Extended Leadership Team

Denise is a highly experienced and transformative school improvement leader with a 15-year track record of driving rapid, sustainable progress in challenging secondary school environments.

Holding both the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) and Executive Leadership (NPQEL), her core expertise is in building leadership capacity across all levels.  Denise is a trained coach dedicated to developing the next generation of school leaders and ensuring the progress they deliver is deeply ingrained and sustainable. This is underpinned by her deep knowledge of effective school improvement strategy and excellence in teaching, learning and curriculum development.

Tony brings a wealth of experience in inclusive education and school improvement, having successfully led a range of schools in the West Midlands including the nationally acclaimed, Saint Augustine’s as well as, DfE initiatives across multiple trusts and national programmes as an NLE and Strategic Lead for a Teaching School Alliance and Behaviour Hub. His work is grounded in a deep commitment to equity, inclusion, and raising standards for all learners.

Recently appointed as a DfE RISE Adviser, he supports schools across the West Midlands and East of England, driving sector-led improvement, meaningful change and helping to elevate educational outcomes.

As our Outreach Lead, Tony spearheads efforts to strengthen national partnerships, support leadership development, and expand the reach of our Trust’s impact.

Nicola is an experienced Education Senior Leader, dedicated to transforming pupil achievement through evidence-based practice. She holds various postgraduate qualifications in leadership and SEND, including the NPQH and NA SENCo. 

With a successful career spanning mainstream, resourced, and specialist provisions, Nicola drives sustainable school improvement by coaching and developing leadership teams at every level. Her core commitment is simple: empowering all staff to deliver a high-quality, child-centred education, where every pupil can realise their potential and thrive, both in school and beyond.

Committed to raising standards system-wide, Nicola leads impactful Inclusion and SEND outreach programmes. She also facilitates the NPQ Senior Leader (SL) & SEN programme and provides specialist SEND content for the National College.

Matt is Regional Director and Executive Headteacher at Salisbury Academy for Inspirational Learning (SAIL).

Tara brings over 25 years of experience in operations, with more than a decade dedicated to Education Business Management and Finance. She holds a BA (Hons) in Business Studies and currently serves as Head of Operations, where she leads and supports all schools within the Trust across key operational domains—including finance, estates, people, health and safety, compliance, and project and programme management.

Tara is an accomplished operations leader with a proven track record in crisis and change management. She has successfully led the turnaround of financially challenged schools, fostering stability through strategic planning, team empowerment, and the implementation of efficient operational systems.

Jennifer is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (ACMA) and has 30 years of accounting experience. Jennifer was a Finance Analyst for 15 years within The National Trust, responsible for budgets and reporting at property level and regional consolidation of budgets, accounts and visitor information for Devon and Cornwall.

During her four years with Reach South, Jennifer has developed a team that is focused on giving first-class support, is solutions focused, and ensures schools use their funding effectively for the benefit of pupils and staff. She is seen by colleagues as very approachable and works hard to facilitate sound solutions to problems and challenges. Personal development of the finance team is a high priority and, as part of this, formal and informal training is offered to ensure the team feels valued and is given the opportunity to grow. 

Nick is an experienced IT Professional with over 20 years of experience across both the education and enterprise IT sectors.  He is an experienced enterprise architect with extensive experience in digital transformation, platform consolidation and usage and deployment of AI technologies such as Machine Learning (ML) and Large Language Models (LLMs).

With a passion for digital inclusion, Nick brings a desire for building effective, secure and flexible infrastructure and a high performing IT services team, providing access to the latest technologies for our staff and pupils to enhance and drive performance and efficiency.

With over a decade of safeguarding experience across education, the fire service, and local authority, Sharna brings a deep understanding of the complexities of safeguarding and child protection.

As Head of Safeguarding, Sharna leads the strategic direction of safeguarding across all schools, working closely with our schools and external agencies to develop and sustain robust safeguarding frameworks that go beyond statutory requirements, focusing on preventative, child-centred approaches and embedding a reflective, positive safeguarding culture.  She is passionate about empowering school leaders with the confidence, knowledge, and tools to create inclusive, effective, and holistic safeguarding environments where children and staff thrive.

Tracey is an experienced HR practitioner with over 20 years in the field, holding a Level 7 CIPD qualification and MCIPD (Chartered Professional) accreditation. As a seasoned HR professional, she is passionate about empowering colleagues in their professional growth and equipping people leaders with the skills and confidence to support their teams in delivering a high-quality education for young people.

With a strong generalist background in all areas of People Management and senior leadership, Tracey is committed to driving positive change across the organisation. Her focus is on developing and implementing initiatives that foster great workplace cultures, enhance the employee experience, and prioritise staff wellbeing. Tracey strives to bring a strategic and compassionate approach to HR, ensuring that our workplace is a place where people feel valued, supported, and inspired.

Cate has over 30 years’ experience working as a Learning and Development and Career Management Professional, within the public, private and education sectors. She holds a degree, two Postgraduate Diplomas in Career Management and Information Management, along with the CIPD Diploma in Learning and Development and is trained and experienced in delivering NLP Coaching, psychometric testing, and instructional design.

Fascinated by the science of learning, Cate is passionate about supporting adults to develop within their professional roles and enabling them to make informed and positive career decisions.

As a member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply and with over 15 years of procurement and contract management experience, Steven has built a strong reputation for delivering strategic, compliant, and value-driven procurement solutions in complex public sector environments.

He brings deep expertise in public procurement regulations, supplier engagement, and cost optimisation to the education sector. Known for fostering collaborative relationships and driving continuous improvement, he is committed to supporting operational excellence and ensuring procurement delivers tangible benefits to staff, students, and the wider community.