Our team
Our Trust structure includes our Executive Leadership Team, Central Team and Improvement Champions. These team members are able to support the development of our school’s effectiveness within their areas of expertise. They work with our school staff within a framework of decisive collaboration. Openness, trust, mutual respect, honesty and humility are key to our approach.
The Executive Leadership Team comprises our CEO and all school Headteachers. This team works closely to agree the strategic direction of the Trust.
The Central Team works closely with the CEO to ensure central services support the smooth running of our schools, enabling our Headteachers to focus on teaching and learning.
We have identified Specialist Learning Experts, with proven expertise in specific areas. These colleagues support school improvement across the Trust and may undertake school to school deployments beyond our own schools.
Additionally, Senior Leaders (Headteachers, Deputy Headteachers and Inclusion Leads) each hold specified areas of responsibility and work as Trust Quality Champions across the Trust. This development of expertise in specific areas (for example, Equalities and Digital Strategy) brings benefits to all leaders as we are able to share skills and offer high quality support and challenge across our schools in these specialist areas. Our leaders are not expected to have a detailed knowledge of everything!
Executive Leadership

Lyssy Bolton
CEO / NLE

Mark Stenton
Headteacher, The Mead Primary School

Emma Larkham
Headteacher, Castle Mead School


Karen Austin
Headteacher, River Mead School
Trust Central Team


Kerry Thain
SBM, The Mead Primary School


Gina Shanahan
CFO / SBM, River Mead School


Mel Jacob
SBM, Castle Mead School


Kyra Ings
Business & Comms Officer


Stuart Tate
Estates Manager


Trina Carey
Central Administrator
Specialist Learning Experts / Quality Champions


Sarah Penny
Art



Emma Larkham
Assessment


Louise Harrison
Behaviour


Becs Millard
Curriculum


Theo Gaines
Early Years


Emma Lewis
English


Leanne Cunningham
English


Fay Perdicchia
Maths (NCETM Accredited PD Lead)


Lucie O’Leary
Phonics


Lisa Penfold
SEND


Gaby Simons
SEND