strategy, provided value for money and had robust procurement and financial systems to enable the school to discharge its statutory responsibilities.

I was very pleased to have been asked to join the team as a Member for Inspiring Learners Multi-Academy Trust.

Professionally, I have over thirty years working as a social worker in both local authority and NHS settings and am currently I’m in a leadership role in a community based mental health team. Alongside this, I teach social work students and am in the process of completing a business coaching qualification.

I live in Trafford and am married with two adult children. Outside of work I love to travel, to bake, and to go on long walks with my dog. I am also a qualified humanist celebrant. I love a good quiz, live comedy, and time with my family and friends.

I am delighted to be a Member for Inspiring Learners and bring varied experience to the role, including working within the education system. I have enjoyed a career as a self-employed musician and record producer, achieving worldwide success, including a million-selling number-one single in Germany. Subsequent to this, I developed a freelance tutoring practice, teaching sound engineering, music production and music business qualifications. To support this new direction, I completed a PGCE.

I went on to become the Contract Manager for the New Deal for Musicians programme, where I supported unemployed musicians in finding work and developing their creative pursuits. Progressing to the role of Director of Operations and Performance for an independent training provider, managing every aspect of delivery across seven music colleges and nine welfare-to-work centres.

My work brought me into close collaboration with various stakeholders, including: Department for Education; Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education; and the Education & Skills Funding Agency. I served as a member of the Department for Education’s T Level Implementation Group and the Media, Broadcast & Production Panel.

More recently I became Head of Corporate Business at Salford City College Group, with responsibility for facilities hire, project management, procurement, bid writing, and business development. I am now Teacher of Business with SCCG, but currently seconded to the role of Business Innovation Centres Lead for the GM Colleges group.

Outside of work, I play guitar and sing, performing at venues across the country. I also enjoy walking my dogs and spending time with family.