Our Team

Clare Hatto

Headteacher - Aldercar High School

Clare is Headteacher at Aldercar High School which is an 11-18 school at the heart of the Langley Mill community. She is totally committed to ensuring all young people are successful in their quest to be the very best version of themselves, no matter their starting point. Clare values the daily opportunity and challenge of working closely with staff who are focused on improving the life opportunities of young people.

Upon arrival at Aldercar High School, Clare was the 5th Headteacher in 4 years. Along with her team, Clare has enjoyed the challenge of improving the school as well as bringing stability. The role has bought many challenges and experiences over the years, which Clare has relished and overcome with the clear and united support of the staff at the school.

As both an academic and pastoral leader over the years, Clare works hard alongside her staff to focus on raising student outcomes whilst providing a caring and safe environment. The long-established and dedicated school staff often go above and beyond in order to support all students and their families.

Overall, Clare strives to provide a happy environment for the whole school community, where both staff and students want to be. As a result, Clare considers and implements strategies that aim to improve the well-being of staff which in turn enables students to have better well-being.

Clare has been privileged to work in five contrasting East Midlands schools. A PE teacher by trade, Clare became a pastoral and then a curriculum leader at her first school before progressing on to Senior Leadership posts. As a Senior Leader, she has extensive experience of supporting a number of schools as a Quality Assurance leader and as a seconded Headteacher.

Clare firmly believes in the concept of lifelong learning and to this end has successfully achieved the NPQH, NPQEL as well as a Masters in Education Leadership and Management.

Clare is excited to have led Aldercar High School into the Embark Federation as the 1st secondary school. She is happy to see that as a result, the school is able to enjoy a collaborative approach to school improvement. Clare is also thrilled to be a part of the team who is helping to shape the Federation’s secondary offer.

Michelle Siddons

Headteacher - Aldercar Infant and Nursery School

Michelle transitioned to the Head of School at Aldercar Infant and Nursery School, from being the Deputy Headteacher. She is a long standing staff member, having worked at Aldercar for over 13 years, and has developed positive, collaborative relationships with parents and members of the wider community. She firmly believes that by working together we can improve the life chances of all children, and achieve the core purpose of Embark, which is 'to develop well-rounded children with the skills to make a difference in an ever-changing world.'

During her time at the school, Michelle has taught across all the year groups and has an excellent understanding of early childhood development. She passionately believes in the importance of providing a safe and nurturing environment in which children can explore, and acquire a love of learning. For many years she has been the English lead, and has helped to ensure consistently high attainment in reading, writing and phonics across the school.

Michelle is also the schools ‘Special education needs and disability co-ordinator’ (SENDCo) and avidly champions the inclusion of all children. She works closely with other professionals and local services to ensure the needs of all children are meet and the barriers to learning and inclusion are removed.

As an SLE, she has worked collaboratively with KS1 teachers in a number of Derbyshire schools, to improve the outcomes of English and phonics and has carried out focused work to support disadvantaged pupils. She has also supported schools to improve parental engagement in disadvantaged areas of Derbyshire.

Michelle is proud to be a part of Aldercar Infants, and is eager to continue to ensure that all the children are provided with the best possible education and care.

Michelle Siddons

Headteacher - Aldercar Infant and Nursery School

Michelle transitioned to the Head of School at Aldercar Infant and Nursery School, from being the Deputy Headteacher. She is a long standing staff member, having worked at Aldercar for over 13 years, and has developed positive, collaborative relationships with parents and members of the wider community. She firmly believes that by working together we can improve the life chances of all children, and achieve the core purpose of Embark, which is 'to develop well-rounded children with the skills to make a difference in an ever-changing world.'

During her time at the school, Michelle has taught across all the year groups and has an excellent understanding of early childhood development. She passionately believes in the importance of providing a safe and nurturing environment in which children can explore, and acquire a love of learning. For many years she has been the English lead, and has helped to ensure consistently high attainment in reading, writing and phonics across the school.

Michelle is also the schools ‘Special education needs and disability co-ordinator’ (SENDCo) and avidly champions the inclusion of all children. She works closely with other professionals and local services to ensure the needs of all children are meet and the barriers to learning and inclusion are removed.

As an SLE, she has worked collaboratively with KS1 teachers in a number of Derbyshire schools, to improve the outcomes of English and phonics and has carried out focused work to support disadvantaged pupils. She has also supported schools to improve parental engagement in disadvantaged areas of Derbyshire.

Michelle is proud to be a part of Aldercar Infants, and is eager to continue to ensure that all the children are provided with the best possible education and care.

Sam Jones

Headteacher - Buxton Community School

Sam attended Keele University, completing a dual honours degree in Biology and Geography followed by a PGCE with QTS in secondary science. Sam had wanted to be a teacher from a very early age, and this came to fruition when she qualified as a teacher of science in 2007 and secured her first teaching post in a school in Whitby, North Yorkshire. Sam became Head of Science at the same school in 2009 progressing into senior leadership in 2012. Sam thoroughly enjoyed the challenges of middle and senior leadership at the school and during this time she became a specialist leader of education (SLE) and secured the NPQH. As a senior leader, Sam was responsible for progress and outcomes. This experience stood her in good stead for her new role as Deputy Headteacher at Buxton Community School from September 2017.

Buxton Community School is an 11-19 secondary school located in the heart of the Peak District. Sam loves working at the school and since March 2023 she has been the Headteacher. At Buxton Community School acknowledging and rewarding positive behaviours and achievements whilst challenging and supporting students to be the best version of themselves is really important. Their values, Ready, Respectful and Safe are instrumental in achieving the vision for the school.

Sam supports the Embark values of family, teamwork, integrity and success and sees inclusion, strong relationships and high quality teaching and learning as the vehicle for success for all the students at Buxton Community School. Sam is also passionate about maximising the potential of students, staff and families alike and wants all students to love learning love life.

Tiffany Smith

Headteacher - Chaucer Junior School

Tiffany attended university in Birmingham, completing a degree in Primary Education with QTS and experiencing a range of inner-city and suburban schools during this time. In 2012, Tiffany was appointed as a class teacher at Chaucer, joining the senior leadership team in September 2014. In the subsequent years, her key responsibilities have been pupil premium, assessment, the monitoring of teaching and learning and the wider curriculum. Her teaching experience is predominantly within upper Key Stage 2, several years of which were in Year 6.

Shortly after levels were abolished in 2014, Tiffany was recruited as an Assessment Lead Teacher by Derbyshire County Council to advise local school leaders in introducing new systems to track pupils’ progress and to support teachers to assess children more confidently against the new framework. After a positive start, she was then approached to become a Specialist Leader of Education; having completed her training and gaining accreditation, Tiffany was lucky enough to work at several schools across the county, collaborating with senior leaders to aid school improvement, coaching struggling staff on a one-to-one basis and facilitating training through INSET and staff meetings.

From October 2020, Tiffany worked as the Assistant Headteacher at Chaucer Junior School and she was thrilled with her appointment as Head, taking up her new role in January 2022. Her ethos is that every child should feel included, valued and challenged to fulfil their potential. Chaucer’s school motto of ‘Dream, Believe, Achieve,’ embodies her ambition to help the school continue its journey to providing an outstanding education which is specifically tailored to ensure inclusion for all. She is passionate about raising aspirations, building genuine relationships across the school and in the community and the quality of daily classroom practice.

To help support Tiffany in her new role, she will shortly be undertaking her NPQH and she is excited about the new challenges that she faces. She is proud to lead such an exceptional school and to be part of a trust which is known to be so authentic and well-respected. Tiffany feels that children should be at the heart of all that she does and promises that she will do everything in her power to help them unlock their potential, develop their personal skills and grow into capable young individuals, whilst keeping them safe and guarding their wellbeing.

Tiffany Smith

Headteacher - Chaucer Junior School

Tiffany attended university in Birmingham, completing a degree in Primary Education with QTS and experiencing a range of inner-city and suburban schools during this time. In 2012, Tiffany was appointed as a class teacher at Chaucer, joining the senior leadership team in September 2014. In the subsequent years, her key responsibilities have been pupil premium, assessment, the monitoring of teaching and learning and the wider curriculum. Her teaching experience is predominantly within upper Key Stage 2, several years of which were in Year 6.

Shortly after levels were abolished in 2014, Tiffany was recruited as an Assessment Lead Teacher by Derbyshire County Council to advise local school leaders in introducing new systems to track pupils’ progress and to support teachers to assess children more confidently against the new framework. After a positive start, she was then approached to become a Specialist Leader of Education; having completed her training and gaining accreditation, Tiffany was lucky enough to work at several schools across the county, collaborating with senior leaders to aid school improvement, coaching struggling staff on a one-to-one basis and facilitating training through INSET and staff meetings.

From October 2020, Tiffany worked as the Assistant Headteacher at Chaucer Junior School and she was thrilled with her appointment as Head, taking up her new role in January 2022. Her ethos is that every child should feel included, valued and challenged to fulfil their potential. Chaucer’s school motto of ‘Dream, Believe, Achieve,’ embodies her ambition to help the school continue its journey to providing an outstanding education which is specifically tailored to ensure inclusion for all. She is passionate about raising aspirations, building genuine relationships across the school and in the community and the quality of daily classroom practice.

To help support Tiffany in her new role, she will shortly be undertaking her NPQH and she is excited about the new challenges that she faces. She is proud to lead such an exceptional school and to be part of a trust which is known to be so authentic and well-respected. Tiffany feels that children should be at the heart of all that she does and promises that she will do everything in her power to help them unlock their potential, develop their personal skills and grow into capable young individuals, whilst keeping them safe and guarding their wellbeing.

Claire Evans

Headteacher - Draycott Primary School

Claire has been the Headteacher of Draycott Primary School since 2014.

Claire has worked in education for 29 years, starting her career in Nottingham City working in several challenging schools including one which had a unit for deaf children and provided the opportunity to learn and use BSL.

Work with The Arts Council provided her with the opportunity to be involved in local projects and travel, visiting schools in the Netherlands. Claire’s involvement in the International Schools Programme took her to Beirut, an amazing opportunity where she was lucky enough to visit schools, deliver lessons and experience a different culture.

Having taken on several leadership roles within a large 4 form entry junior school in Sneinton, Claire continued to use her personal and creative skills to open up the richness of culture and diversity within the community. Claire became Deputy Head with responsibility for teaching and learning, assessment, behaviour management and the arts. During this time, she also completed her NPQH and took on the role of Acting Head before moving to Derbyshire as Head of Draycott Primary School.

Claire is ambitious for all children to fulfil their academic potential and creates an environment where this can be achieved. Promoting the arts has always featured in both Claire’s classroom practice and leadership roles and continues to enrich the children’s experiences at Draycott Primary. Claire provides opportunities for children to access the arts through quality experiences, seeing all children as unique, individual little people who need to be given opportunities to excel, find new interests and discover talents.

Draycott Primary School is a happy and calm place to learn, that prides itself on being a ‘School of Kindness’. Claire leads a team who are both committed and enthusiastic, ensuring all the children receive the high-quality education they deserve. Working with the Embark Federation enriches all aspects of what makes Draycott special and drives Claire in her leadership role to continue to strengthen the whole school community.

Karen Scrivens

Headteacher - Field House Infant School and Nursery

Karen has been a Headteacher since 2007 and joined the Embark Trust in September 2022. She started her early teaching career in a large infant and nursery school in the heart of Derby City. In her first few years of teaching, she began developing leadership skills by steering music across the school and developing her English specialism alongside early reading and writing leads.

Karen moved to Langley Mill Church of England Infant School and Nursery in her 4th year of teaching and gained more leadership knowledge, skills and understanding as a Senior Teacher and SENCo before progressing to Assistant Head. Following the emigration of her Headteacher in 2007, she took on the Acting Headteacher role for 8 months before securing the Headship for herself. This is a position which she stayed in for the next 15 years, positively leading the school through four good Ofsted inspections and several outstanding SIAMS inspections.

Karen has a passion for Early Years and Key Stage One, believing these formative years to be vital in securing future success for all children; emotionally, socially and academically. Having spent her 25 year teaching career with the 3-7 year age range, she has honed her knowledge and skills within these two phases, offering Early Years and Key Stage One expertise and experience to Embark.

Karen has supported other schools through her Local Leader role and was involved in the Aspirant Headteacher programme. She has served on many different boards for Derbyshire Local Authority over the years, helping shape countywide practices in areas such as safeguarding and headteacher briefings.

Karen has the highest expectations for all members of the school community and strives to help every single person be the best they can be. She is always keen to try new initiatives and move practice forward, being outward looking and forward thinking in her approach. She cares deeply about happiness and well-being, for all stakeholders, and puts this at the heart of her school.

Field House Infant School is in a period of change following the retirement of a very long standing and much loved previous headteacher and Karen is very excited to be moving the school forward as part of the Embark family, learning from and sharing with her colleagues.

Jonathan Lynch

Headteacher - Heath Primary School

Jonathan has over 10 years of headship experience and several years as a senior leader before that. He is currently the head teacher at Heath Primary School, and was previously Headteacher at Westhouses Primary.

He has helped to support other schools as a senior leader both in his role as a Primary Maths Specialist and as a Lead Literacy and Maths teacher for Derbyshire.

Jonathan believes strongly in developing the team in school to improve opportunities for pupils and staff within the school. Staff at Heath Primary School work hard to contribute to their own development and enthusiastically share good practice both with each other and with other local schools. Staff regularly go ‘above and beyond’ to support children and help to move the school forward.

Heath Primary has a significant role within the community and has over the past few years developed a strong pastoral and nurture provision; enabling the school to support families as well as the children who attend the school. The ethos of the school builds on this as well as raising aspirations for children, though a broad and balanced curriculum that celebrates all the achievements of our pupils from kart racing out of school to dance festivals and our annual community art exhibition.

Prior to the above he worked both in the centre and north of the Peak District for other Derbyshire schools, working in a range of schools both in size and demographic.

Harry Rickels

Head of School - Horsley Woodhouse Primary School

Harry has held the position of Head of School at Horsley Woodhouse Primary School since May 2024.

In 2012, Harry completed his degree in Sports Development and Coaching at the University of Lincoln and went on to spend two years coaching children in primary schools. After his course had finished, he then spent two years as a teaching assistant in a secondary school. He found that he loved helping children to fulfil their potential so decided to apply for a PGCE in Primary Education. He successfully graduated from the University of Derby in 2014.

Harry spent five fantastic years teaching at Heath Primary School, where he taught in year 5/6. He was successful upon applying for the role of Assistant Headteacher at Horsley Woodhouse in 2021. During this time, Harry has taught across the breadth of KS2, while helping with the development of their curriculum, including leading Maths and the Wider Curriculum subjects. Harry is always keen to learn from other schools and leaders: he has enjoyed working closely with the excellent Embark educational support groups, as well as across several other Derbyshire schools as part of their local Maths Hub. Harry is currently completing his NPQH to help him grow as a leader.

Harry celebrates an inclusive environment at Horsley Woodhouse and is extremely proud of his excellent team. He strongly believes that a culture built upon positivity will always bring success for the staff, students and community. Embark's values (Family, Integrity, Teamwork and Success) are fundamental drivers in everything that Horsley Woodhouse aim to provide. Children are taught about more than just the curriculum: the school endeavours to help them to become well-rounded, happy people. Horsley Woodhouse are proud of their successful Forest School programme, which every child enjoys; their beautiful, unique environment offers a brilliant space for nurture and learning about the world around us. Harry believes it is imperative to establish strong roots within the community by working closely with neighbouring schools, businesses and services to deliver the best experiences for their children.

Harry is looking forward to continuing to work with the wonderful Horsley Woodhouse team and community to build upon their successes. He is proud to be a part of Embark: a trust that has believed in him and continues to do the same for thousands of other children.

Parmjit Atwal

Executive Headteacher at Horsley Woodhouse Primary and Richardson Endowed Primary School

Parmjit has been Headteacher since January 2021, and has previously held the roles of Assistant Headteacher, class teacher in years 4, 5 and 6, maths leader and KS2 / KS3 transition leader. She is a Senior Leader of Education, specialising in Maths, and has experience of improving outcomes for children in schools across Derby City. She has recently completed the NPQH.

Parmjit fully embraces the ethos of Embark and is firmly committed to the values of Family, Integrity, Teamwork and Success and is proud to have embedded these in teaching and learning at Horsley Woodhouse Primary School. The ethos of the school celebrates inclusion and the development of children as valued, empowered learners who are curious and love to learn. All children are encouraged to ‘love learning and love life’. The school is proud of its popular and successful Forest School programme, which every child experiences, ensuring a range of broad and varied opportunities to learn. Parmjit is very proud of the school’s learning environment, including the stunning new library, fantastic outdoor spaces and specific provision for nurture and pastoral care.

It is important to Parmjit to establish strong relationships within her school community and to work in collaboration with others. Parmjit firmly believes that the school team are the biggest strength of the school and is committed to ensuring that personal and professional development are a priority for her team. The team at Horsley Woodhouse are passionate and committed, and care deeply about unlocking the potential in every child, every day. Parmjit feels privileged and proud to lead them to the next chapter!

Lynn Pilling

Headteacher - Howitt Primary School

Lynn is the Headteacher at Howitt Primary Community School. She took up a post as class teacher at William Howitt Junior Community School after teaching in an inner city school in Derby.

She soon took on many different responsibilities through the school from English subject leader to health and safety manager. She became assistant Headteacher at the junior school and acted as Headteacher on the retirement of the school’s Headteacher.

After William Howitt Junior Community School amalgamated with Mary Howitt Infant Community School in September 2007, Lynn became the Deputy Headteacher of Howitt Primary Community School supporting the Headteacher in drawing the stakeholders together during a large change for the school community. This was a non-class based role which Lynn enjoyed, as she was able to develop her leadership skills further in a large primary setting as well as support both children and teachers to achieve the children’s potential.

Lynn was seconded to a junior school to support the Headteacher in developing a positive ethos and driving standards forward.

In 2015, Lynn took the school through a very challenging time as Lynn became Acting Headteacher, after the sudden death of the Headteacher. She was appointed as the Headteacher in January 2016. The role has brought new challenges and experiences, which Lynn has relished and overcome with the clear and united support of the staff. All teachers, as well as teaching and learning assistants are committed and work so hard to achieve the best possible experiences and learning for the children in a safe and nurturing environment.

Lynn has been at Howitt Primary in a variety of capacities for over twenty-two years and is keen to continue to move forward and provide the very best learning environment for every child. She is very dedicated and passionate about developing the whole child and providing the best experiences and opportunities to achieve every child’s full potential so that they are ready for life after school.

Robert Hull

Headteacher - Kilburn Junior School

Robert is Headteacher of Kilburn Junior School where he has worked for 29 years, as class teacher, deputy headteacher, and for the last 7 years as headteacher.

Robert led the school into its federation with Smalley Richardson in January 2017 and was a key member of the team who helped forge and shape the Embark Federation, its vision, core values and underlying principles.

Robert strongly believes in the need for schools to provide pupils with an enriching, stimulating experience, with a breadth of opportunity that will excite, motivate and prepare them for the future. He is committed to developing a rich and engaging curriculum whilst also providing opportunities beyond the classroom and school day that all pupils can access.

Robert has a wealth of experience as a teacher and senior leader and is passionate about teamwork, challenging and supporting staff to bring out the best in them and their pupils. He promotes collaboration within school and between the school and wider community but also considers the well-being of staff as being of paramount importance.

A keen sportsman, Robert gives sport and physical activity a high priority at school and has developed an ethos and culture that promotes this. He is also keen to promote the use of the outdoors, recognising it as an important tool in providing meaningful experiences for pupils beyond the classroom.

Overall, Robert strives to provide a happy environment for the school community where stakeholders want to be. He is well-respected within the school community and endeavours to lead his team by example

Melanie Lawson

Executive Headteacher at Ladywood Primary

Melanie grew up and went to school in Derbyshire and trained to teach at University of Chester where she successfully completed her B.Ed. degree.

After working initially in an amazing small school on the outskirts of Widnes she travelled abroad to continue her teaching career in Egypt. There were many highlights for her during this time but taking a Year 2 class on a local history trip to The Pyramids was certainly one of them. She then returned to the UK and worked in several schools in Burton upon Trent and Derby before securing a Deputy Headship at Arboretum Primary School in Derby. Inclusive education became a strong feature of her practice as she was also SENCO and head of the ERS for Hearing Impaired Children at Arboretum.

Completing her NPQH whilst Deputy Head was a crucial moment in her drive to continue with her leadership journey and soon after completing it she was appointed as Headteacher at Stanley St. Andrew’s in 2005. Stanley St Andrew’s was a happy community-based church school where family and faith mattered. Whilst at this school she worked successfully with Behaviour Support and developed Derbyshire’s approach to Managed Moves enabling learners to have a fresh start and ensuring that the quote that it takes a village to raise a child was true.

Melanie secured her second headship at Ladywood Primary School. Under her leadership, Ladywood, has gone from strength to strength, teamwork is the key according to Melanie and she is proud of the part all stakeholders play in school improvement. At Ladywood everyone believes that all children should be able to Learn, Achieve and Thrive.

Melanie has been privileged to be involved in leading schools for 26 years and is still as committed as she was at the start of her leadership journey. She has supported a wide range of schools over the past 12 year. She currently supports schools as an Associate School Improvement Adviser for Derbyshire Local Authority and has also delivered content to aspiring heads as part of their NPQH. Melanie is also Chair of Governors at a local secondary school. She has successfully carried out the Executive Headteacher role at two of the Embark schools. Melanie believes that you should grow where you are planted, and her feet and heart are firmly rooted in Derbyshire.

Elise Piper

Headteacher - Longford Church of England School

Elise has been Headteacher since September 2021, following four years at Longford prior to this. Elise's first leadership role was that of Maths lead. She then took on the role of Strategic Curriculum Lead, before transitioning to an Assistant Headteacher role.

During her time at Longford, Elise has taught across five year groups (Years 2-6) and currently still maintains a teaching commitment in the Year 5 & 6 class, teaching Maths and English. Her knowledge of the school, paired with the range of experiences she has had during her time at Longford, means that she has a strong understanding of the school’s vision and how she can move the school forward, to ensure that all children are provided with the best possible education and opportunities.

Elise says that it is pleasure to be part of the Longford community – from the children, staff, parents and governors, to the wider community, which includes their links with the local church (being a C of E school) and she is extremely proud to work there, where a positive child-centred approach is adopted, with their vision centring around their core school values, which shine through life at Longford.

Elise continues to prioritise her own educational & professional development, and has recently completed the NPQH.

Andrew Kelly

Headteacher - Parkside Community School

Andy is a highly experienced leader of education serving different communities. He joined the Embark family in November 2023 as Headteacher of Parkside Community School. Previously he worked across groups of schools supporting Headteachers in a Trust school improvement role. Prior to this he was the Headteacher of a secondary school in Sheffield which he led to be the most improved in the city over three years based on examination results.

Andy has an unwavering belief that a school’s job is to:

Deliver a truly inclusive approach that maintains a focus on the wellbeing and progress of every child

Put students first to unlock their full potential

Remove all barriers to social mobility

Ensure that no doors are closed to their students in the future

Enrich students with opportunities that enable them to make the most of their talents and live life in all its fullness

Enabling young people to be aspirational and giving them the tools to surpass their personal and academic targets is what motivates him as a leader.

Andy is excited about the future of Parkside Community School and is delighted to be a part of the Embark team who is helping to further shape the Federation’s secondary offer.

Caroline Hughes and Hannah Wallis

Co-Headteachers - Pennine Way Junior Academy

Caroline and Hannah are proud and excited to be leading Pennine Way Junior Academy as Co-Headteachers as the school joins Embark Federation. The four core values of the trust align with those of Pennine Way – respect, resilience, learning and happiness - and the trust aim to create schools that stand out at the heart of their communities is one which they wholeheartedly support. Caroline and Hannah bring a combined total of 35 years of service to their school and its community, sharing a vision of opportunity and ambition for all pupils, a deep commitment to safeguarding and to enhancing the quality of teaching and learning for every child.

Caroline has a teaching career spanning back to 1996, with the last 15 years at Pennine Way Junior Academy, initially serving as the Deputy Headteacher before stepping into the role of Co-Headteacher. Caroline is a passionate advocate for reading for pleasure, believing in the transformative power of literacy in shaping young minds and fostering a love for learning. Caroline completed the NPQLL to further enhance her leadership in this area.

Hannah, with 20 years of teaching experience at Pennine including eight as Deputy Headteacher, brings a strong background in mathematics and science to her role as Co-Headteacher. As the Maths Lead at Pennine Way Junior Academy, she has driven the development of mastery in the subject, ensuring that every pupil has the opportunity to develop a deep understanding of mathematical concepts and skills. Hannah's dedication to excellence in maths education has led to improved outcomes for pupils across all year groups.

Caroline and Hannah gained their National Professional Qualification for Headship in 2021. The decision to undertake a co-headship of Pennine Way was based on the strength of their working relationship proven over the last eight years working in partnership as Deputy Headteachers. Their co-headship is unique, as rather than a traditional job-share model, both Caroline and Hannah will be working at the school every day.

Together, Caroline and Hannah recognise the importance of creating a supportive and nurturing environment for all members of the school community and are dedicated to prioritising the well-being of both pupils and staff. Their collaborative leadership style aims to foster a positive school culture where every individual feels valued and empowered to succeed. Staff at the school will often speak of the ‘Pennine Family’, an ethos which Caroline and Hannah are determined to uphold.

Caroline and Hannah have a shared commitment to fostering a school environment where every pupil has the opportunity to excel academically, emotionally, and socially. Their leadership is guided by a strong belief in the potential of every child and a relentless dedication to continuous improvement within the school.

Dave Cates

Headteacher - Riddings Junior School

Dave has had a varied career in education which has included teaching every age group from Nursery to 3rd Year Undergraduate students at University.

Trained as a PE teacher he worked in a number of challenging secondary schools before moving to Derbyshire as a SENCO and Assistant Head before becoming a Deputy in a large comprehensive in Sheffield.

Following some time working in Derbyshire's SEN support service Dave spent 4 years at Ladywood Primary learning a huge amount about the Primary sector before being appointed to the Headship of Riddings Junior School in 2014. After 3 years of hard work the staff and children of Riddings were recognised as belonging to a Good school and its development has continued apace.

The school is hugely proud of its children and how they develop. It makes great use of its wonderful grounds (including having a unique Forest playground) as well as its engaging and thoughtful curriculum. Over the years the links with the local community have grown, classes are named after local soldiers of the First World War and the Annual Remembrance Service is one of a number of events that are very special. The school also takes PRIDE (its watchword) in its highly regarded support of children who have additional needs.

Kim Millar

Headteacher - St George’s CE Primary School

Kim has been Headteacher at St George’s since 2019. Prior to that she was Headteacher at a small village primary school for 4 years. She was class teacher and then deputy headteacher at a very large primary school for 17 years.

Kim believes that all children deserve an exciting, challenging and successful experience at primary school and her school motto of ‘Dream, Believe, Achieve’ sums up what she wants for the children in her school. She firmly believes in inclusivity, where every child has the chance to reach their full potential. Kim is also keen to promote creativity within the curriculum, enabling the children to have as many enrichment opportunities as possible.

Kim is also SENDCO, a role she finds extremely rewarding as it enables her to shape the experiences of many children at her school.

Kim is passionate about her role as Headteacher and feels that positive relationships with children, staff, parents, governors and the wider community are key to creating a warm, friendly and caring environment. She is very excited to be part of Embark and is looking forward to the collaboration opportunities with other schools within the trust. She is inspired by the vision and values of Embark and feels they truly reflect those at St George’s.

Kim Millar

Headteacher - St George’s CE Primary School

Kim has been Headteacher at St George’s since 2019. Prior to that she was Headteacher at a small village primary school for 4 years. She was class teacher and then deputy headteacher at a very large primary school for 17 years.

Kim believes that all children deserve an exciting, challenging and successful experience at primary school and her school motto of ‘Dream, Believe, Achieve’ sums up what she wants for the children in her school. She firmly believes in inclusivity, where every child has the chance to reach their full potential. Kim is also keen to promote creativity within the curriculum, enabling the children to have as many enrichment opportunities as possible.

Kim is also SENDCO, a role she finds extremely rewarding as it enables her to shape the experiences of many children at her school.

Kim is passionate about her role as Headteacher and feels that positive relationships with children, staff, parents, governors and the wider community are key to creating a warm, friendly and caring environment. She is very excited to be part of Embark and is looking forward to the collaboration opportunities with other schools within the trust. She is inspired by the vision and values of Embark and feels they truly reflect those at St George’s.

Amarjeet Challand

Headteacher - Waingroves Primary School

Amarjeet immigrated to this country from East Africa when she was 6 and experienced a negative education system where assumptions of her ability were made on race and background rather than ability. It was not until she got to university where her love for learning began. She trained to be a teacher with the belief of serving her community on a basis of entitlement for all.

After qualifying Amarjeet decided that the only way she could make a difference was to teach in deprived monocultural schools. She started her career at a school in Chaddesden where she was supported by an outstanding Headteacher who taught her so much that within 2 years led on Science and Technology which resulted in being head hunted by another school in the city to a senior post. This school was a large city Catholic primary school which taught her the importance of faith where parents choose to send their children to a faith school. Here she learnt the importance of family and the impact it makes on children’s learning from varied financial, ethnic, and social backgrounds.

Amarjeet then became a Deputy Headteacher at a large monocultural inner city school which had one of the highest levels of deprivation in the city. Here her interest and new passion developed in Special Educational Needs which led to her achieving a postgraduate diploma in SEND (Special Education Needs and Disability) to help her support the teachers, SEND children and their families. During her time there Amarjeet was seconded to another inner-city school nearby to support their journey out of Special Measures. This led to Amarjeet securing her first headship in 2002 in an inner-city school in Nottingham City, again with a high level of deprivation and within 2 years the school moved from satisfactory to good and it was the first time in the school’s history that it achieved above floor standards in SATs.

In 2005, Amarjeet became the Headteacher of Waingroves Primary School which was in the category of serious weaknesses and now it has achieved its fourth Good OFSTED rating in 2019. During her time at Waingroves she achieved a postgraduate qualification in the teaching of Dyslexic children as her son displayed dyslexic tendencies when starting school. Amarjeet has also been an Associate School Improvement Adviser for Derbyshire Local Authority and has led the school to joining the Embark Federation who share the most important values in education of Family, Integrity, Teamwork and Success to create ‘stand out’ schools at the heart of their communities. This is very much at the heart of what Amarjeet and her team want to achieve for their community.

Jenny Wilkes

Headteacher - William Rhodes Primary & Nursery School

Jenny has been Headteacher at William Rhodes Primary and Nursery School since April 2023.

Growing up, her dream was to become a teacher and, the first of her family to go to university, she was proud to gain a first-class degree in Primary Education after four years of study at Leeds Metropolitan University. Here, she had the opportunity to experience a range of schools: those with different faiths, inner-city schools and areas of high deprivation. Here, she developed a passion for inclusive education and understood the place a school holds, at the heart of the community.

During her early career, Jenny worked in a school in one of the most deprived areas of Nottinghamshire. Teaching across the juniors, Jenny learnt that relationships with hard-to-reach children and their parents could be the key to success, as well as high aspirations for all learners.

In 2016, Jenny moved to Heath Primary School as Maths Lead and LKS2 Phase Lead. Here, she undertook training from the Maths Hub to become a Mastery Specialist, allowing her the opportunity to travel to Shanghai as part of the teacher exchange, as well as the chance to support and work with many schools to improve their Maths offer, across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

Passionate about teaching and learning, Jenny became the Deputy Headteacher at Heath in 2019 with the responsibility of Pupil Premium, Staff CPD and Maths. She completed her NPQH in January 2022 and was thoroughly excited about what she had learnt. As a result, she developed a peer coaching system across the school to empower and upskill staff.

Having a sound understanding of designing and delivering effective CPD, Jenny has recently begun a facilitator role for Potentia Teaching School Hub and is currently supporting colleagues undertaking their NPQLTD.

Jenny truly believes in the power of education as a catalyst for social mobility and preparing children to be well-rounded citizens of the future. She is excited to work with the wonderful William Rhodes team to build upon their previous successes and cement their place at the heart of the community. She is proud to be a part of a trust with an ethos which resonates with her own and place the children at the heart of all they do.

Anna Upton

Deputy Trust Leader

Anna is the Deputy Trust Leader of the Embark Federation. She is dedicated to improving the life of each individual child, nurturing their strengths, personalities and interests to bring out the best in them.

Anna is responsible for the implementation of the digital strategy, data, safeguarding, risk and quality assurance strategies across the trust. She plays an integral role within the Trust leading, both strategically and operationally, the support, advice and guidance that enable the schools to succeed and ensures the consistent delivery of Embark's Vision & Core Beliefs.

Anna started her teaching career in Nottingham City. This is where her first leadership role was secured and from here she moved to teach at Chaucer Junior School in Ilkeston. She then moved to work as an Advanced Skills Teacher where she supported schools and teachers across Derbyshire. She has also worked in various roles as an Associate School Improvement Adviser for Derbyshire County Council supporting schools and their leaders in a wide variety of school improvement activities. All these schools are now judged good or better.

Anna is a member of the Chartered College of Teaching and has completed her NPQEL after working as an executive leader across Derbyshire.

She feels privileged to be able to use her role within Embark to impact on so many children’s lives.

Ben Riggott

Trust Development Lead

Ben is the Trust Development Leader of the Embark Federation. He believes strongly in the inherent strengths within all people, schools and communities. Ben is passionate about our collective potential to inspire children to thrive and to make the most of the opportunities available to them.

Ben started teaching in Derby City, where he became a curriculum leader and developed a successful Duke of Edinburgh's Award programme. He then moved on to middle and senior leadership roles at a very large 11-18 school in Nottinghamshire. Ben was privileged to be involved in leading innovative academic and vocational provision and significant improvement at the school, completing a PGCIE with the University of Warwick. Ben then moved to a large 11-18 school in Derbyshire, initially as Deputy and then Co-Headteacher. 2018 Ben was asked to support Parkside Community School as interim Headteacher, before becoming the permanent Headteacher later that year.

Ben has supported other schools from primary through to post-16. He has successfully completed the NPQH and NPQEL programmes as part of his own professional development, has been trained as an NPQ deliverer, and has supported the MA in Educational Leadership at the National Institute for Teaching and Education.

Ben is responsible for a number of aspects of trust development, including the wider family membership offer and the trust's sustainability and apprenticeships strategies.

Ben loves to get involved in things that can make a positive difference. He is the lead Safeguarding Officer at a large local cricket club, and is a leader of Derby Kids' Camp. Ben is delighted that some of the children from Embark primary and junior schools will benefit from a week on camp every summer.

Craig Yates

Secondary School Improvement Lead

Craig is the school improvement leader for the secondary schools within the Embark Federation. He cares deeply about providing opportunities for schools, colleagues and children across the trust to develop as educators and learners through collaborative support and challenge.

Craig is responsible for leading the development and implementation of the secondary school improvement package. The schools work together to grow and develop the strategic aims and develop the supporting mechanisms to secure the highest quality delivery.

Craig started teaching in Rochdale and quickly becoming involved in leading a large science team, whole school assessment, adult education and school to school support as part of the Manchester Challenge.

Craig then moved to North Manchester, and then into senior leadership in Stockport, before moving to Buxton as the Headteacher of a large 11-18 secondary school. Throughout this time, Craig has focused on developing his experience, knowledge and skills through a range of professional development opportunities. Craig has worked as an accredited trainer for the developing and outstanding teacher programme, he has been trained as an NPQ deliverer, and has supported improvement with teams and colleagues across a number of schools. Craig played a key role in several collaborative organisations across Derbyshire at local and area wide level.

Craig has also successfully completed the NPQH and NPQEL programs as part of his own professional development and worked as an active Ofsted inspector for several years.

Craig is proud to provide supportive challenge and professional growth for colleagues across the trust. He is excited by the breadth of opportunities trust wide working offers for students and staff.

Helen Jefferson

Safeguarding Lead

Helen is the Safeguarding Lead for the Embark Federation. She is dedicated to improving the lives of vulnerable children, enabling them to have safe and happy lives.

Helen is responsible for leading the development and implementation of a strategic approach to safeguarding. She is committed to fostering a culture that builds capacity and empowers teams to own proactive strategies that are preventive and embedded in all schools to ensure all our children are kept safe and free from harm. She works closely with headteachers and safeguarding leads to build a trusted safeguarding provision that puts children’s wellbeing at the heart of everything we do.

Prior to joining Embark Helen has had extensive leadership experience. She was a member of the Senior Leadership Team at Derby College Group with responsibility for the strategic direction and operational delivery of all student support services. She was also Head of the Derby College Ilkeston Campus, had Leadership and Ofsted Nominee responsibility for the Early Years Nursery provision and acted as the Designated Safeguarding Lead, Mental Health Lead and Prevent Lead contact.

Helen has led successful partnership work in Derbyshire with a range of agencies and learning providers in order to support the needs of vulnerable children. She has had considerable experience of working with a wide range of local and national agencies and membership of several advisory boards. For example, the Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Board, Derby City Children and Families Board, and Derby and Derbyshire Prevent Steering Group. Helen is currently the Deputy Chair of the Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Education Hub.

Earlier in her career, Helen has had extensive experience in Connexions and Careers Service Management in Derbyshire. Helen worked as a leading expert in the region in careers education, information advice and guidance offering independent consultancy, research, training and support in the school, FE and HE sector.

Helen is proud to be part of the Embark Family and to be able to support schools build and maintain strong safeguarding cultures.

Laura Baddiley

Head of Office

Laura is the Head of Office for the Embark Federation, where she leads with a commitment to excellence in governance, compliance, and corporate affairs. In this role, she is dedicated to establishing and upholding best practices across all facets of the organisation, ensuring that Embark operates with the highest standards of integrity and efficiency.

With over 14 years of leadership experience in a maintained school, Laura has honed her expertise in managing a diverse range of strategic and operational disciplines. Her extensive background includes overseeing complex projects, managing facilities, developing and implementing governance frameworks, crafting policies and procedures, and optimising management information systems. This broad experience has equipped her with the skills to navigate the multifaceted challenges of educational leaderhsip.

Laura is a driven and motivated individual who thrives on challenges. She is a firm believer that a robust governance system is crucial for driving school improvement and securing positive outcomes for children. Her passion for governance is evident in her relentless pursuit to ensure that every school within the Embark family stands out as a beacon of excellence at the heart of its community.

In additional to her professional acumen, Laura is known for her approachable and friendly demeanor. She excels in building strong, trusting relationships with all stakeholders, from colleagues and parents to external partners, always with the goal of advancing the best interests of all the schools within Embark.

Lisa Eaton

Office Manager

Lisa joined Embark in early 2020, bringing over 20 years of management experience in the dental industry, where she successfully oversaw multiple dental businesses.

Known for her calm, friendly, and approachable demeanour, she is highly organised and self-motivated, with a strong background in customer service and a proven track record of delivering high-quality systems and support.

As the Office Manager, Lisa plays a key role in supporting the central team, stakeholders, and schools, ensuring efficient operations and maintaining top-quality systems.

Often the first-person visitors meet when visiting the central team, she enjoys making connections and meeting new people.

Outside of work, Lisa loves spending time with her family and friends, enjoys long dog walks, and traveling whenever she gets the opportunity.

Lisa is very proud to be part of the Embark team.

Lisa Marriott

People and Culture Lead

Lisa is the People and Culture Lead for the Embark Federation. She is passionate about employee experience and creating the best places to work; where people want to be, will be supported and developed, are clear on what needs delivered, and have the tools to succeed. She believes in the power of capability, compassion and community to achieve collective goals.

Lisa is responsible for the leadership of a comprehensive people and culture offer that will ensure Embark's ongoing success to Dream Big for Derbyshire by putting our people at the front and centre of ‘how we do things’.

Lisa has extensive strategic HR and OD experience working across the charity, civil service and NHS sectors. She is experienced in all aspects on HR and OD including leadership, employee experience, enhancing personal agency, inclusion, organisation change and building capacity and capability through people and team development.

Outside work Lisa enjoys time with friends and family, playing football, long country walks and a good book.

Louise Rowland

Governance Officer

Louise Rowland is the Governance Officer for the Embark Federation, where she works as part of a team leading governance across the Trust. With 12 years of experience as a governor in primary schools within Embark, including 11 years as Chair of Governors, Louise brings extensive expertise in school governance to her role. This experience has equipped her with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel as a Governance Officer.

In addition to her governance experience, Louise has spent 10 years working as a primary school teacher in Derby. This background has given her a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by schools. Her teaching experience enhances her ability to contribute to governance, and she loves using her knowledge and expertise to help schools improve children's education.

As the Governance Officer, Louise is part of a team responsible for delivering high standards of effective governance across the Trust. She provides professional governance services to Members, Trustees, and Local Governing Teams. Louise also supports governance administration functions and assists schools with their governance work.

Outside of her professional life, Louise enjoys spending quality time with her family and pursuing hobbies such as gardening and reading.

She is passionate about making a positive impact on the lives of children and is excited to bring her expertise and enthusiasm to governance across the Embark schools.

Louise Rowland

Governance Officer

Louise Rowland is the Governance Officer for the Embark Federation, where she works as part of a team leading governance across the Trust. With 12 years of experience as a governor in primary schools within Embark, including 11 years as Chair of Governors, Louise brings extensive expertise in school governance to her role. This experience has equipped her with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel as a Governance Officer.

In addition to her governance experience, Louise has spent 10 years working as a primary school teacher in Derby. This background has given her a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by schools. Her teaching experience enhances her ability to contribute to governance, and she loves using her knowledge and expertise to help schools improve children's education.

As the Governance Officer, Louise is part of a team responsible for delivering high standards of effective governance across the Trust. She provides professional governance services to Members, Trustees, and Local Governing Teams. Louise also supports governance administration functions and assists schools with their governance work.

Outside of her professional life, Louise enjoys spending quality time with her family and pursuing hobbies such as gardening and reading.

She is passionate about making a positive impact on the lives of children and is excited to bring her expertise and enthusiasm to governance across the Embark schools.

Matthew Crawford

Trust Leader

Matthew is Trust Leader of Embark Federation. He was designated a National Leader of Education in 2017 for the work he has done as a system leader. Matthew supported over a dozen schools across Derbyshire who are now all judged to be good or better by Ofsted. He believes that schools are ‘stronger together’ and enjoys sharing practice whilst also learning from others and helping to improve the federation.

He also believes that schools should be at the heart of their communities whilst providing their children with the best possible education.

All schools in the federation have an exciting curriculum which is accompanied by a rich diet of wider opportunities in Music, Sport, Science and the Arts. The trust has used sponsorship opportunities and grants to fund aspirational events for the children.

A keen sportsman, Matthew now enjoys a game of golf at weekends and supporting the Welsh rugby team! Family is very important to Matthew. He is father to Sophie and Daniel who are the most precious things in his life.

Matthew Crawford

Trust Leader

Matthew is Trust Leader of Embark Federation. He was designated a National Leader of Education in 2017 for the work he has done as a system leader. Matthew supported over a dozen schools across Derbyshire who are now all judged to be good or better by Ofsted. He believes that schools are ‘stronger together’ and enjoys sharing practice whilst also learning from others and helping to improve the federation.

He also believes that schools should be at the heart of their communities whilst providing their children with the best possible education.

All schools in the federation have an exciting curriculum which is accompanied by a rich diet of wider opportunities in Music, Sport, Science and the Arts. The trust has used sponsorship opportunities and grants to fund aspirational events for the children.

A keen sportsman, Matthew now enjoys a game of golf at weekends and supporting the Welsh rugby team! Family is very important to Matthew. He is father to Sophie and Daniel who are the most precious things in his life.

Olivia Anthony

Governance Officer

Olivia Anthony was born in Derby and, after leaving school, trained in structural engineering and CADD design. Olivia joined the Embark family in January 2022, transitioning from a career in structural engineering. Olivia began as a Teaching Assistant (TA) at Chaucer Junior School and quickly advanced to the role of Higher-Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA). In October 2023, Olivia joined Richardson Endowed Primary School for the year to assist with year 6 SATs - alongside her role at Chaucer Junior School. Olivia's passion for governance was ignited when Olivia became the staff governor at Chaucer Junior School.

Olivia is dedicated to organisation and ensuring that every child achieves their best while enjoying their educational journey. In September 2024, Olivia was appointed as a Governance Assistant within the central team, in addition to the HLTA position at Chaucer Junior School. Olivia has embraced this role, collaborating with various heads and chairs striving to enhance governance practices. Olivia firmly believes in the power of collaboration, asserting that collective efforts yield the best outcomes.

Beyond Olivia's role at Embark, Olivia is a tumbling, gymnastics, and cheerleading coach in Derby, and is preparing to take a team to the world championships in Florida in 2025. Olivia's skills in coaching gymnastics have been seamlessly integrated into school activities at Embark, including P.E. lessons, after-school clubs and dance festivals. Olivia's passion for coaching is what inspired her career move from engineering into education.

Paul Scaife

Finance & Operations Lead

Paul has a wealth of financial experience in Multi-Academy Trusts, Local Authority, Education Charity and Schools financial management systems and processes. He is a qualified accountant with a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of financial management and reporting. Paul is driven to make financial information accessible for all rather than a highly complex set of information that few can understand. He is professional and easy going by nature, with an ability to build relationships with work colleagues, directors and customers.

Philip Searson

Primary School Improvement Lead

Philip is the Primary School Improvement Leader of the Embark Federation. He is passionate about improving learning for each individual child and believes in the power of schools working together to share practice and learn together.

Philip is responsible for leading the bespoke primary school improvement package across the trust as well as leading the trust's collaborative learning groups to work on various projects including curriculum design, formative assessment and subject leadership.

Philip started his teaching career in Nottinghamshire. This is where his first leadership role was secured leading Key Stage 1 in a large primary school and from here he moved on to a further leadership role in Nottingham City to lead both Key Stage 1 and SEND provision. During this time he worked as an Advanced Skills Teacher supporting schools and teachers across Nottinghamshire. Following this he spent 13 years as a Headteacher in two different primary schools in Derbyshire.

He has worked as an Associate School Improvement Adviser for Derbyshire County Council supporting a total of 13 schools and their leaders in a wide variety of school improvement activities. All these schools are now judged good or better.

For five years he has worked for the DFE as a National Leader of Education and supporting four schools and their leaders with school improvement.

He feels privileged to be able to use his school improvement role within Embark to impact on so many children’s learning across the trust as well as the professional development of all staff.

Rebecca Keeling

Teaching and Learning Lead

Rebecca has 13 years of teaching and leadership experience across a range of contexts in Derby City and Derbyshire. She has taught all year groups across the Primary Phase. Rebecca has a real passion for teaching and learning, she has worked with senior advisors and has worked alongside teachers and leaders who required support to develop their practice and worked with them to great effect. She achieved success in a number of ways including; modelling, team teaching, joint planning, observations and leading CPD.

Rebecca has held a number of leadership roles including Assistant Head and Head of School and has achieved her NPQSL. Rebecca has a real interest in research led practice and has worked with Embark Federation since January 2021. She works for Embark as a Teaching and Learning consultant and has led work on the teaching and learning policy, the writing assessment framework and moderation across the schools. She has also led work on the covid catch-up strategy alongside the Deputy Trust Leader.

Outside of school Rebecca enjoys spending time with family and friends and is fully aligned with Embark's Core Beliefs.

Richard Mansfield

Estates Lead

Richard is the Estates Lead for Embark Federation and looks after all aspects of health and safety as well as helping schools develop their buildings and grounds to create exciting environments in which teachers can teach and children can learn. He also takes overall responsibility for the purchase and management of utilities

Prior to joining the trust Richard was Headteacher for 15 years in South Derbyshire and brings to the trust a wide ranging of knowledge of education as well as school facilities which, he believes, helps meet the educational needs of the pupils and staff as well as the practical aspects of facilities management and building design.

Outside of his work for the trust he enjoys all sports, especially golf and spending time with his family.

Richard Mansfield

Estates Lead

Richard is the Estates Lead for Embark Federation and looks after all aspects of health and safety as well as helping schools develop their buildings and grounds to create exciting environments in which teachers can teach and children can learn. He also takes overall responsibility for the purchase and management of utilities

Prior to joining the trust Richard was Headteacher for 15 years in South Derbyshire and brings to the trust a wide ranging of knowledge of education as well as school facilities which, he believes, helps meet the educational needs of the pupils and staff as well as the practical aspects of facilities management and building design.

Outside of his work for the trust he enjoys all sports, especially golf and spending time with his family.

Amanda Johnson

Amanda has enjoyed a long career in education, initially in teaching progressing to a leadership role in a secondary school. She moved into an advisory role in first Leicestershire and then Derbyshire Local Authorities where she supported both primary and secondary schools. As a Senior Adviser Amanda's advisory work entailed working with schools on teaching and learning as well as leadership and management. As an Ofsted accredited inspector, Amanda also ensured schools were updated on the Ofsted process and expectations.

Since retiring from this position, Amanda has enjoyed a volunteer role for a children's charity "Go Beyond" which provides residential breaks for disadvantaged children. My long career in education has been well guided by being mindful that children only get one chance, so let's make it the best it can be.

In her spare time, Amanda and her husband enjoy getting to know the world a bit better by travelling internationally, as well as more local outdoor activities including walking and cycling, and our current leisure challenge is to summit all the Wainwright Fells in the Lake District.

Claire Leitheiser

Claire has over twenty years' experience in education and currently works as the Senior Education Director responsible for the Quality of Education across the secondary phase and has oversight of nine secondary academies. Claire is also experienced in strategically developing post 16 provision and supporting the most disadvantaged and is a qualified Pupil Premium reviewer.

Claire has extensive experience working in Service Children's Education, having been a school improvement advisor and executive senior leader across 22 schools (based in Germany, Cyprus, and Gibraltar). At the time of moving post, all 22 schools were deemed to be 'Good'.

She has also been Deputy Principal in a special measures school in Guernsey which was subsequently graded as 'Good' by Ofsted. She was also Senior Deputy then Principal of an academy in Nottinghamshire which she also moved to 'Good' and with results 'significantly above the national'.

Claire has a master’s in educational leadership, NPQH, NPQEL and has been a 'PiXL' associate. Claire has three children, Charlie, Emily and Beth. And a dog called 'Rudi'.

David King

Chair of Trustees

David is an ambitious leader of business transformation and operational excellence, with over 35 years’ experience gained through a multi-disciplined career in FTSE100Plc, private equity/ownership and public sector environments. An Exec MBA graduate, with a strong commercial mindset, David has consistently delivered significant value improvements to the organisations he’s worked with.

Now working as an independent business advisor and executive coach, David is committed to helping individuals, teams, and organisations achieve transformative results and navigate change with confidence.

David has experience of chairing the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee since 2021 and more recently chaired the People/Remuneration Committee at Embark. The committee experience, especially in chairing roles, has provided valuable insights into Embark's governance, performance and priorities as it has grown rapidly over the last 5 years.

Away from work, David enjoys staying active through golf, tennis, badminton, spinning, and relaxing with yoga and hiking. However, his favourite role is that of grandad to his 3-year-old granddaughter. David has been married to Dawn for over 36 years, living in Derby for most of that time. Their two sons attended Derby schools, enjoying their academic, musical and sporting experiences. Having graduated as dentists they are following fulfilling careers in the NHS and private practice in Manchester and Halifax.

Denise Boyle

Trustee

Following completing her degree in Business Management at Nottingham Trent University, Denise started her career as a bank manager for Barclays Bank and then went on to Yorkshire Building Society. She developed key skills in financial management, economics and most importantly customer service. In 2019, after 10 years in banking, she decided to take her career in a new direction and decided to join the civil service, working for the Department for Education.

At the DfE, Denise has enjoyed a range of roles, starting out as a case worker supporting academy trusts that were experiencing financial vulnerability. This work moved into proactive engagement working with academy trusts that were looking for growth or to strengthen their central finance offer and included working closely with School Resource Management Advisors and School Finance Business Professionals.
Denise works closely on policies included in the Academy Trust Handbook and has managed the delivery of key grant programmes such as the Free Schools, Sponsorship and Transfer Grants offered by the DfE. She hopes to use her knowledge and understanding of key areas, such as the Trust Handbook as a platform for supporting Embark to continue on its journey to Love Learning, Love Life.

Outside of work Denise has two children who both attend an Embark School and her husband is the Head of PE at a local secondary school. Her life mainly revolves around football with both sons being in a team and her husband coaching. She enjoys trips to Elland Road to support Leeds United and has managed to coax both boys into being Leeds fans instead of Derby! She is also proud Aldercar High School alumni

Dr Lindsey Smethem

Lindsey’s professional experiences from primary to higher education demonstrate a long-standing and proven commitment to comprehensive and inclusive education, teaching and learning and social justice.

She has lived in Derbyshire for 40 years; she has 15 years’ teaching and leadership experience in a Derbyshire secondary school, teaching modern languages to all levels and ages 11-18 and mentoring beginning teachers. She was subsequently appointed to the University of Nottingham School of Education where for 24 years she engaged in educational research and teaching and supervision at postgraduate level.

She has considerable experience of working in schools, with early career and experienced teachers and school leaders, in the East Midlands and overseas. As an associate professor in Nottingham she developed and led innovative, research-informed initial teacher education programmes at Masters level that were rated outstanding by Ofsted, including courses across the primary and secondary phases, and across secondary curriculum subjects.

Lindsey’s research has focussed on beginning teachers, mentoring, professional development of teachers, school leadership, Teaching Schools and Research Schools. She has a deep-rooted interest in developmental approaches to school improvement; her commitment to inclusive schools that stand out at the heart of the community aligns strongly with the values that underpin Embark.

Eleanor Hedley

As a leader, Eleanor strongly believes in the fundamental core purpose of education and the importance of the collaboration in a shared vision to the benefit of children. She offers a variety of skills and experience to the Embark trust board providing balance and passion to support school objectives and those of the community.

Originally from Canada, Eleanor offers a diverse background in a career spanning over 25 years across three business sectors in the areas of product and programme development, business administration and operations, training, customer service, safeguarding, performance management and human resources. She has been fortunate to be able to practice her knowledge across the community at local and regional level.

Eleanor holds degrees in Law and Sociology and International Management, certification in multidisciplinary rehabilitation and qualifications in education and training. Trained with the National College and as an experienced integrated centre leader she has demonstrated practice in Early Years to post 16 and beyond. Eleanor is currently a tutor in family learning and has been a coach to many professionals.

Ian Paxton

Ian has over 20 years of experience in the IT industry, picking up and utilising technical, project, operational management and sales skills. Ian worked previously for IBM, Hewlett Packard, DXC Technology and now works for Leidos Innovations UK. His current job role is that of a Solution Architect working in the defence sector.

Ian has over 7 years of experience working within School Governing Bodies, ranging from being a Parent Governor, chairing Finance Committees and assisting schools in delivering a Good Ofsted report. He has also participated in the Embark Strategy Group, effectively steering the direction the Embark Federation.

On a personal level, Ian is married, with two children and lives locally to schools in the Embark Federation. He enjoys keeping fit, by running, playing competitive tennis, golf and in the warmer weather, water-skiing!

Mark James

Professionally Mark currently works in Engagement for a large retailer. Previously he worked for 3 years with an on-line retailer covering the communications and culture in their new fulfilment centre in the East Midlands. He also has worked for 19 years within John Lewis and Waitrose covering a range of assurance and human resource roles. This included thought leadership work on future strategies, chairing consultation programmes and working with leaders to develop the culture in their business areas. He is a member of the CIPD and a qualified ACAS mediator.

Mark was a Scout Leader for 20 years supporting young people in inner City Nottingham. He ran a Scout Troop with his wife as well as holding District roles for Scouts and Training and enjoyed planning and delivering the annual summer camps. Mark then moved to a parent governor role at Ladywood Primary School and became Vice-Chair supporting the school to maintain their 'good' Ofsted rating at inspection as well as implementing a wellbeing survey for the staff team. Mark worked with the Head and Chair of Governors to strategically review the school's future which ultimately led to Ladywood joining the Embark Federation Trust.

He joined the Trust Board in 2011 with particular passions for all areas of culture and communications and sits on the Quality of Education and Standards and the People and Culture Committees.

Mark has two sons who have both attended a now Embark school.

Mike Firbank

My name is Mike Firbank. I began my working life as a Secondary School Teacher in mainstream education. However, that changed over time as I realised that I had a passion for supporting young lives that were broken and in danger of exclusion from school and society. My last teaching post, in Nottingham City, was overseeing both internal therapeutic alternative provision and SEND support.

In 2003 I left teaching and retrained as an Anglican Priest. I spent the next 9 years in Cornwall as a Vicar using much of what I had learned in education. Using a multi-agency approach we set up a day centre for addicts, Foodbank centres and teams to support vulnerable teenagers out late at night.

We moved back to 'England' in 2014 and I began to support and grow chaplaincy teams in the workplace. I'm currently supporting 30+ the churches across South Derbyshire, working with the volunteer sector across Derbyshire, a Chaplain in two Secondary schools and a local Pioneer Vicar in the town of Swadlincote.

It's a privilege to be a Trustee. I especially love the value-based vision, practice, and dynamism at the heart of Embark Federation.

Paul Drummond FCIPD

Paul has over 25 years Human Resources experience across various sectors including service, chemical and automotive organisations. During Paul’s career as HR Vice President of a major automotive supplier, he successfully designed and deployed meaningful HR programmes that have been implemented on a global scale.

As an experienced HR professional and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Paul’s first-hand experience is translated into practical solutions which are tailor-made to ensure the businesses that he works with have sustainable solutions leading to tangible results.

As Director of PAG Quantum Ltd, he is responsible for employee engagement, human resource business partnering, organisational development and coaching (in both private and public sectors). He has a Postgraduate Certificate in Executive Coaching and is an Accredited Coach with the ICF. Paul is father to two grown up lads that attended Primary and Secondary schools in Derbyshire, during which time he was a Primary School Governor for 3 years.

Peter Ricketts

Peter has worked in a variety of positions in finance in both public and private sector for over thirty years. He currently works for the Ministry of Defence in procurement for CAAS (Cost Assurance and Analysis Service) producing reports to aid decision making for buying defence equipment and platforms. He has also worked for the Surgeon General as a Financial Controller for the Defence Medical Services and as a Resource Manager for Prime Contracting in Defence Estates. Earlier in his career, Peter worked as a Brewery and Distribution Accountant for Bass Brewers and at British Rail Engineering in Derby.

Peter was awarded an MBA in 2005, studying part-time through the Open University. He also has a qualification in teaching English as a foreign language and has worked in Japan and Indonesia including two years of working with Voluntary Service Overseas.

It was inevitable that Peter should end up working with schools in some capacity as he has a wife who was Headteacher of two schools and worked latterly for the Derbyshire Education Improvement Service as a Senior Advisor. His daughter is a teacher at an Infant school in Sandiacre. As a result, educational issues are in integral part of dinnertime conversation in the Ricketts’ household.

Outside of work Peter enjoys running and cycling. He has recently started doing parkruns – shorter distances being better in old age. He recently achieved a significant milestone by coming first at Rosliston Forestry Parkrun, albeit in the 65-69 age group.

Rosie Harrison

Rosie has worked in generalist HR and Industrial/Employee Relations within industry for over 25 years with Cadbury Schweppes and Royal Doulton plc where she was HR Director of the UK Sales division with 250 shops and outlets and 1500 employees. In this role she was a trained Hay Job Evaluation specialist and ‘competency based’ recruiter, before joining Eversheds LLP as a fee earner in Employment Law and HR consultancy. Here she specialised in disciplinary hearings, grievances, appeal hearings, TUPE, collective consultations, restructuring, redundancies, investigations and senior management training and mentoring. Rosie is a qualified mediator and trained in the use of psychometric testing including Myers Briggs and Saville and Holdsworth. Clients included HSBC, Volvo, the London Clinic, Morgan Stanley, Greencore, Mission Foods, Gap and Fujitsu.



Rosie went on to set up her own HR consultancy business working with major clients including schools, colleges and universities within the education sector and Interflora.

She lives in Carsington and loves walking in the hills, yoga, Pilates, and the performing arts.

Rosie has been a Governor in the past with Anthony Gell School for 12 years and the Anthony Gell Foundation (a charitable trust).

Theresa Peltier DL

Theresa was extremely honoured to be installed as the High Sheriff of Derbyshire in April 2023. As a Trustee with National Crimebeat, the High Sheriff’s Association for young people, she hopes to promote this within the Embark schools. Theresa adds “I am constantly encouraged and impressed by the ideas young people have to improve things for the benefit of others”.

She was appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant in January 2024, and awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Derby in July 2024. As part of her Shrieval year, she shone a spotlight on the large D/deaf community within Derbyshire, working with the Royal School for the Deaf Derby, as well as schools across Derbyshire, particularly those part of the Mini Police initiative, which supports primary age children to become model citizens.

Her relationship with Embark was cemented during her year in office, and one of the highlights was partnering with the Trust on the joint dance festival which saw 20+ Embark schools take part.

As patron of Friends of Foston Hall, a closed category prison and young offenders institution for women aged 18 and over, she works closely with its chair in providing wellbeing workshops, mainly to care experienced women. Having personal experience of adoption, she is a panel chair for Adoption East Midlands and vice-chair for Foster For East Midlands, and works nationally to inform decision-making on inter-racial adoption. She states “Whilst there are no guarantees, I believe love, nurture, education, structure and instilling a positive identity provides the best possible environment to support a child to be the best version of themselves.

Following 27 years’ service with the police, Theresa retired as Head of Equality for Derbyshire Police in 2019. Her role enabled her to work with the Home Office, National Police Chief’s Council, Equality and Human Rights Commission, the College of Policing and national staff associations.

Theresa is an active member of her local community in Wirksworth. She enjoys the performing arts, jazz, reading and fell walking. A strong advocate of holistic therapy, she holds several qualifications in this area.

Theresa says “I am incredibly proud to be an Embark Trustee, having seen first-hand the positive work they do. They continue to live up to their values, supporting children and young people to be the best they can be.

Theresa has two adult children and five grandchildren.

Canon Carolyn Lewis

Canon Carolyn Lewis is the Diocesan Director of Education for the Dioceses of Derby and Leicester. This role involves advising the Bishop on all educational matters and in leading the vision and strategy for the Diocesan Board of Education which in Derby serves 111 church schools.

Carolyn is also a member of the Bishop’s Leadership Team and so contributes to the wider life of the diocese.

Previously, Carolyn was a primary school teacher, headteacher and an inspector for Ofsted and SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican & Methodist Schools).

Chasca Twyman

Chasca is a consultant and trainer with the National Governance Association (NGA) and was a National Leader of Governance under the reformed programme. She delivers external governance reviews, support and training for schools and academy trusts on behalf of the NGA.

As former University academic, with a PhD in the social sciences, Chasca’s professional experience in higher education means she has excellent strategic and analytic skills that transfer well into school and trust governance. Her work as a trustee in the charity sector further broadens and deepens her relevant expertise for school and trust governance.

Chasca is currently chair of governors in a large rural local authority-maintained foundation secondary school. She has also governed in a small rural Church of England primary school. She has experience of governing in schools exploring federations, collaborations and academisation, as well as those managing expanding and contracting pupil intakes. She is a trustee and vice-chair in a city-based multi academy trust with nine schools across all phases. Chasca joined the Embark Federation as a member in 2024.

David King

Chair of Trustees

David is an ambitious leader of business transformation and operational excellence, with over 35 years’ experience gained through a multi-disciplined career in FTSE100Plc, private equity/ownership and public sector environments. An Exec MBA graduate, with a strong commercial mindset, David has consistently delivered significant value improvements to the organisations he’s worked with.

Now working as an independent business advisor and executive coach, David is committed to helping individuals, teams, and organisations achieve transformative results and navigate change with confidence.

David has experience of chairing the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee since 2021 and more recently chaired the People/Remuneration Committee at Embark. The committee experience, especially in chairing roles, has provided valuable insights into Embark's governance, performance and priorities as it has grown rapidly over the last 5 years.

Away from work, David enjoys staying active through golf, tennis, badminton, spinning, and relaxing with yoga and hiking. However, his favourite role is that of grandad to his 3-year-old granddaughter. David has been married to Dawn for over 36 years, living in Derby for most of that time. Their two sons attended Derby schools, enjoying their academic, musical and sporting experiences. Having graduated as dentists they are following fulfilling careers in the NHS and private practice in Manchester and Halifax.

Dr Sarah Charles

Sarah is the Head of the Institute of Education at the University of Derby. She has worked at the University of Derby since 2006, having first gained employment as a Senior Lecturer in Primary Initial Teacher Education. In 2015 she was promoted to Head of Discipline for Primary Initial Teacher Education and, most recently, in 2020, she was appointed as the Head of the Institute of Education. In her role as Head of the Institute of Education she has strategic responsibility for educational research and all education focused undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

Prior to working at the University of Derby, Sarah trained as a primary school teacher. Throughout her time in the classroom, she taught all primary year groups and undertook a range of middle and senior leadership roles. Drawing on both past and present experiences as a qualified teacher, she aims to motivate the next generation of educators to strive for excellence in their chosen profession.

She has sustained experience of school/Multi-Academy Trust governance, having been a school governor and currently being a Trustee of three other Multi Academy Trusts. She has extensive links, both locally and nationally, to a range of diverse educational settings.

Sarah is committed to quality, research-informed provision that encourages critical thinking and the application of knowledge and skills to real-life working. Her doctoral research explored stakeholder attitudes towards students, with dyslexia, on Teacher Education programmes. Her current research explores trainee teacher preparedness to address homophobic bullying in primary and secondary schools.