Leadership Team
Chief Executive Principal, Executive Principal, Associate Executive Principal & Academy Principal
Julie Slater - Chief Executive Principal
Julie Slater is the Chief Executive Principal - Secondary for Outwood Grange Academies Trust, and a National Leader of Education. She has a proven track record of leading an ‘Outstanding’ school as Principal at Outwood Grange Academy and has consi...
Dr Philip Smith - Executive Principal
Dr Philip Smith is an Executive Principal. Dr Smith has a degree in Theoretical Physics, a Masters in School Leadership and a Doctorate in the Transformational Leadership of Schools. He was the Principal of Outwood Academy Portland from Janu...
Carolyn Blundell - Associate Executive Principal
Carolyn Blundell is an Associate Executive Principal who has responsibility for the southern academies within the Trust. Carolyn is as a National Leader of Education and led, with Martyn Oliver, Outwood Academy Adwick on its journey from requiring...
Andrew Downing - Principal
Having completed his Biomedical Chemistry degree in Sheffield and PGCE in Sciences at the University of Huddersfield, Andrew has a wealth of teaching experience securing his first teaching position in 1999 as a Newly Qualified Teacher. Andrew was ...
Senior Leadership Team
Julia Pinder - Vice Principal
Julia completed her teaching degree at Sheffield Hallam University, her specialism is Chemistry. She went on to study and complete her Masters in Leadership and Management and then completed the National SEND qualification and the NPQH. Julia has ...
Danielle Sheehan - Regional Vice Principal
Danielle is excited to be undertaking the role of Vice Principal across the Southern Region. Danielle's remit is to ensure all schools are collaborative learning schools. She wholeheartedly believes that when students learn from one another and i...
Lucy Cooper - Associate Vice Principal
Having completed a mathematics degree at University of Sheffield, Lucy completed a PGCE (secondary mathematics) at Sheffield Hallam University in 1994. She has taught in a wide range of schools across South Yorkshire, gaining a wealth of teaching ...
Chelsea Allen - Assistant Principal
Driven by the fervent belief that demography doesn’t have to be destiny and that the attainment gap which is so entrenched in our society is not inevitable, Chelsea began her teaching career on the TeachFirst programme in 2011 at Outwood Academy S...
Ryan Sheehan - Assistant Principal
After graduating from Sheffield Hallam University with a degree in Physical Education and Youth Sport and QTS Ryan began his teaching career at The City School in 2006 as a newly qualified teacher. Ryan quickly progressed to hold a number of leade...
Scott Morton - Assistant Principal
Scott believes passionately that all students should have access to an excellent education, irrespective of their background, starting point or postcode. It is this belief that motivated Scott to enter the teaching profession, through the Teach Fi...
Jane Jones - Business Manager
Jane has a long standing connection with The City School having attended as a pupil in the 1980s. She joined the City School staff in 2004 as the Examinations and Cover Manager after leaving her career at Royal Mail as a Finance and Admin Manager....
James Colliver - Associate Assistant Principal
James started his journey at Outwood Academy City, formerly The City School, in 2006 as a Cover Supervisor before joining the Inclusion Team as a Learning Manager in 2009. During his time at the Academy, James has held several responsibilities but...
Joanne Tapper - Associate Assistant Principal
Jo joined Outwood Academy City in February 2015 as Learning Manager after an eight year career working with communities and young people across the city. During her time at Outwood she has been responsible for ensuring her year group graduate, tak...
Louise Parkin - Associate Assistant Principal
Louise completed a Maths and Education B/Ed (Hons) degree at Sheffield Hallam University followed by a PGCE in Inclusion. She graduated in 1993 and has worked in a variety of different schools. From the early stages of Louise’s career she has held...
Luke Rawson - Associate Assistant Principal
Graduating from Liverpool John Moore’s with a degree in Secondary Physical Education with QTS, Luke started his career at Outwood Academy City, formerly The City School, in 2010 as a Cover Supervisor and Physical Education teacher. Spending a lot...
Natalie Hall - Associate Assistant Principal
After graduating from Sheffield Hallam University with a degree in Education Studies, Natalie started her journey at Outwood Academy City, formerly The City School, in 2005 as a Cover Supervisor before joining the Inclusion team as a pastoral head...
Directors
Claire Attrill - Regional SEND Officer
Claire Attrill has a degree in human psychology and a Post Graduate Certificate in Special Educational Needs Coordination. She has worked with children and young people with special educational needs over the past 10 years across a variety of sect...
Ben Barnes - Director of Computer Science
Ben is the Director of Computer Science and SLE responsible for the delivery of the subject across the trust. He has a BSc in Computing from the University of Leeds and was a successful Head of Department at Outwood Grange Academy in Wakefield. Be...
Erin Braithwaite - Director of the Arts
Erin Braithwaite is Director of Performing Arts, supporting the delivery of Drama and Dance across the Trust, as well as working closely with the Senior Director of Arts to ensure students within the Trust have access to outstanding opportunities ...
Karen Bretton - Associate Director of English
Karen was appointed Associate Director of English in January 2018. She works as part of a strong and effective group of English Directors and is deployed to different academies across the Trust. A key part of Karen’s role is to support and wo...
Kathryn Hawkins - Associate Director of MFL
Kathryn started her teaching career in Leeds in 2010, before spending four years in London teaching languages, as Head of Department and Assistant Principal. In 2016 she returned to Yorkshire to become Associate Director of MFL with Outwood Grange...
Tristan Kirkpatrick - Associate Director of Computer Science
Tristan is an Associate Director of Computer Science and Head of the Computer Science Department at Outwood Grange Academy. Tristan splits his time between Outwood Grange Academy and working with departments at other schools in the trust. Tristan ...
Louise McGrother - Associate Director of Maths
Louise believes that all students should leave school with the confidence, skills and ability to engage with the maths they experience in their every day lives. She is passionate about engaging students with maths and helping to build the confide...
Nick Veal - Associate Director of Humanities
Nick is an Associate Director of Humanities with history as his specialism. Nick has a BA in Middle Eastern History from Manchester University. He has had a pastoral role as a Head of Year and been a successful Head of Humanities in two schools, i...
Melissa Wilkinson - Regional Director of Attendance
Regional Director of Attendance (South)
