Sam is driven by a singular conviction: that a high-quality education is the ultimate lever for social mobility. She believes that regardless of a child’s background or starting point, school should be the place where doors are unlocked and futures are forged. To Sam, schools are more than academic institutions; they are the "social glue" that binds and strengthens our communities.

As CEO, Sam defines her role as Chief Enabling Officer. Her mission is to eradicate barriers and catalyse excellence across every school within the Trust. She champions a "one big school" philosophy—viewing the Trust’s various locations not as separate entities, but as a single family of classrooms connected by a shared vision.

Sam’s journey in education began in 1999, fuelled by a scientific rigour derived from her degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology. Her career has been defined by a commitment to schools in challenging contexts across Oldham, Kirklees, and Bradford. She has ascended through different levels of school leadership, including a highly successful tenure as Headteacher of an all-boys secondary school.

Beyond the classroom, Sam has been involved in system-level leadership work including regional and national school improvement:

• Specialist Expertise: Worked with National Strategies to elevate Science pedagogy across primary, secondary, and special education sectors.
• Leadership Development: Served as a School Improvement Partner in Bradford, supporting leaders to achieve sustainable, long-term growth.
• Professional Standards: A Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching and holder of the National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership (NPQEL), and Chartered Leadership Status (CTECH(LEADERSHIP)). 

Sam’s influence extends into the civic heart of the region. In addition to her role as a school inspector, she serves as a Trustee for four charities, including the Jo Cox Foundation, further cementing her dedication to community cohesion and public service.

When not at work Sam enjoys reading, walking and spending quality time with family and friends. 
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Karen joined the team as our Chief Operating Officer, having worked previously as Operations Director for a successful through school. 

Prior to that role, Karen spent 18 years working in a financial services organisation with a large property portfolio with responsibility for property & facilities, H&S, strategic planning and procurement. She is passionate about working in Education and making a difference. Karen is ambitious for what all young people can achieve, regardless of their background or starting point and she is proactive in seeking opportunities to ensure all young people receive a first-class education. Karen also understands implicitly the value a great education can have on a young person’s life.

Karen has significant experience in dealing with a wide range of stakeholders including governors and outside agencies, her skillset and experience means she has the perfect blend of academic and business experience making her bilingual in the needs of schools and Trusts.

Karen is also a Trust Director and Deputy Chair of a Catholic Multi Academy Trust, serving schools across Kirklees and Calderdale. ​​​​​​

As the Trust's Director of People & Talent, Alison is responsible for the operational and strategic direction and management of all people-related matters including recruitment, selection and employee engagement. We are building a highly skilled, multi talented, expert team in Batley and our approach across our Trust family of schools is to train people so they could leave, but treat them so they choose to stay! With over 750 employees, we are the employer of choice.

Prior to joining the Trust, Alison gained extensive experience in a career that has covered all aspects of HR, Executive Search and Selection, Headhunting and volume recruitment campaigns, working with a variety of SMEs and large corporate organisations. Along her career journey Alison has also worked as a HR consultant, and she has worked within the Education sector leading a highly effective HR function for a number of years.

Alison is passionate about recruitment and ensuring our learners have access to first-class teachers and associate colleagues to provide them with the very best education, care, guidance and support. At our Trust, we also want to ensure our colleagues have the best bespoke opportunities to progress their careers and celebrate their successes, and Alison is extremely passionate about providing our colleagues with these opportunities. 

Laura moved into the education sector in 2018 and joined the Trust’s Executive Team in 2019. As the Trust’s Director of Compliance and Governance, Laura is responsible for the strategic oversight of policy management, data protection, website management as well as promoting good governance practises across the Trust.   

Prior to this role, Laura spent 7 years working at two professional football clubs with stints in the Football League and Premier League. During her tenure at both clubs, her areas of focus were governance, HR, data management as well as overseeing the administration function - this background was the basis for her move into the education sector. Laura is passionate about the role education plays in improving the life chances of all young people, regardless of their background or starting point.