MAT Central Team

CEO

Sue is CEO and responsible Officer for Inspire Partnership Multi Academy Trust.

Sue has experience of managing and delivering CPD, school to school support and initial teacher training.  She has extensive experience of financial management and the effective management of resources to secure best value.  She has significant experience of leadership within education and became a National Leader of Education in 2008.  Sue has worked with a wide range of schools, who are in challenging circumstances (in an Ofsted Category or vulnerable) to lead and shape the school improvement process, working with a range of consultants, LA officers and school communities to secure improved outcomes.  She has acted as Executive Headteacher at a number of these schools.

Sue was Principal of Gawthorpe Community Academy in Wakefield for 14 years.  During her period of Headship the school secured two consecutive judgements of outstanding.  In September 2018, she took the full time CEO role.  Sue’s particular areas of expertise are in Leadership development, promotion of high standards across the primary phases and developing a rich, inspirational and memorable curriculum based on local community need.  Sue has a strong belief that through promoting high aspirations, giving support, challenge, care and respect and creating strong teamwork, excellent teaching and learning will be achieved.

Deputy CEO & School Improvement

Kyrstie has experience within the primary sector within both the maintained and academy education sector spanning 20 years with over 10 years in executive and leadership positions. Her experience ranges from successful leadership within industry to successfully leading different schools in challenging circumstances improving them significantly through transformational leadership.
She currently also works as a school improvement partner in a local authority supporting a range of schools in developing practices and leadership capacity. She has worked extensively with schools both locally and Nationally to support them in supporting wellbeing and diversity and also supports leaders as an executive coach.

She also works with Edgehill university as a visiting lecturer developing inclusion and diversity and is the founder of Empowering equity in Education- a platform to provide schools with free resources and support. She has been on the LGBTQ inclusion board at Leeds Beckett University.

Chief Operations Officer

Tracey has an extensive range of comprehensive business leadership skills including financial management, comprehensive HR management and project management developed from a range of senior roles in education.  Previously Director of Business Operations for a secondary academy, Tracey has also supported a number of primary schools with all aspects of school business management.

Tracey holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration, is an associate member of CIPD and AAT and has worked in a number of key senior leadership positions in education over the last 15 years.

Tracey leads on all aspects of academy conversion and ensures new schools joining the Trust are fully supported throughout the conversion process.

Tracey manages the central business team including finance, payroll, HR management and estates management.

Chief Financial Officer

Tracy is an experienced finance professional, having worked in education finance roles since 1987. Tracy initially trained as an internal auditor, becoming a Finance and Business Manager in 1998 and then a CFO in the academies sector in 2011. She was designated as a Specialist Leader in Education (SLE) in 2012, as well as undertaking the CFO role, she coaches and mentors newly appointed CFO’s in new and growing Trusts. Tracy has been the finance lead on a number of successful free schools and has led the financial due diligence processes on behalf of prospective MAT sponsors. Tracy has also supported Trusts in financial difficulty, working with Trust Boards and CEOs on deficit recovery plans and acting as the finance liaison with the DfE.

Tracy is AAT, CSBM and DSBM qualified and is an affiliate member of CIPFA and a member of the Institute of School Business Leaders. She holds a Level 7 Certificate in Strategic Educational Leadership.

Outside of work, Tracy has served on Academy Trust Boards and Governing Bodies for schools and colleges and volunteers for the West Yorkshire Hardship Project.

Business Operation Officer and SBO for Ash Grove

Alison has worked at Gawthorpe Academy since 2007, starting in the classroom as a teaching assistant and then moving to Gawthorpe’s Children Centre as receptionist.  Alison then returned to Gawthorpe academy in the role of Office Manager before joining the MAT team in September 2018 as Business Operations Officer. Alison is currently undertaking a degree in business in her spare time and is educated to a high standard.  She has extensive experience of office systems and support with previous roles as Nursery Manager and Accounts Clerk for a large supermarket chain.

Project Co-Ordinator

Joanne worked as PA to Sue Vickerman from September 2010 to July 2023, providing a bespoke admin service to support an ‘Outstanding School’, National Support School work, Teaching School Business Management and the Academy Trust. Joanne is qualified to an advanced level in secretarial and office management and prides herself on offering an exceptional high service. Joanne oversees the management of technical aspects of software development for the Trust.  She has extensive experience of both secretarial and financial support with previous roles including Assistant Office Manager of Family Services and Assistant Manager of a banking institution.

Executive Assistant to CEO

Emma has several years’ experience in providing office management support within a primary sector academy. She has extensive experience and skills in all areas of administration, account management and personnel management; with additional expertise in project management, HR and payroll. In addition to her administrative role within the primary sector, Emma simultaneously managed Designated Safeguarding Lead responsibilities.
Prior to working within the education sector, Emma held a senior compliance role and worked within the construction industry for over 10 years. Emma managed process improvement and project development to ensure manufacturers fulfilled their legislative due diligence obligations.
Emma holds Mental Health First Aid, Senior Mental Health Lead, and ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) accreditations.

Trust Teaching Assistant Development Lead

Annabel regularly supports leaders to enhance their knowledge and practice. Annabel has led reading training across the multi-academy trust, promoting a love for literature and embedding a book-rich curriculum; Annabel believes that all children should have access to a wide range of texts across varied genres and read widely with interest and enthusiasm

Trust Maths Lead

Amy has taught at Towngate Primary Academy since 2016 within KS1 and KS2. In 2018, she led Mathematics at Towngate developing the curriculum and providing professional development for staff. Since then, she has progressed into leading Mathematics across the Multi-Academy Trust as a Primary Mastery Specialist and Local Leader of Mathematics Education on behalf of the Yorkshire and Humber Maths Hub. As an LLME, Amy will lead work groups from local schools, providing support for leaders and teachers to implement the principles of mastery within their mathematics curriculum.

Trust ECT Lead

To Follow

Trust Peer Review Lead

To Follow

Trust ECT Lead

To Follow

Trust Digital Lead

To Follow

Trust Curriculum Lead

To Follow

Speech & Language Therapist

To Follow

Educational Welfare Officer

Emma has an undeniable passion for ensuring that attendance does not become a barrier for pupils’ educational successes. Emma strongly believes that all pupils have the potential to experience academic success, where she believes strong attendance and positive pastoral support forms the foundations. It is this enthusiasm and drive that has led Emma to work in the role of Education Welfare Officer. Emma has experienced working in many different roles within pastoral education, with roles including Attendance and Behaviour Officer and Learning Mentor. With her rigorous approaches to tackling poor attendance and desire for imparting her knowledge and expertise onto others, Emma works with leaders across the trust, a network of Attendance Officers and individual families to make a difference to the attendance of pupils across the Multi-Academy Trust.

Trust SEND Lead

To Follow

Head of Estates

To Follow

Data Protection Officer & Safeguarding Lead

Neil is an Independent Foster Panel Vice Chair, School Governor, Safeguarding Trainer, Independent Data Protection Consultant and Educational Consultant. He has a background in secondary education and has provided training for Schools, Local Authorities, the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and led a Safeguarding briefing session at Pretoria University, South Africa with the National College of School Leaders. Neil has worked with several Multi Agency Groups to facilitate a range of training programmes and helped to launch Wakefield LA’s first online child protection training programme. Neil provides support and training on a range of Safeguarding & Data Protection issues to a number of settings.

HR & Payroll Officer

HR & Payroll Officer Joanne worked at Towngate Primary Academy as Office Manager before joining the MAT team in September 2019 as HR & Payroll Officer. Joanne has a Degree in Business Studies and 20 years payroll experience having held leadership positions in a large logistics company and a multi-national postal service and courier company. Joanne has expertise in managing multi-disciplined teams processing large weekly and monthly payrolls, project management skills and extensive experience in payroll implementation and deployment of service improvement projects.

HR Support Apprentice

Sara currently holds a higher national certificate in business, travel and tourism management and a business administration certificate. She previously worked in the hospitality industry for four years before starting her career in the education.

Sara began her career with Inspire Partnership at Ackton Pastures Primary Academy as a Trainee Administration Assistant for six months where she was responsible for administration and attendance. She joined the central team as a HR Support Apprentice and is currently undertaking the HR Support Apprenticeship course.

Finance Officer

Finance Officer Dave has worked in finance for over thirty years and specialized in the Education Finance sector for over twenty of these. He has a wealth of knowledge, skills and experience to call upon, gained from working in Local Authorities, Academy Trusts, Schools and as a self employed Financial Consultant, in varying roles. This experience includes; Budgets, Management Accounts, Financial Monitoring, Bank Reconciliations and Cash Flow Management, using a number of different Finance and Budgeting packages.