Trustees

Trustees 2023-2024

Peter Steadman - Chair of the Trust 

Sami Mirza - Vice Chair of the Trust

Sarah Page

Josh Greaves

Helen Bellinger

Paul Davies

Rebecca Rowett

Jayne Tory

Fiona Barefoot

Jaimie Holbrook

Peter Steadman MSc, Chartered MCIPS

Peter has extensive experience with over 30 years working at a strategic level in the education sector with specific responsibility for Human Resources including the design, delivery and commissioning of a wide range of professional development programmes within a Children's Service Department.  In addition to being responsible for Governor Services, Peter also led a multi-disciplined team of professionals on the academisation of schools working closely with the DFE and Multi Academy Trusts across the UK.  Peter has also supported organisational development and change management strategies as a national consultant within the education sector.

His experience includes headteacher and school leadership recruitment, development, performance management, talent management and succession planning in addition to individual employee relations case work including the conducting of independent investigations on behalf of clients.

Peter also has significant experience in the private sector with particular emphasis on employee relations and employment law and holds a Masters Degree in Strategic Human Resources Management.

As a volunteer Peter has been a school governor for more than 40 years and has held positions of chair in several schools in addition to past chair of two Multi Academy Trusts.

Sami Mirza

Sami is a dedicated and enthusiastic accredited senior Programme Manager with over 10 years’ expertise leading various business transformation programmes and managing high profile senior projects across a variety of sectors. He is a registered MSP, Lean Six Sigma and PRINCE2 Practitioner and with his background of Banking and Financial Management has a great knowledge of managing complex budgets.

He is currently the Chair of Governors at two secondary schools and takes pride in and enjoys the responsibility that comes with representing the schools. he is also a Chair/Trustee for an educational charity enterprise and so education is a big passion of his. 

Sarah Page

Sarah has worked within the education sector for a number of years and has been involved in the work of Teaching Schools and Teaching School Alliances since their inception. She is currently the Managing Director of Learners First Schools Partnership (‘Learners First’), a well-established and successful Teaching School organisation based in South Yorkshire. In this role Sarah is responsible for the strategic development of the organisation and oversees all aspects of the partnership’s work, including delivery of its national teaching school responsibilities. This incorporates leadership development, initial teacher training, school-to-school support, specialist leader of education (SLE) designation and deployment, governance and continuing professional development across the school workforce.

More recently within this role, Sarah has led a number of successful tenders awarded by the DfE including the accreditation for the suite of National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) and Strategic School Improvement Fund (SSIF) bids. As a TSA Local Hub Lead, Sarah represents local teaching schools at a strategic level within the sub-regional working alongside DfE and Teaching School Council colleagues.

Previous to her current role, Sarah held roles in the School Effectiveness Service within the Local Authority. She has a BA in English Language and Linguistics and, prior to her work within the education sector, trained as an Editor.

Josh Greaves

Josh is serving Deputy CEO of a regional MAT, having previously enjoyed leadership roles in both mainstream and special schools / Trusts.  Josh has volunteered extensively in both the Academy and other charitable sectors.  Alongside his passion for education, Josh is active in grassroots community projects which aim to disrupt social barriers, nurture ambition and improve lives.  

Josh holds an MBA, a bachelor's degree in politics, the Advanced Diploma in School Business Management and is a PRINCE2 Project Management Practitioner.  Outside professional and voluntary work, Josh enjoys spending time outdoors where his love of cycling is not quite matched by his ability.

Paul Davies

Paul has worked in the education sector for the past 23 years, having previously worked in the Further Education (FE) sector at Doncaster College, where he was the assistant director of construction and currently since 2013, manager of the Doncaster Music Education Hub.

He has experience of local governing bodies having spent several years as a governor at a local primary school.  More recently from 2017 to present, he was a trustee and vice chair at a local multi academy trust until its successful merger in April 2022. He was also chair of the finance committee.

Paul has a good understanding around finance, budget setting and monitoring, alongside a working knowledge of building structures and maintenance. He also has a good knowledge of the education system, the requirements of Ofsted and the National Curriculum. He has in depth knowledge of arts and culture and its importance to children and young people.

Paul has excellent communication skills and appreciates and understands the importance of partnership and collaborative working required in providing a broad and balanced curriculum both inside and outside of the school setting.

Helen Bellinger

Helen is an experienced former headteacher, executive headteacher and system leader with over 25 years’ experience of working with schools across Doncaster and South Yorkshire. In addition, she has worked as a Local Authority (LA) officer and has been involved in the design and delivery of a number of leadership programmes, both regionally and nationally.

In September 2017, Helen became the director of Doncaster Research School and became an active member of the national Research School Network which is funded by the Education Endowment Foundation. In this role she worked closely with colleagues in the Research School team to promote the use of evidence-informed practice. In addition, she led the regional delivery of early roll out of the UCL Early Career programme for schools (2020-2022) in Doncaster and the following year led the national roll out of the programme (2021-2123).  In September 2021 Helen was invited to join the strategic board for the Wakefield and Selby Teaching School Hub. In February 2022 she began working for the Teaching School Hub as the strategic lead for CPD and currently chairs the CPD expert delivery group.

Helen was born and educated in Doncaster and is passionate about improving the life chances of children and young people in the borough.

Rebecca Rowett

With over 25 years of experience working in the primary sector as a teacher, senior leader, Headteacher and most recently as a School Improvement Advisor for a local authority, Rebecca has the skills and knowledge to support schools to improve outcomes for children. In these roles Rebecca has facilitated school improvement through; developing leadership at all levels, providing professional development to improve the quality of teaching and learning, considering curriculum design and by supporting with strategic planning. Rebecca has been involved in the development, design and delivery of several professional development programmes for teachers, leaders and governors and is now delivering for the National College on their ECF and NPQ programmes.

For several years, Rebecca was the strategic lead within a local authority for Key Stage 1 and 2 Assessment and Moderation. Responsible for delivering on the statutory duties, Rebecca worked with teachers, leaders and a team of external moderators to ensure systems and processes were consistent and robust. Rebecca worked closely with colleagues across Yorkshire and the Humber on developing joint policy and strategy.

Born and educated in Doncaster with two children who are currently in Doncaster schools, Rebecca is passionate about ensuring all children across the city have receive a  high quality education and equality of access to wider opportunities.

Jayne Tory

Following a career in the private sector for 40 years I am now retired and enjoying a varied portfolio of volunteer roles with Wentworth Woodhouse in Rotherham, the National Trust at Wentworth Castle, as a Girl Guide Leader in Training for the Penistone community and about to embark on a role as an Enterprise Adviser with the Careers and Enterprise Company again in Rotherham.

My Operational and Human Resource career spanned two main industry sectors of Hospitality and Retail and latterly as a Skills Coach for a private training business delivering qualifications and apprenticeships.

As a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) I have just completed a 3-year tenure as secretary of my local branch of the CIPD in South Yorkshire having also previously held roles as Vice Chair and Treasurer.

Fiona Barefoot

Fiona Barefoot started working for CHRysos HR Solutions Ltd, a Doncaster based business providing specialist HR services and teaching CIPD qualifications and apprenticeships, over 4 years ago. Her role includes designing and delivering training to meet the curriculum needs of the qualifications from Level 3 to Level 7. She is a skills coach to apprentices at all levels and programme lead, providing HR advice and support to business clients.

Prior to this she worked for over 30 years at Yorkshire Water in a wide variety of roles culminating with 9 years as the Head of HR for the Water Business Unit.

After leaving Yorkshire Water she set up her own consultancy business and worked with a range of clients in different sectors providing HR advice and support and delivering learning and development solutions.

Prior to joining CHRysos she led a specialist resourcing team working within Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council’s Directorate of Childrens Service which was set up to address the shortage of permanent children’s social workers in the wake of the CSE issues which were widely publicised, working closely with Consultants and Directors. This work contributed to the Children’s Services Directorate rising from OFSTED ranking “Needs Improvement” to “Good” in 18 months. It is one of her proudest achievements.

She is passionate about helping others succeed to be the best they can be and understands the impact education has on setting the foundations and building on this.

Jaimie Holbrook

Jaimie is a former executive principal who now provides professional development and school improvement support for the Enquire Learning Trust. Developing effective pedagogies, designing engaging curriculum approaches and building leadership capacity is central to Jaimie’s work.

In addition to leading a successful school, Jaimie has worked in a range of schools in different contexts supporting leadership and improvement for the local authority. He designs and delivers a range of professional development opportunities and draws upon the expertise across the Trust to broker collaborative support.

Jaimie has a strong understanding of the requirements of the Ofsted framework and he supports the academies within the Enquire Learning Trust to prepare for inspection.