About Us
Jonathan Culpin
CEO, Anglian Learning
Welcome to Anglian Learning, a multi academy trust based in East Anglia and serving pupils and learners from across the age range and from a wide variety of backgrounds.
Anglian Learning was formed in September 2016 of four successful secondary schools who were passionate about the difference that high quality education can make to all young people, their families and their communities. Each school wanted to harness the additional capacity needed to make this happen that could be achieved through membership of a wider trust, while at the same time retaining a clear sense of local identity and autonomy. In March 2018, three primary schools also joined us on the journey to achieving outstanding outcomes for all of our young people and with the addition of The Oakes College Cambridge (formerly Netherhall Sixth Form) we now span education from early years through to Year 13. A further secondary school with Sixth Form joined in January 2020 followed by four more primary schools and another secondary school joining us in April 2020.
However, through our long and illustrious history via the village colleges, we can also claim with justification to be educating learners into extreme old age, as well as providing extensive support for young families via our locality links, therefore truly delivering cradle to grave learning opportunities.
Whether you are a parent considering sending your child to one of our schools; a prospective member of staff looking for the first or next step in your career; or a school that may wish to become a part of the Anglian Learning story, I hope this website gives you something of a flavour of what we offer as a Trust and the ambition we have for all members of our community.
Aims and Values
The overarching mission of Anglian Learning is simple and straightforward: to ensure the best possible educational outcomes and experiences for all of our pupils, for their families and their communities through self-sustaining, innovative and outward facing schools, able to support and challenge each other to achieve excellence.
In order to achieve this mission, Anglian Learning has the following core aims:
Our Core Aims
- To foster collaboration to improve educational outcomes, promote social justice and develop ethical responsibility to build successful communities.
- To enable a broad, rich and vibrant curriculum which enables our young people to successfully transition to the next stage in their learning, and to seize the opportunities of the rapidly changing world around them.
- To enable the very best opportunities for the professional development of our workforce, to better impact upon the lives and wellbeing of all learners.
- To create environments and spaces that excite, inspire and motivate learners of all ages.
- To develop strong and innovative leadership that will drive improvement, build capacity and take collective responsibility for all of our pupils.
Our Core Values
We are:
- Aspirational for all those in our community to be the best they can be;
- Ambitious of ourselves and of others to deliver excellence;
- Inclusive of children of all abilities and from all backgrounds;
- Respectful in our relationships, always underpinned by mutual support and trust;
and acting always with:
- Integrity, probity and honesty within Anglian Learning and as part of the wider educational system.
Anglian Learning welcomes regulation and scrutiny by local and central government. As an organisation governed by company and charitable law, and responsible for significant public expenditure as well as the educational outcomes for 1000s of children and young people, we have a duty to discharge our functions in a way that is transparent, efficient and promotes public confidence in not only Anglian Learning but the educational sector as a whole.
MEMBERS
Amanda Askham
My children were lucky enough to be pupils at Swaffham Bulbeck ...
Primary School and then at Bottisham Village College and I felt I wanted to give something back for the fantastic education they received. I joined Bottisham Village College as a parent Governor in 2009 and went on to become Chair of the Local Governing Body and then a Member of the Trust. I am Director of Transformation at Cambridgeshire County Council where I oversee the Council's Transformation Programme which includes strategies for health and wellbeing, social care, adults’ and children’s services, community development and commercialisation. Prior to this I worked in Children’s Services for 12 years and was responsible for leading and developing education services that work directly with children and for implementing a partnership strategy to support countywide achievement in schools and academies. My academic background is in innovation and business design and I am a board member of a number of national and international Innovation funds and a mentor for post graduate innovation students.
Philip Hodgson
I have been a school governor for over 30 years both in ... in the primary and secondary sectors. Both my son and daughter attended Bottisham Village College. After my grammar school education I trained at the London Hospital and qualified as a Dental Surgeon. After a brief period teaching conservative dentistry, I went into general dental practice in Cambridge from which I retired to join the Dental Reference Service which monitored the quality of NHS dentistry. I work closely with Cambridgeshire Local Authority to support education in the county. I am an advisory governor and work with primary school governing bodies which need support. I am chair of Cambridgeshire Schools Forum and a member of the county’s Governor Advisory Group. My hobbies are photography, woodwork, gardening and caravan touring.
Albena Madej
I am a qualified Global Chartered Management Accountant and a member ... of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. I work as a Group Head of Finance for a software development company, with headquarters in Cambridge and offices in the UK, Germany, Brazil, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. I sit on the Executive Committee of the Group and am responsible for the leadership and management of the finance teams around the world. I was a Parent Governor at The Netherhall School and 6th Form Centre from November 2012 to September 2017. In September 2013 I was voted as Chair of the Finance Committee and became Chair of the Governing Body in December 2013. I successfully led the school through a very challenging period of exciting and sometimes difficult changes, including recruiting a new Principal, converting the school to an Academy and becoming part of the Anglian Learning. In my little spare time I enjoy spending time with family, exploring new places and socialising with friends and colleagues.
Martyn Postle
I am Director and Founder of Cambridge Healthcare & Biotech and its ... its sister company DH&B, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology. I have a research background and have worked in and for the life science industry for over 35 years. I held various management positions over a ten-year period with Eli Lilly in areas such as New Product Planning and Marketing, before leaving Lilly to join Rorer Healthcare where I was Strategic Planning Director and a member of their UK Executive Committee. I have been a Principal in both KPMG's and Coopers & Lybrand's consulting divisions, plus I spent three years as an Assistant Director with Dresdner Kleinwort Benson, where I was responsible for healthcare merger, acquisition and divestment projects based out of the bank's London, Frankfurt and New York offices. As well as being a Member of Anglian Learning, I am also a Feoffee (Trustee) of the Nicholas Swallow and Other Charities and a Manager of the Duxford Saturday Workshop. My hobbies include playing and teaching guitar and ukulele, plus I am a keen wildlife photographer.
Christopher Walkinshaw
I am Group Corporate Communications Director for the family-owned Marshall Group ... of Companies, where I work alongside the Group's Chief Executive, Robert Marshall. I joined Marshall in 1983 and have worked in each of the Group's main operating companies, before joining the Head Office team at the end of 2011. My first 10 years with the Group was spent in Marshall Aerospace, most of this time in the Commercial Office. I then moved to Marshall Land Systems as Product Manager of its waste compactor business, responsible for taking the innovative new design out of development and into production. A longer spell in Marshall Motor Group followed, most of that time as Business Development Director. I am now a Non-Executive Director of Marshall Motor Holdings PLC. Additionally, I am Chairman of No.104 (City of Cambridge) Squadron of the Air Cadets; a Trustee of Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust; a Board Director of Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce; Vice President of the Automotive Fellowship International; a member of the National Employers' Advisory Board for the Secretary of State for Defence; and Chairman of the Regional Employers Engagement Group for the MOD. I am a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and the Institute of the Motor Industry.
Claire Lawton
I have been an NHS Consultant Psychiatrist, working locally for CPFT, ... for more than 20 years. I have considerable management experience at local, regional and national levels in the health service and was Associate Medical Director at NHS East of England for several years and Acting Medical Director in 2012. I have also worked in medical education as Associate Postgraduate Dean for 8 years. Throughout my career I have always worked clinically as well as holding other posts in the health service. I have a longstanding interest in education at all levels and am married with three grown up sons.
TRUSTEES
Jonathan Culpin
CEO
I began my teaching career at Ashmole School in North London ... in 1991, having graduated from the University of Surrey where I studied History and English, followed by teacher training in Sussex. In 1998 I moved to a secondary school in Stevenage where I became Head of History and then, simultaneously with this post, Head of Year and PSHE / Citizenship Co-ordinator. From here, I took up the post of Assistant Headteacher, then Deputy Headteacher at Sawston Village College before becoming Principal of the school in 2010. In 2018, I became Chief Executive Officer of Anglian Learning.
I am a representative on the Cambridgeshire Schools Forum and a member of the CEOs network in the local area, and I have also been Chair of the East and South Cambridgeshire Inclusion Partnership. I am a National Leader of Education and have been an Ofsted Inspector.
I am passionate about the mission of Anglian Learning which is to ensure the best possible educational outcomes and experiences for all pupils, for their families and their communities through self-sustaining, innovative and outward facing schools, able to support and challenge each other to achieve excellence.
Claire Lawton
Chair of Trustees
I have been an NHS Consultant Psychiatrist, working locally for CPFT, ... for more than 20 years. I have considerable management experience at local, regional and national levels in the health service and was Associate Medical Director at NHS East of England for several years and Acting Medical Director in 2012. I have also worked in medical education as Associate Postgraduate Dean for 8 years. Throughout my career I have always worked clinically as well as holding other posts in the health service. I have a longstanding interest in education at all levels and am married with three grown up sons.
Sue Speller
Vice-Chair of Trustees, Chair of HR Committee, Chair of Education Committee
I retired in 2017 after 27 years In IT delivering and and supporting ... and supporting multimillion pound products and projects for a global pharmaceutical company. Over the years I have held a number of voluntary positions, primary school governor, secondary school governor, parish councillor, trustee of a local housing charity and a district councillor for South Cambs District Council. I am enjoying my retirement working with AL watching it flourish and grow, working on my garden, running, riding my horse and long distance walking.
Helen Abrahams
I am currently the acting CEO of the Royal Society of ... Chemistry (RSC), a professional body and scientific publisher with over 500 staff based in Cambridge. During my career, I have led many of the RSC’s strategic functions including Education and Professional Practice, Science and Communities, Membership and RSC China.
I am also Chair of the Science Council, a UK charity for the advancement of the Science profession, and chair of the Technicians’ Commitment Steering Board. Having completed a degree and PhD in Chemistry, I am a Chartered Chemist and a Chartered Scientist.
Prior to becoming a Trustee of Anglian Learning, I was elected as a Parent Governor at Joyce Frankland Academy, Newport (JFAN) in 2012 and became Chair of the then single academy trust in 2016. I stepped down from this role when JFAN joined Anglian Learning on 1 January 2020.
I am passionate about science and ensuring every child has an opportunity to reach their potential.
June Cannie
I spent my early career in education as a teacher of ... English, German and French, mostly at Bottisham Village College. For the last fifteen years of my career I served in senior leadership roles in Cambridge schools: initially as Deputy Headteacher at The Netherhall School and latterly 9 years as Principal of Sawston Village College.
I have vast experience of leading teaching and learning and managing change. I led groups of Cambridgeshire head teachers on a range of strategic issues affecting schools in the county and spoke at national conferences on educational matters. Following retirement from my full-time role, I worked as an inspector of schools in England for the Office of Standards in Education (Ofsted) and trained teachers for Cambridge Assessment International Education. Currently, I inspect the conduct of examinations at home and abroad for Cambridge Assessment Compliance Department, undertake project and consultancy work for secondary schools and host executive education programmes at The MØller Institute, Churchill College.
Richard Cowling
Chair of Remuneration and Governance Committee
I have more than 4 decades of experience in HR & Pensions, both ... Pensions, both in senior management jobs and as a consultant. I was involved in our professional body for many years. Originally trained as a scientist, my personal interests are wide and include music and the arts. I have lived locally for more than 20 years and my children benefited from the excellent broad education that they experienced in our local primary, secondary and sixth form schools. I served as a Governor of Sawston Village College for many years and was delighted to join the Board of Anglian Learning when it formed in 2016. I now chair the Remuneration and Governance committee.t formed in 2016.
David Lamkin
After gaining a degree in Physics with Computing I have worked ... in computer software development for more than 40 years, specialising in Information Security and Messaging. Since 2000 I have been Managing Director of Metanate Ltd, a Software consultancy based in Great Shelford. After becoming involved in education as parent helper when my daughters attended the local primary school I became a school governor at Sawston Village College, and whilst being Chair of the Governing Body I steered the school through Academy Conversion. I joined the Board of Anglian Learning when it formed in 2016.
John Morgan
Chair of Audit Committee
After 10 years in the IT industry as a software engineer, I ... I spent most of my career with BP working across the oil, gas, chemicals and alternative energy divisions. I was involved in initiating, negotiating, establishing and leading new businesses, optimising and improving existing businesses and I lived and worked in China for over 10 years. I was a director and Chair of the British Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai and a director and Vice Chair of the China Britain Business Council supporting British companies doing business in China. I was a school governor of Dulwich College Beijing which my children attended and am currently an Associate at Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge supporting its Bridge initiative to strengthen the links between academia and industry. I am delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to Anglian Learning and support its mission to offer an outstanding education to all its students.
Ken Murphy
Chair of Finance Committee
I spent most of my working life in the city of ... London, initially working for a large fund management group and then 25 years ago I set up a wealth management business with another partner. Having developed the business it merged with another firm in 2003, and then the merged business was sold to a large city bank in 2007. At the time of sale the business employed 150 people and managed over £4.5 billion in assets. Having been with the business from the start to the size when sold in 2007, I have been involved in most areas of business management, including HR, financial controls and compliance. I decided to retire after the sale, and now manage my own property company. I also occasionally help out with a local Riding for the Disabled group. I have been Chair of Governors at Bassingbourn Village College. I led the successful conversion process to an Academy in 2011 and was involved in the successful bidding process and implementation for two large building projects at the college for a total of £1.5 million. I was also the child protection and SEN Governor. I am married and have two children at university.
EXECUTIVE TEAM
Jonathan Culpin
CEO Anglian Learning
Jonathan began his teaching career at Ashmole School in North London ... 1991, having graduated from the University of Surrey where he studied History and English, followed by teacher training in Sussex. In 1998 he moved to a secondary school in Stevenage where he became Head of History and then, simultaneously with this post, Head of Year and PSHE / Citizenship Co-ordinator. From here, Jonathan took up the post of Assistant Headteacher, then Deputy Headteacher at Sawston Village College before becoming Principal of the school in 2010. In 2018, Jonathan became Chief Executive Officer of Anglian Learning.
Jonathan is a representative on the Cambridgeshire Schools Forum and a member of the CEOs network in the local area, and he has also been the Chair of the East and South Cambridgeshire Inclusion Partnership. He is a National Leader of Education and has been an Ofsted Inspector.
Jonathan is passionate about the mission of Anglian Learning which is to ensure that the best possible educational outcomes and experiences for all pupils, for their families and their communities through self-sustaining, innovative and outward facing schools, able to support and challenge each other to achieve excellence.
Prue Rayner
Primary Executive Headteacher
Prue gained a BEd (hons) in 1983 at the University of London, ... and after graduation followed a career path which led her to, amongst others, Milton Road Infant School, Fulbourn Primary School and Stretham Primary School in Cambridgeshire. She took on leadership of Caldecote Primary School which saw her assume her first role as headteacher.
Prue has experience of taking on the leadership of a school in special measures and bringing about substantial improvement. She was drawn to primary teaching because of her love of children’s zest for life, ability to learn, to be resilient and to make life joyful. Her own experience of primary education was not as positive as those she wishes to create for the pupils of Anglian Learning.
During her career, Prue has developed experience of both secondary education and the provision of education for pupils who have special educational needs. Prue has subsequently held a variety of positions leading school improvement across a variety of schools and circumstances. Her most recent position was as a Senior Her Majesty’s Inspector with Ofsted during which, amongst other responsibilities, she led a variety of school inspections as well as local authority special educational needs inspections. Prue is currently an Ofsted Inspector and is supporting the LA with the development of SEND specialist provision.
In joining Anglian Learning, Prue is returned to work in Cambridgeshire where she grew up and has spent most of her life. She took on this post wanting to use her experience working in schools to make a difference to children and young people’s lives, which is where she loves to be.
Married with two much loved step-children, when not immersed in education Prue can be found in her garden, walking her dogs or mucking out her two rescue ponies.
Claudine Bateman
Director of Operations
Claudine joined the Trust as the Director of Operations in March 2019 ... to oversee Estates Management, including Health and Safety and the management and effective use of SCA funding. Having a vast amount of experience within education facility management, she is responsible for the delivery of all building projects for the Trust, managing multiple estate projects. This includes new builds, repairs / replacement works, and Claudine was the project lead for the recently completed £17m project at Bottisham Village College. With the Director of Finance, she also manages the procurement of energy, maintenance, catering and other similar contracts; overseeing the centralisation of contracts across the estate.
In 2000, Claudine joined Bottisham Village College initially working in finance then managing facilities. In 2016, she became Head of Operations for Bottisham Village College and The Netherhall School prior to joining the Trust.
A mother of two, Claudine has been heavily involved with organising school fundraising events. In her spare time, Claudine enjoys spending time with the family and walking the dogs, she enjoys outdoor pursuits and socialising with friends.
Kathryn Oliver
Director of HR
Kathryn studied Business Studies at Coventry University and graduated in 1992. She ... then undertook a breadth of customer facing roles in mainly ICT companies within the commercial sector, giving her a wide experience of various commercial functions and structures.
In 2007 she joined an organisation which provided Human Resources and payroll services to schools. Kathryn had always had a keen interest in HR since studying elements of it as part of her degree. On joining, she immediately started studying for her Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development qualification. She completed the course and went on to do her MA in Human Resources which she achieved in 2011. She is currently a Chartered member of CIPD but is working toward obtaining Fellowship status.
As a senior HR adviser to the educational sector, Kathryn advised on a multitude of complex HR issues covering disciplinary, capabilities, grievances to TUPE and was also used to the different support levels that may be required by a very small primary through to a large secondary or MAT.
Kathryn enjoyed working for the public sector but wanted to have greater involvement and direct impact and therefore successfully applied for the post of Director of HR at Bottisham Village College in June 2015. Since then she has been instrumental in supporting the growth of the Trust and creating and leading a strong HR function within it.
She is passionate about ensuring that the Trust’s culture of valuing each and every member of staff is fairly and consistently applied and that Anglian Learning is the Trust of choice for staff to work at.
Duncan Cooper
Deputy CEO and Director of Education (Secondary)
Duncan studied Biology at the University of Leeds which led to ... first teaching position in a large comprehensive school in London, eventually becoming Lead Teacher for Science across the London Borough of Hillingdon.
Alongside his role of Deputy CEO, Duncan was the previous Principal of Bassingbourn Village College, appointed in 2013 until August 2019. Duncan is proud of the strong positive ethos that has developed at Bassingbourn, where all students are known as individuals and where each student enjoys an education that focuses on their own individual skills, strengths and aptitudes. He believes that education is most successful when the College, the students and their parents form a strong partnership.
Prior to this, Duncan was Deputy Principal of a small Multi-Academy Trust where he was responsible for the leadership of the Curriculum, Outcomes and Quality Assurance across Primary, Secondary and Post 16 learning phases. Both of these roles have been clearly focused upon improving standards. Additionally, Duncan has been a practicing Ofsted Inspector. This has greatly supported his School-to-School support work. He is also a Parent Governor for a primary school in Suffolk.
Charity Main
Chief Operating Officer
Charity graduated from the University of York in 1993 with a degree ... in Economics.
She then trained with KPMG, leading on external audit of both profit and not-for profit organisations. Following a period leading on apprenticeship programmes for a training provider, Charity joined Cambridge City Council in 2004. Her wide-ranging role including financial reporting and working on the implications of new projects and initiatives including city growth. She was a key project lead on the procurement and implementation of a new financial management system for the City and two neighbouring councils.
Charity joined Anglian Learning in January 2019 as Director of Finance and helped to support the significant growth of the Trust during 2020, which included the implementation of a new core financial and budgeting and forecasting systems. She was appointed to the new role of Chief Operating Officer in June 2021 to lead the non-educational support services and improve their efficiency and impact for the benefit of the Trust’s pupils and staff.
Charity is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).
Richard Mayer
Director of ICT
Growing up in Cardiff, Richard went on to study a Computer ... degree at what is now Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, graduating in 2004. Prior to this, whilst studying for his A-Levels, Richard delivered holiday workshops to young people as part of the Cardiff Youth Service, teaching skills such as website design, animation and t-shirt printing. Richard has a passion for serving young people and now focuses on doing this through the provision of technology.
Richard has collaborated widely across Cambridgeshire schools on projects ranging from coordinating buying consortia to designing and supporting data systems for staff, students and parents. The most recent iteration of this is a project becoming known as 'ALIS' - the Anglian Learning Intranet System, which brings together Assessment, Attendance, Behaviour, Timetabling, Rewards, Enrichment and Cashless Catering information from multiple data sources into one interface, through a mobile-first design to enhance and simplify the digital reporting experience of students, staff and parents.
As Director of ICT, Richard is part of the Trust Leadership Team and leads the Anglian Learning Technical Services Team in running a network of over 3000 devices across 13 sites and supporting 7500 students and 1200 staff. The team aims to provide the very best affordable experience of using ICT for all members of the community.
Current projects Richard and the team are involved with include the design and build of the new Marleigh Primary School on the Newmarket Road development near the Marshall’s estate, the on-going strategic alignment of school systems to enhance the experience of using them whilst lowering the associated costs, extending the use of Microsoft 365 and Google G-Suite, the roll out of Skype for Business and developing the emerging ALIS platform. Of course, all of this is in addition to attending to the daily support needs of our students, staff, parents and governors.
Richard is member of the British Computing Society and in his spare time, enjoys choral singing (which includes being employed as a Deputy Lay Clerk at Ely Cathedral), photography, cookery and spending time with his wife, two children and wider group of family and friends.
HEADTEACHERS & PRINCIPALS
Vickey Poulter
Principal of Bassingbourn Village College
Vickey is a Chemistry graduate from York University where she also ... gained her PGCE. With 25 years experience as a Science teacher, Vickey’s first teaching position was in an all girls school in Bishop Stortford. She then moved to a Catholic school in the same town where she left as Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Assessment.
Vickey has been a staff member at Bassingbourn Village College since 2006. She started as Deputy Principal and has had various responsibilities and areas of interest including personalising learning and curriculum, student support, inclusion, safeguarding and student welfare. Appointed Vice Principal in 2014, Vickey was promoted to Head of School in September 2018, becoming Principal in September 2019.
A member of the Chartered College of Teaching, Vickey believes very strongly in an inclusive education, where all children feel challenged and yet supported to achieve their very best. She says that she has always been very proud of the culture at Bassingbourn Village College where all students are valued as individuals and are given opportunities that enable them to thrive and develop skills needed for successful lives. Inspired by teachers in her life to make a difference to others, her aim is to ensure that all students at Bassingbourn have the inspiration and aspirations that she had to achieve their very best.
In her free time Vickey enjoys walking by the coast with her two dogs and renovating houses.
Duncan Roberts
Principal of Joyce Frankland Academy, Newport
Duncan grew up in Buckinghamshire before moving to London to read ... English at Queen Mary, University of London. It was through the experience of teaching primary school pupils King Lear in order to complete a module in this course that inspired him to explore a career in working with young people. After graduating in 2006, Duncan spent a year working for a charity in East London who work with students that have been excluded from all forms of mainstream and alternative education. Reigniting their passion and interest in education further supported his motivation to enrol upon a PGCE English secondary course at Goldsmiths, University of London.
Once his PGCE was successfully completed, Duncan began teaching at Sir John Cass’s Red Coat and Foundation C of E school in Tower Hamlets, London. Duncan spent five years here, progressing from Newly Qualified Teacher to Advanced Skills Teacher of English, before relocating to Uttlesford, Essex with his young family. Duncan became Head of English at Joyce Frankland Academy, Newport and has been at the school for six years taking on the roles of Vice Principal and then Principal.
Colleagues at Joyce Frankland Academy are extremely proud of the traditional, caring and unique atmosphere with a rich, cultural history for excellence in education, dating back to the sixteenth century.
Duncan is excited about the future of the school, helping to create an environment where students continue to explore through learning, fulfil their potential and flourish in their futures.
Chris Tooley
Principal of The Netherhall School and The Oakes College Cambridge
Born in Bury St Edmunds, Chris has taught in Cambridgeshire throughout ... his career. He studied for a Bachelor of Education degree with Natural Sciences at Cambridge before starting teaching at Soham Village College in 1990. There he qualified as an Advanced Skills Teacher in Science and authored five texts used in primary and secondary schools.
In 1998 Chris completed his Masters degree in Education at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, before becoming Assistant Principal at Soham. In 2005 Chris gained promotion to Deputy Principal at Bottisham Village College where he led the development of the school curriculum and the introduction of Information Technology across the school, in addition to working on the development and implementation of the school and parent intranet.
In 2014 Chris became Acting Principal at The Netherhall School and Sixth Form, being appointed as permanent Principal following the school’s conversion to Academy status in March 2016.
Chris’ vision for Netherhall is summed up in the words: Inspiring. Individual. Inclusive. The Netherhall family is committed to offering the broadest opportunities and standards for each member of the school - students, staff and parents.
Rachael Johnston
Headteacher of Bottisham Community Primary School
Rachael is a local girl having grown up and attended school ... in Cambridge.
Having studied Psychology at Goldsmiths College, University of London, Rachael completed her PGCE in Primary Education at Homerton College, University of Cambridge. Her first teaching post was at a large school in Huntingdon.
Rachel has a particular interest in Child Development and especially developmental disorders, which led to taking on the role of SENCo in her second year of teaching. She is passionate about school to school support and became a Specialist Leader in Education in 2015 and supported a number of schools in this role.
As the Deputy Headteacher of Bottisham Community Primary School, Rachael was very involved in assessment, supporting staff with professional development and pupil wellbeing as well as continuing the role of SENCO. She became Headteacher of Bottisham Community Primary School in September 2016 and is extremely proud of the happy, caring and stimulating environment that has developed in the school where children are able to achieve their fullest potential.
Alison Weir
Headteacher of Howard Community Academy
Alison Weir grew up in Scotland and has been in Primary ... education for 20 years. She graduated from Edinburgh University with a MA in Modern European Languages and then completed a PGCE at the University of Strathclyde. She taught in various schools in Scotland as class teacher and Principal teacher, before moving south to Cambridgeshire. She has lead on English, PHSE, RE and Health and wellbeing, with a remit for a healthy schools project in conjunction with the NHS. She was involved in national projects on Assessment for Learning.
Alison taught at the Meadow Primary for 9 years. In her time there she was SENCo and was part of the Senior Leadership team. Over the years, she has taught a variety of different stages in a number of settings, specialising in Special Educational Needs. With an MSc in Chartered Teacher studies, she is also a SLE for SEN and has led school to school support work locally. Alison took up the post of Deputy Head at Howard in 2019, moving across to Suffolk.
Alison has an interest in research and has completed a Farmington scholarship looking at the role of dialogic talk in RE in the primary classroom. From there, she has continued her research interests in the field of mental health.
She is passionate about access for all, mental health and wellbeing and English. Keen to continually develop and support staff, she understands the importance of valuing each and every member of the school community and strives to make learning irresistible for all.
James Puxley
Headteacher of Linton Heights Junior School
I studied German at Bristol University, before progressing to a career ... in retail in a number of store and area managerial positions. Having become a teacher in 2006, I have worked in a variety of senior leadership positions in various schools across Essex, Hertfordshire and now Cambridgeshire, including an acting headship in Saffron Walden at R A Butler School. I have greatly enjoyed the last six years in which I have been in role as Headteacher of Linton Heights Junior School. With an experienced and motivated school team, we ensure that all of our pupils achieve to the very best of their ability in a caring and supportive environment.
My school joined Anglian Learning in April 2020 and has benefited enormously from the Trust's dynamic ethos and collaborative approach and we have greatly appreciated the spread of best practice between Trust schools.
Nichola Connor
Headteacher of Meadow Primary School
Originally from the North East, Nichola’s family made the move ... south in the late 80’s and that apart from her time at University, is where she has stayed ever since.
Nichola graduated from Bishop Grosseteste in Lincoln with a BA Hons in Religious Education with QTS in 2002 and began teaching at a 2 form entry Infant school in Saffron Walden, Essex that year. Whilst there she became a senior teacher and then alongside this a Leading Teacher for ICT for Essex County Council, supporting other schools to develop their ICT provision and use online learning platforms.
She then moved to a three form entry Infant and Nursery school in Braintree, Essex. For the 5 years she was here Nichola was Head of KS1, Assessment and a member of the Senior Leadership Team.
Nichola then moved to the Meadow Primary School in 2011 where she took up the role as Deputy Head and then after an Ofsted inspection that saw the Meadow placed in special measures, she took up the Headteacher post in September 2013. Since then the school has gone from strength to strength, which was confirmed with a Good inspection result in January 2017.
Nichola is passionate about professional development for all staff and has supported other schools and leaders through her role as a Local Leader of Education. She has also worked closely with the primary schools in her previous Trust in her role as the Primary Executive Headteacher.
Nichola feels privileged to be Headteacher at the Meadow. The staff team, children and parents make it a very special place to be.
Jenny Rankine
Principal of Bottisham Village College
Jenny has been teaching in a variety of roles at Bottisham ... Village College for the past 22 years, enjoying the collaboration and friendship of dedicated and talented staff, wonderful students and supportive parents.
She trained as a music teacher at Aberdeen College of Education and started her married life and her first school placement in Fife, Scotland. Moving to Cambridge two years later she enjoyed the role of Head of Music in a middle school in Suffolk but missed teaching and working with older students and applied for a job at Bottisham. Starting as Head of Music in the old sewing rooms at the back of the school site, Jenny has fond memories of annual musicals such as West Side Story, Grease and Little Shop of Horrors.
Jenny’s interest in using research led to studying for a Master’s in Education with Cambridge University Faculty of Education. This evolved into further work with the faculty working internationally with teachers in Kazakhstan over a period of 4 years on a school improvement action-research project.
As Deputy Principal Jenny was involved with student wellbeing, inclusion and students with special needs as well as being Head of Lower school. In 2016, she was appointed as Principal, a role which Jenny feels privileged to hold for such a wonderful school, and she is excited to be entering a new and unique phase within Anglian Learning.
Helena Marsh
Principal of Linton Village College
Originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Helena grew up in Northampton. She ... She graduated from the University of Warwick with a BA in English Literature and qualified as an English teacher from Cambridge University in 2003, where she also completed a Masters in educational research in 2009.
Starting her teaching career at Soham Village College, Helena then worked as Second in Faculty at the Helena Romanes School and Sixth Form in Essex before taking up the role of Head of English at Bottisham Village College. Helena progressed to Assistant Principal at Bottisham and then Sawston Village College before joining Linton Village College as Deputy Principal in 2014.
Having led Linton Village College as Executive Principal since January 2016, Helena was also responsible for overseeing the growing family of schools within the Chilford Hundred Education Trust before joining Anglian Learning in April 2020.
Her areas of educational expertise and interest include professional learning, leadership development, relational schools and teacher recruitment and wellbeing. Helena has published books, journal contributions and articles on these subjects. She is also an SLE and has achieved NPQH.
Helena is a co-founder of WomenEd, a grassroots network for existing and aspiring female leaders in education and a core member of the Headteacher’s Roundtable, a national non-political educational think tank. She is also on the steering group for the Cambridgeshire Festival of Education and a member of the advisory panel for the Department for Education’s Workload Challenge.
Helena is proud of Linton Village College’s ambitious and inclusive ethos and its vibrant learning culture. She is privileged to work with a team of talented and committed staff and to lead a school that is at the heart of its local community.
Jonathan Russell
Principal of Sawston Village College
Originally from Kent, Jonathan studied at the University of Stirling including ... a scholarship year at the University of Kansas, USA. After extensive worldwide travel including trekking in the Himalayas, he completed a Masters degree at the Institute of Education, University of London, and a PGCE at the University of Nottingham.
His professional career in education began in Suffolk in 1996. Jonathan has worked in local schools ever since. He has led departments at Sharnbrook Upper School in Bedfordshire and, as Head of English, at Impington Village College and International Sixth Form Centre. In 2005, Jonathan joined as Assistant Principal at Sawston Village College and gained promotion to Deputy Principal five years later. He was appointed as Principal in September 2018.
Jonathan is proud of the strong, caring, protective ethos of Sawston Village College, where Henry Morris’ inspired vision for comprehensive, inclusive education at the heart of its community is richly realised. He admires the professionalism of his colleagues and shares in their highest expectations for and of all pupils.
Mark Askew
Headteacher of Fen Ditton Primary School
Mark began his teaching career in Newham, East London in 1998 after ... after he successfully graduated from St. Martin’s University, Lancaster, where he studied for a Bachelor of Arts, with Hons, in Primary Teaching.
Mark taught in both mainstream and special schools in London where he gained valuable experience as a subject leader for Maths, ICT, PE, Design & Technology, as well as leading on Teaching and Learning. Mark then became a Deputy Head of another mainstream school in Waltham Forest, before relocating with his young family to sunny St Ives, Cambridgeshire in 2013.
This new chapter in his career has enabled him to gain further leadership experiences by working in a large primary school in Cambridge and having responsibilities for KS2, Pupil Premium and EAL. Mark was briefly acting Headteacher at this school before securing his first headship at Fen Ditton Community Primary School in April 2016.
Before Mark went into teaching he qualified as an electrician and worked for 7 years in the shipyard in Barrow-In-Furness, working on nuclear submarines. He often looks back at fondness of his time in the yard and the journey he has been on to get to where he now finds himself. Mark is a sports enthusiast and this has been a big part in his life, with cricket being his main love.
Mark feels privileged to be part of Fen Ditton school’s community and is determined to help the school to become the best it can be. It has a wonderful family, caring ethos with four main school values of Respect, Kindness, Courage and Resilience.
Ishbel Coleman
Headteacher of The Icknield Primary School
Ishbel grew up in Fife, Scotland and went to the same ... high school as former Prime Minister, Gordon Brown and award winning crime writer, Val McDarmid, although a few years after them. University at Aberdeen to study law was followed by a legal traineeship in Edinburgh, after which she joined the Crown Prosecution Service as a Deputy Procurator Fiscal (crown prosecutor) in Stirling and Edinburgh. The opportunities afforded by the de-regulation of The City of London in the late 1980’s saw her pack her bags and head for London where she joined Norton Rose Fulbright, an international firm of corporate lawyers, as a litigator, specialising is aviation related matters. It was there she met her husband. She moved to Brussels and became a “trailing spouse” and it was in Belgium where two of their three children were born. After six years in Brussels, the family returned to the UK and she has lived in North West Essex ever since.
She worked as a volunteer with the Citizen’s Advice Bureau and in local schools as the children grew up. In 2008, she decided it was time to head back to university. She did a PGCE in Primary Education at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge. She joined Melbourn Primary School as teacher of a mixed year 5 and 6 class and was an assistant head. In May 2017 she came to Icknield as acting head to cover the maternity leave of the then headteacher. She took up the headship of Coton Primary School in January 2018 but couldn’t resist the opportunity to return to Icknield when the headship there became free in January 2020. And what a year 2020 was!
Ishbel is determined that every child should have the same rich and inspiring education that she had at her state school in Scotland. One where no limits are put on a child’s aspirations. Where they are encouraged to dream “Big Dreams” and know how to work hard to achieve them.
Kerry Darby
Headteacher of The Pines Primary School
Kerry Darby is originally from Leicestershire and has worked in Primary ... Education for over 22 years and has been a senior leader for over 21 years.
Kerry graduated from the University of Cambridge with B.Ed in English Literature and has also completed an Advanced Diploma in Children’s Language and Literature. She has worked in a variety of schools, from a small village primary to two large culturally diverse inner city schools and has held various leaderships positions including; KS1 Coordinator, KS2 Coordinator, Inclusion Coordinator and Designated Safeguarding Lead. Kerry completed her National Professional Qualification for Headship in 2003.
Kerry is passionate about developing high quality continuous professional development for all staff. Originally she was appointed as a Leading Teacher for Cambridgeshire LA before becoming a Senior Leader for Education (SLE) in 2015.
When The Pines Primary School opened in September 2018, Kerry was privileged to become the school’s first Headteacher and is extremely proud of the inspirational learning ethos which aims to prepare children well for their futures.
Christine Spain
Headteacher at Stapleford Community Primary School
Christine qualified with a Batchelor of Education (Hons) in 1988 having studied ... studied at Bath. She began her teaching career that year in a two form entry primary school in North Weald, Essex.
Christine has taught in a range of schools, some very small i.e. under 100 pupils to two form entry, across Essex, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, including two years as Head of Juniors in an independent school.
Having completed her NQPH in 2003, Christine was appointed to her first headship in 2006 and moved to Stapleford Community Primary School in 2015.
She is a proud founding member of the Chartered College of Teaching and she is as enthusiastic and passionate about teaching as she was in the 80's. Christine wants the best outcomes for all pupils, ensuring they are confident and resilient learners so they can embark on whatever career choice they desire.
