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• Grace Healy
  Director of Teaching School Hub
  Grace Healy

  Grace is the Director of DRET Teaching School Hub and Curriculum Director at David Ross Education Trust. As Curriculum Director, Grace leads a curriculum team of Trust-wide subject leaders in Trust-wide curriculum and teacher development and works closely with Principals to sustain a model for continuously renewing all aspects of curriculum intent, to build capacity in senior curriculum leadership, and to ensure a culture of subject-sensitivity and disciplinary rigour pervades all work on teacher development.

  In her previous role, she led a Trust-wide geography subject community across 13 primary and secondary schools and contributed to the leadership of a SCITT. She has held academic and pastoral leadership roles, served as a primary and secondary school governor, and holds a Masters of Education from the University of Cambridge. Grace is currently undertaking a PhD at the UCL Institute of Education.

  Grace serves on the board of trustees of the Royal Geographical Society as Honorary Secretary (Education). She chairs the Geographical Association's Teacher Education Phase Committee and is Treasurer of the Geography Education Research Collective (GEReCo) with UK International Geographical Union Commission on Geographical Education (IGU-CGE). She also serves on British Educational Research Association's (BERA) Publication Committee and the editorial boards of the London Review of Education and The Curriculum Journal.

• Kat Howard
  Head of Professional Learning
  Kat Howard

  Kat joined the Trust in Kat joined the Trust in June 2020 as Head of Professional Learning. Preceding her appointment, Kat led staff professional development, coaching, ITT and strategic lead of English teaching across a Trust. Over the course of her career to date, she has held subject leadership roles within secondary schools, and taken oversight of higher attainment provision, secondary literacy and subject level professional development. Prior to working in the education sector, Kat held the role of Regional Area Manager for a leading High Street Bank, overseeing the provision and implementation of recruitment policy, retention initiative and monitoring of standards for the region. Kat is currently undertaking a Masters in Expert Teaching with Ambition Institute.  

   

  Kat is Founder of the registered charity Litdrive, providing subject-level professional development to English teachers within the UK. She currently holds the position of Expert Advisor for the national charity Teacher Development Trust, contributing to the design and development of the reformed NPQ Leadership suite. Kat serves as a Regional Ambassador for the Maternity Paternity Project and holds the position of school governor. She is author of two best-selling educational books and speaks at a number of different events about professional development, curriculum and workload, supporting schools with effective ways to bring about improving the staff and the student experience through a high quality curriculum offer in schools.

• Alia Waters
  Teaching School Hub Coordinator
  Alia Waters

  Alia joined DRET Teaching School Hub in May 2021 as Teaching School Hub Coordinator.   Alia previously worked for a local Teaching School where she developed a passion for Initial Teacher Training. In the role she would collaborate and work closely with Teaching School Alliance partner schools and universities' to implement, support and evaluate the ITT provision.   Her area of expertise are routes in to teaching, ITT application and interview support.   Alia is also experienced in school administration processes, finance and providing Personal Assistance to Senior Leaders.

• Catherine Thompson
  Teaching School Hub Coordinator
  Catherine Thompson

  Catherine joined DRET TSH in May 2021 as a Teaching School Hub Coordinator. Catherine joined us having previously worked across two Teaching Schools in North and North East Lincolnshire. Catherine has an extensive knowledge of supporting the NPQ suite of programmes and a passion, more broadly, for working in roles that support teachers' and school leaders' professional development. In her previous role she was accountable for the day-to-day running of a Teaching School office including finance, data and event management.

• Mark Neild
  Chair of Strategic Board
  Mark Neild

  Mark joined the Trust in November 2018 as Deputy Chief Executive & Director of Secondary. Mark has considerable senior leadership experience within the education sector and a strong track record in school improvement. Prior to his appointment, Mark was also a Trustee of the David Ross Education Trust.

  Mark has overseen the introduction of The DRET Way Secondary, an articulated vision of school improvement across the secondary schools in the Trust.

  Prior to joining the David Ross Education Trust, Mark was Deputy CEO and Director of Secondary for Unity Schools Partnership. He has also held senior school-based leadership roles within Inspiration Trust.

  Mark has led a Trust-wide school review programme, acted as an educational lead whilst setting up a new school and is a trained Ofsted Inspector. He was also a delegate on the Shanghai Maths exchange programme in September 2014 and was a member of the Commission on Assessment Without Levels at the Department for Education.

• Simon Rose
  Vice Chair of Strategic Board
  Simon Rose

  Simon is the Trust's executive director of primary education, leading 23 academies (including 1 outstanding special school) under the Trust's primary division. Simon has significant experience of school and systems leadership at director and headteacher level in a career spanning more than two decades, and has an MA with distinction in educational leadership and management from the University of Nottingham. Simon also worked at director level for Buckinghamshire County Council during 2015. In his time as executive director of primary education at the David Ross Education Trust, Simon has been fortunate to work with a talented team of school leaders, teachers and support staff in leading our primary arm from below national performance measures to significantly above, with 69% KS2 combined and above average progress in all subjects (2019). Simon's priority is leading a positive culture where leaders and teachers at all levels drive improvement, and where the power of a knowledge-rich curriculum drives ambitious expectations for all pupils. 91% of our primary schools are judged good or better (including under the new inspection framework), improved from 61% when Simon joined.

• Helena Brothwell
  Chair of Partnership Board
  Helena Brothwell

• Sarah Bates
  Vice Chair of Partnership Board
  Sarah Bates

  Sarah joined the Trust in May 2019 as a Regional Director for 6 Primary schools in Daventry and Lincolnshire as well as Eresby Special School. She also has strategic leadership for Professional Development across the Trust.

  Previous to joining DRET Sarah has held Headship and Executive Headship roles as well as School Improvement Lead for a Diocesan MAT in the Midlands area.

  Sarah has considerable leadership experience leading two schools from special measures to outstanding and good with outstanding leadership. In her role as school improvement lead she led a group of schools to improve outcomes for all pupils, developing professional development programmes to improve teaching and learning.

  As well as leading professional development at DRET, Sarah also leads NQT and RQT development. She believes this crucial role will ensure the Trust have high quality teachers for the future.

  Sarah is passionate about making a difference to the lives of children by ensuring that every child in a DRET school has an outstanding education.

• Michael Trussell
  School Direct Partnerships Lead
  Michael Trussell

  Michael started his career as an NQT in the David Ross Education Trust at Havelock Academy in 2009, initially as a Teacher of ICT and then taking up the post of Assistant Principal in May 2015. During his time at Havelock Academy, Michael has held various leadership positions including Head of Key Stage 3, Subject Leader of ICT and Director of IT.

   

  In his current role as Assistant Principal, Michael has overseen the implementation of successful early careers teacher CPD programmes, established strong partnerships with a variety of ITE partners across Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire and implemented at Havelock the early rollout of the ECF Framework. He has also been a part of the University of Hull's PGCE Secondary Standing Committee. Since 2018, Michael has led on the Trust's Northern SchoolDirect Partnerships.

   

  In 2005, Michael was recognised by the British Computer Society for his performance in A-level ICT, collecting an award at a special event held in London for achieving the top mark for the qualification across all candidate entries. Michael was also nominated for the award of 'Teacher of the Year in a Secondary School' as part of the Pearson Teaching Awards in 2018.