Emma is a well-respected, successful, educational leader of five primary schools with over a decade of headship experience in challenging contexts. Emma has a significant track record of developing schools, showing rapid improvements that are sustained over time, leading schools successfully through a significant number of Ofsted inspections, including taking schools from special measures to good. Emma has a proven track record in creating school cultures that put values at the heart of all practice. She achieves this through meticulous transformation of professional expectations and cultural behaviour through coaching and professional development and is proud of her work in succession planning and developing leaders who move into successful senior leadership and headship positions.

Emma has sat on Local Authority SEND Panels and Finance Forums and brings significant experience of working within communities with high levels of deprivation. She also has an extensive SEND background, working as a SENCO and  in schools where bespoke SEN provisions were created for pupils with significant and complex levels of need. Emma is highly skilled in understanding the complexities of supporting families within the safeguarding arena. For over a decade, she has delivered training across the country to schools and conferences and is also a MAT Local Advisory Partner in Bury. Emma runs her own education consultancy business and provides support to schools and education companies across the country.

Helen is a Bury girl and has worked in education since leaving Birmingham University in 1989. She is a Mathematics and Psychology graduate and has taught both subjects up to A level standard. She has worked in numerous leadership position in five schools within four Local Authorities. Helen is currently headteacher at The Derby High School in Bury, a high performing school where Pupils Premium students do exceptionally well. Helen has been in her current post since 2016. The Derby High School is a Rights Respecting School and has recently formed strong links with the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.  Helen’s school is highly inclusive and has been involved in LA SEND projects and currently a Greater Manchester Health project. Helen sits on the North West 1 Maths Hub strategic board and has played a key role in developing the leadership of Mathematics with Bury LA.

Janet Fitton has been a governor for over 20 years. Initially as a parent governor and as chair for the last 10 years. Janet has many relevant skills to draw upon to support her role as a governor. She spent a number of years working as a chartered engineer in the electronics industry specialising in project management/production engineering. Following the birth of her children she changed her career path to work in the education sector, including the clerk to the governors to a local high school for almost 20 years. As a governor she provides challenge and support to ensure all children receive a high quality fully rounded education in a happy, safe, and secure environment. Children leave this phase of their education confident, well-rounded, with a love of learning and many ‘WOW’ memories ready for the successful transition to their next stage. Janet has always worked to ensure that school is inclusive for all pupils and serves the needs of its community.

Julia has been working within HR for the NHS for over ten years and in her current role as an HR Business Partner, advising senior management on a variety of Workforce issues. She fosters a collaborative style and is an advocate for championing for employee wellbeing and engagement in an inclusive, just and fair culture. She is also adept at providing challenge and/or support as the need arises. Whilst only being a parent governor for a short time, she feels very passionately about ensuring all children have the best possible access to education and pastoral support, recognising and removing where possible, the barriers for the vulnerable and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Kathy has over 25 years’ experience of senior school leadership and has influenced system change across a range of settings. She has successfully led three primary schools as Headteacher. She led a group of local primary schools in Tameside as part of the Network Learning Community programme. As a result of her work she contributed to National College events regionally and nationally. She has worked for Tameside LA as a School Improvement Officer and Head of School Achievement and Support. She is an accredited School Improvement Partner. Kathy has experience of working with a large multi academy trust where she held various positions including Principal, National Primary Transformation Lead and Regional Education Director. She also has experience of helping to set up a new Trust in her role as Headteacher and School Improvement Lead with Epworth Education Trust. She has worked directly with a range of stakeholders including Ofsted, DFE, Regional and National School’s Commissioners. Following her retirement in 2022, Kathy now works part time supporting schools and Multi Academy Trusts as School Improvement Partner and Headteacher Coach.

Keith has over twenty-five years’ experience in secondary education across three local authorities, teaching in five schools.  A science teacher by trade, served as both a curriculum leader and as a pastoral leader. He served as a senior leader for over ten years with a focus on teaching, learning and curriculum. He has facilitated on Middle and Senior Leader courses. Keith has served as a governor in the primary and secondary sector since 2012 both in the maintained and academy sectors. Throughout his career, he has had experience of managing budgets at subject and whole school level. As a Chair of Governors and Academy Council, he has sat on finance committees to have oversight of the school budget. He currently works within Manchester City Council’s School Improvement team.

Kelly has worked in education since qualifying in 1990 (34 years). She has worked across the primary sector, teaching all age ranges. Kelly has worked across 3 LA’s and has lots of experience of working in schools with challenging contexts, with proven track record of improvements. She has had a range of leadership and management posts. She has been headteacher in two schools, one for ten years and ten years in her current post. She has also been an Executive Headteacher. Kelly is a trained coach and has experience in coaching and mentoring aspiring leaders, supporting their career development. She is an executive coach for NPQH candidates. She is a LLE and is used by the LA to support in schools within the authority. Kelly is currently a member of Prestolee Multi-Academy Trust and a parent governor at Woodhey High School, part of Shaw Trust. Kelly is passionate about all aspects of education, being highly committed to ensuring the best possible achievements for all children, whilst instilling a love of life long learning.

Rachel has worked in education since 2000 and taught in a variety of educational settings in Japan. She has worked in the primary sector, in the UK, since 2005 and has taught in all year groups in the primary phase, in four local authorities, in two different dioceses. Rachel has a strong personal faith and has undertaken a range of leadership and management roles in Church of England primary schools. She has experience of leading schools in challenging circumstances and in areas of significant socio-economic deprivation and has a proven track record of making key improvements, swiftly, and raising standards. Rachel has been a Headteacher for nine years, working in two different schools, and has been in her current post for five years. Rachel has also supported and mentored Heads, who are new to the role, in Church of England primary schools. Rachel’s philosophy of education is simple: all children are fundamentally entitled to an exacting and exciting education and should achieve their full potential, irrespective of academic or social barriers. Rachel is committed to ensuring the best possible outcomes for children and providing opportunities to instil a life-long love of learning to broaden horizons.

Sandy Hawkins (formerly Dixie) OBE has spent her life in primary education. Having graduated with an education degree with special reference to socially disadvantaged pupils, she worked as teacher, then Headteacher in areas of social deprivation. Her substantive school had outstanding status and she became a National Leader of Education in 2006 working in school improvement, developing excellence within the North West. She also was an Ofsted Inspector. In 2008, Sandy was awarded an OBE for services to Education. She created and led the Harmony Academy Trust in 2012, which grew to 5 schools within 2 years. Sandy continues to work as an education consultant, focusing on raising standards. She has also experience of being a Trustee of two theatre companies.

Adam Young lives in Tottington, Bury.  He is a Registered Mental Health Nurse and is currently an Associate Director for Operations in Adult Forensic Mental Health having worked in healthcare for 28 years in Australia and the NHS.    Adam works in conjunction with his Leadership Team to develop strategic leadership for operational professionals across his services, ensuring the Trust strategy for strengthening service users and carers involvement is embedded. The voice of people with lived experience and their carers is at the centre of decision making.

Adam is responsible for service development and embedding continuous quality improvement and learning across his services to ensure service users and carers experience the best possible care. He is responsible for ensuring mechanisms are in place for employee involvement and engagement across his team in order to develop an open and inclusive culture with a focus on employee health and wellbeing, equality and diversity.

Adam is a parent of two children both within education and is new to the role of governor but feels a desire to support and use his knowledge, skills and experience to challenge and engage a different board.  He is also an enthusiastic runner and Man Utd fan!

Mark McDowall is a father of 3 boys, with the oldest finishing his A levels and the youngest just about to join the education system when he starts at Nursery later this year.

Mark graduated from Loughborough University with a Masters Degree in Systems Engineering, but followed a calling to public service by becoming a Police Officer with Greater Manchester Police.  In his 27 years service, he has worked in a range of roles including uniform response, neighbourhood and proactive policing.  After becoming a detective and achieving a number of promotions, he has led Child Sexual Exploitation, Child Protection and Criminal Investigation Departments, often working closely with a variety of partner agencies including local authorities, NHS, education and social care.  His most recent role is Detective Chief Inspector with responsibility for designing and implementing GMP’s new Force Crime Management Unit, that is now significantly supporting GMP’s current status as the most improved Police Force in England and Wales.

Jonathan has over 20 years experience within the Financial Services sector.

He started his career in the finance team at Northern Rail where he became AAT qualified whilst working in roles including Utilities Accountant.

For the past 17 years, Jonathan has worked for The Bank of New York Mellon based in Manchester. He has worked on account preparation for Institutional clients including Sovereign Wealth funds, National Banks and large corporate entities. He has led teams within the accounting function and has been responsible for developing relationships with clients and devising solutions to improve the client experience. 

Jonathan's current role is Client Onboarding Manager/Vice President where he is Co-Head of a global team of 40, managing staff in the UK,US and India. He is responsible for driving and developing the Markets team and improving and challenging existing processes whilst ensuring that various financial products, including Collateral Services, Securities Lending and Liquidity, are successfully implemented across the client base. Jonathan contributes in various councils across the Markets division, ensuring his team remain compliant with various European Banking regulations, including CASS and MiFID

He is looking forward to bringing his experience and skills to this new role as Trustee and making a contribution to the Bury education community that his now teenage sons have both been educated through.

Giles has spent 25 years in education, teaching initially in mainstream schools. Giles has taught in KS1 and KS2 and was also a SEND lead of a mainstream primary school. He spent time working for the Primary Behaviour Support Service in Stockport, supporting mainstream primary schools meeting the needs of pupils with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH). Giles has been a senior leader since 2008 and has been Headteacher at Alder Brook since 2013. Alder Brook supports all Salford pupils with SEMH and as part of this role, Giles jointly created and currently manages Salford’s outreach service, supporting primary schools with Social, Emotional and Mental Health. Giles is a Local Leader of Education (LLE), supporting mainstream and special schools. During his time at Alder Brook, Giles has also been seconded to support a Salford mainstream school as Headteacher for one year.