Central team

Kate Watson - Chief Executive Officer

Kate is an experienced Headteacher who is passionate about school improvement. She has worked as an Executive Head and a consultant Headteacher in both church and non-church schools across Nottinghamshire. As Chief Executive Officer of the Aspire MAT. Kate has considerable experience in senior school leader training and implementing school improvement programmes. She has previously been headteacher at two of our academies.

Kate is driven by the guiding principle that children must remain at the heart of every decision made by our leaders at all levels.

Kate Hall - Head of School Improvement

Kate is an experienced primary school leader and has been Headteacher at Scotholme Primary School since 2006, having taught and led across a range of schools in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and the Scottish Highlands.

Kate holds the NPQH and NPQEL, alongside qualifications in coaching, and has led school improvement across SHINE since 2019. As Head of School Improvement, she works closely with Headteachers and school leaders across the Trust, coordinating expertise and supporting schools to continually improve.

Heather Detheridge - Chief Financial Officer

Heather trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers, giving her a strong grounding in audit, financial controls and assurance. She has worked across a range of commercial organisations, building broad experience in management accounting, reporting and governance.

Since joining Aspire in 2017, Heather has led the Trust’s financial sustainability, compliance and assurance, providing strategic financial leadership and supporting Headteachers and Academy Business Managers across the Trust.

Sarah Brown - Head of Financial Management

Sarah is an experienced education finance professional, having joined SHINE Multi Academy Trust as Chief Finance Officer in 2016. Prior to this, she worked as a School Business Manager and within Nottingham City Council’s Schools Finance Team, supporting schools with financial management and accounting.

Sarah is a qualified member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (MAAT) and brings extensive school and academy finance experience to her role across the Trust.

Lauren Cartwright - Head of HR

Lauren began her career working within a primary school office before moving into a central Trust role, where she developed experience across administration, business management and HR.

Lauren leads the Trust’s HR function, supporting Headteachers and colleagues across all aspects of staffing, recruitment, retention and change management. She is passionate about providing a respectful, compassionate and people-centred HR service and creating a positive and supportive culture across the Trust.

Vanessa Nutter -  Head of Operations

Vanessa is an experienced education business and operations professional, with over 15 years’ experience across school and Trust operations, business management and strategic planning.

Vanessa leads and supports operational delivery across the Trust, with extensive experience in areas including estates, compliance, data protection, school conversion and organisational development. She is passionate about creating consistent and effective systems that support schools and enable leaders to remain focused on achieving the very best outcomes for pupils.

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Board of Directors/Trustees

Colin Anderson

Barrister (retired) specialising in family and child care law and personal injury. Colin brings experience and knowledge of legal issues relating to families and child care, especially involving communities with high levels of deprivation and social care needs.

He was a Governor for over 14 years at Worksop College and Ranby House School with pupils from ages 3-18; and for the last 10 of those years was the Chairman of the Board of Governors. Colin has a lifelong involvement in sport and music.

 

Sam Clulow

Sam is a business owner with experience of establishing and maintaining a sustainable business within a regulated environment. He brings commercial and financial knowledge to the Board, together with an understanding of compliance and the challenges facing growing organisations.

Sam is a Company Director and Financial Adviser at Park View Financial Services Ltd and a non-shareholding Director at John Clulow (Frames) Ltd.

Keith Daniell

Former journalist and television presenter. Managing Director of media company. Past parent governor at East Bridgford St. Peter’s Academy. Vice-Chair of Aspire MAT Board.
Keith brings business, communication and management skills to the MAT Board.

 

 

 

Nigel Frith

Nigel is the Director of Education for the Diocese of Southwell & Nottingham. Previously Nigel was the Principal of Drumragh Integrated College, a secondary school in Omagh, Northern Ireland. His professional career started in 1985 as an English teacher. His interests include great music and good coffee. His heroes include Jesus Christ above all, but also Martin Luther King and Snoopy

 

 

Peter Golightly

Retired Pharmacist – national prescribing strategy.
Chair of Aspire MAT Board and 35 year’s experience of school governance. Peter brings public sector finance, workforce planning, staff management, IT, governance and school management skills to the MAT Board.

 

 

 

Claire Meese

Church of England Operations Manager
Former Diocesan Director of Education, headteacher and Ofsted inspector.
Claire brings educational strategy and management skills to the Board. She also has experience and knowledge of Church of England (national and diocese) schools and education strategy, and of developing church-school relationships.

Claire enjoys working with children and young people and is passionate about improving children’s life chances.
 

Robert (Eddie) Pearce 

Eddie is an ACA-qualified accountant with extensive senior finance experience across the education and financial services sectors. He has spent more than a decade with Greenwood Academies Trust, including a number of years as Chief Financial Officer, where he has led the strategic approach to finance and developed the Trust’s financial infrastructure through a period of significant growth.

Prior to working in education, Eddie held senior finance and operational roles within the financial services sector, including 12 years with Capital One Bank, following the start of his career in professional accountancy.

Benjamin Potgieter

HR Director for Nottingham City Transport

Former posts include HR Lead (Divisional Head of HR at Galliford Try PLC – housebuidling and construction group; HR manager for Encompass Consultancy, and Senior ER Adviser to Boots UK

Brings broad HR management and leadership experience at strategic executive level and in depth knowledge of employment law.
 

Rich Sewell

Director of Rock UK Christian outdoor centre for children based in Northamptonshire
Rich has a wide range of business development/management and finance skills, and experience within educational services and of Christian and team leadership, workforce planning  and staff management.

Rich served as a parent-governor at his local High School; Huxlow Science Academy, Irthlingborough as well as the IFLP (Irthlingborough Finedon Learning Partnership) from 2011 – 2017, as well as the vice-chair of governors for an education facility; Hinwick Hall (Livability) for disabled young adults. Rich is also a Northants Police Chaplain, serving in this role since 2018.

Pat Woodfield

Pat has extensive senior leadership experience across HR, people and organisational development, including roles as a Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer. She currently works as Group Executive Director for People & Culture with YMCA Robin Hood Group and also has consultancy experience in HR and business.

Pat brings significant experience of working with people, organisational culture and leadership to the Board and is committed to supporting organisations whose purpose and values align with her own.