Meet the team
Our experienced team is made up of experts in education. Trust founders include National Leaders of Education, a National Leader of Governance, OFSTED Inspectors, outstanding Principals, Executive Headteachers, and Head of System Leadership and Staff Development.
Our team has significant experience and expertise in school improvement work, improving teaching and learning, assessment for learning, spearheading ongoing curriculum development, Initial teacher training and delivering professional development on leadership and management.
We know what outstanding leadership, governance, teaching and learning looks like, and we are constantly in the pursuit of a world-class education offering for all.
Leadership Team
Sarah Bennett
CEO
Sarah serves as a strategic leader of IFtL at Executive and Trustee level. Sarah’s role includes serving the wider system of national education with her firm belief that in order to inspire the futures of us all we must work together.
Rob Tite
CFO
Rob oversees the financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, and strategic financial decision-making. He works closely with other executives and department heads to ensure that the organisation's financial goals are aligned with its overall business objectives.
Stephanie Boak
HEAD OF HR, MARKETING & GOVERNANCE
As Head of HR, Marketing and Governance at IFtL, Stephanie leads and develops the frameworks, offer and services for these functions across the Trust. In addition, she has project management experience and leads one-off Trust projects with a wide reach.
Kim Kemp
HEAD OF QUALITY ASSURANCE
Kimberley’s strategically leads and assures quality of provision across all areas of education and safeguarding to validate and check self-evaluation judgements. The findings inform the school improvement strategy and strategic direction of priorities at a trust and school level. She is an Ofsted inspector. She has specific interests and expertise around inclusion, including SEND, safeguarding and Pupil Premium.
Melanie Saunders
HEAD OF SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT
Melanie is the Head of School Improvement at IFTL. Her role is to work with Headteachers to provide strategic direction for schools ensuring that it is robust, outward facing and effective. She leads with the education team to bring groups of people together to develop under a common need and trust wide strategy, to ensure all levels of leadership are highly effective.
Jason Smith
HEAD OF OPERATIONS
Jason joined IFtL in 2017 and is responsible for estates, facilities, health and safety, sustainability, data protection, supporting schools to ensure that buildings are operational, safe, and fully equipped to maximise educational opportunities for pupils, as well as driving the vision and strategy across his areas of responsibility.
Victoria Blackmore
HEAD OF SAFEGUARDING, HEALTH, CHILDREN & FAMILIES
Victoria was formerly Education Safeguarding Lead at Central Bedfordshire Council, and prior to that a Family Support Worker. Having started her journey in safeguarding a decade ago, Victoria has a real passion for both safeguarding and SEND. She has worked in a variety of education settings, and this has given her vast experience and a focus on maintaining a ‘child-centred’ approach.
Sarah Hand
HEAD OF SYSTEM LEADERSHIP
Sarah oversees the Initial Teacher Training routes offered at TMAITTP and leads the accreditation and award of QTS at our School Direct partners in the region and with partner schools internationally through our Assessment Only route to QTS. Sarah is also interested in the progression of learning for teachers as learners from ITT through to Senior Leadership roles and she leads the creation of our career development packages for qualified teachers.
Education
Isabel Parker
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT LEAD
Isabel has extensive experience as an executive headteacher leading outstanding schools. Previously she was the National lead for early years on the teaching school council. As a national leader for education Isabel has supported leaders to improve their schools. Most recently she has held the role of His Majesty’s Inspector for Ofsted.
Shaun Hughes
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AND ACCESSIBILITY LEAD
Shaun’s work is centred around the effective use of technology to enhance the learning and teaching experiences of all within the trust, and he is involved in a variety of projects that will ensure our children and colleagues remain at the forefront of technological advancements. With 10 years of experience in Education both in the UK and aboard, Shaun utilises the knowledge and skills he has acquired as a Deputy Headteacher, SENCO, and Digital Pedagogy Lead to create success stories.
Safeguarding & Health
Sue Martin
ADULT MENTAL HEALTH LEAD
Sue is an Adult Mental Health First Aider, BACP accredited Psychotherapist, Counsellor, and Supervisor. She has worked in education for over 35 years in a range of settings, including Leadership roles in alternative provision, education partnerships, tertiary, secondary and primary education. Sue is passionate about positive mental health being one of the crucial elements of individual and organisational wellbeing, with children and young people at the forefront.
Operations
Ray Smith
ICT SYSTEMS MANAGER
Ray joined IFtL in February 2023, and brings a passion for all things electronic. Ray’s background and career path is within the local authority and education/school sectors. He previously worked for a different Academy Trust for 17 years. Ray is driven by providing the best possible opportunities for each and every child to succeed and ensuring teachers and staff have the tools required to do it.
Paul Whitlock
HUB SITE MANAGER
Paul is employed as a Hub Site manager, supporting six of our Milton Keynes schools. His main responsibilities include ensuring schools remain compliant, and facilities management support to ensure that the schools are well-maintained, and any repairs are taken care of in a timely manner. Additionally, he is responsible for ensuring the safety of the schools' occupants by monitoring health and safety standards.
HR & Marketing
Amelia Perrin
HR MANAGER
Amelia is the HR Manager at IFtL. She has worked within the HR sector for 10 years of which 8 have been with the education sector. Amelia works with Headteachers and school HR across the Trust providing support, advice and strategic direction. In her role Amelia promotes the visions and values of the Trust through positive employee relations and ensuring Safer recruitment procedures align with the Trust’s commitment to Safeguarding.
Chelsea Angelos
HR ADMIN
Chelsea has extensive experience overseeing various administrative and human resource tasks. She possesses a keen eye for detail and data accuracy. Throughout her career, Chelsea has streamlined hiring processes, trained new hires on HR procedures. through automation and improved documentation. Chelsea has a proven track record of delivering results through process improvements and technology solutions.
Charlotte Howard
MARKETING & BUSINESS SUPPORT
Charlotte supports the IFtL team with a focus on the strategic planning, driving of brand growth and enhancement of stakeholder engagement. She is currently pursuing a degree in Marketing and Business management and brings a comprehensive understanding of contemporary marketing practices. Charlotte’s experience in international event, operations and project management are supported by a dedication to deliver exceptional support and implementation of marketing practices.
Phili Jones
MARKETING & BUSINESS SUPPORT
Phili is a qualified and certified Marketing and Communications expert with several years’ experience in different corporate and education sectors. Phili is a high-level Digital Marketing provider for Executives, and Managers enabling them to make informed decisions at an executive level. Phili aims to achieve excellence through teamwork within dynamic organizations where she can be challenged daily while continuously honing her Marketing skill set.
Finance
Emma Matthews
FINANCE MANAGER
As an experienced qualified accountant with nearly two decades in the field, Emma is well- positioned to advise colleagues across the trust on accounting issues. Emma has a proactive approach in ensuring that the trust is compliant with HMRC regulations, offers guidance on accounting and the Trusts financial reporting responsibilities. Emma has worked with academy schools to help them navigate their way through finances and also holds a governor position at one of the schools in Milton Keynes.
Bridget Daffern
TRUST BUSINESS MANAGER
Bridget possesses a wealth of knowledge in education finance, governance, and compliance. Her expertise as Finance Manager has included overseeing all aspects of financial management in supporting schools with their budgets without compromising the education. This includes budgeting and forecasting, financial reporting, audit preparation, internal controls, procurement, payroll, and managing relationships with external stakeholders.
Lucy Soell
FINANCE ADMIN
As the Central Finance Assistant for the Trust, Lucy deals with all finance-related administration. Her administrative tasks also include processing invoices for the trust and re-charging schools centrally. She has more than 13 years' experience and she prides herself in providing friendly service and ensuring efficiency and timely payments of all invoices. She is also the voice at the end of the telephone for finance queries.
Nicola Molloy
FINANCIAL CONTROLLER
Nicky brings over 30 years of financial experience spanning public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Her expertise range from budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis and Financial reporting. Nicola understands the need to align financial goals with business objectives with a pragmatic, unique and collaborative approach generating innovative solutions by communicating clearly and transparently.