Core 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.

Heather Detheridge - Chief Financial Officer

Vanessa Nutter - Operations and HR Officer

Vanessa is an established education business management professional, she is solution focused and goal driven, offering over 15 years of experience in educational business management, administration, operations and HR.

She has a wealth of knowledge that extends to day-to-day operations, school conversion and strategic school planning.

Vanessa provides vital support across the Trust and is passionate about the delivery of consistent operations to support all schools to ensure the very best possible outcomes for our pupils.

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.

  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.

  Benjamin Potgieter

HR Director for Nottingham City Transport

  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.

Aspire Lead Practitioners (ALP)

Lauren Dean: Aspire Social Worker and Safeguarding Compliance Officer

Lauren is a qualified Social Worker who is passionate about Safeguarding and has worked with children and families for over 7 years. She has spent time working for two Local Authorities in the East Midlands as well as the past two years at Oak Tree Primary School as an Education Social Worker. The safeguarding and the protection of our children, young people and staff is a key priority and is at the heart of all Lauren does. 

Allison Gibbens: Aspire Lead Practitioner for Early Years

As an experienced Early Years and former KS1 lead, working in three schools across Nottinghamshire, I have spent most of my teaching career in the Foundation Stage and see it as a true privilege.  Teaching in both F1 and F2 classes and working alongside others in a number of roles, I believe that developing a strong pedagogy through training, support and discussion is imperative to ensuring all children are given the opportunity to thrive.

Kelly Beanland: Aspire Lead Practitioner for Teaching & Learning and Curriculum Development

As well as being the Aspire Lead Practitioner for Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, Kelly also supports the Minster Learning Alliance as a ‘Minster Leader of Education’ (MLE), where she delivers their Teaching and Learning Programme and school-to-school support. She is also an accredited Key Stage 1 moderator for Nottinghamshire County Council. Kelly has experience in supporting schools with curriculum development, subject leadership and Ofsted preparation, and supporting schools in Special Measures. She is part of our Aspire due-diligence team, leading on curriculum deep dives, subject leader interviews and curriculum effectiveness.

Claire Bills: Aspire Lead Practitioner for Christian Distinctiveness, SIAMS and Vision, Values and Ethos

Claire is an experienced head of a Church of England school who has guided her own school successfully through SIAMS and completed the CofEPQH qualification in 2019.  She has worked across a range of community schools prior to working at Gunthorpe CofE Primary and is a committed Christian.  Ensuring that all schools in the trust have a clear vision that is lived out, but that all Aspire Church schools have a distinctly Christian and theologically rooted vision, is something that she is deeply passionate about.  She is also a member of the Diocese Board of Education and is constantly looking for new and exciting ways to ensure all Aspire schools provide “Life in all its fullness”.

David Owen Jones: Aspire Lead Practitioner for Maths

David is an experienced KS2 teacher and as well as being the Aspire Lead Practitioner for Maths, he is also the Primary Maths subject tutor for the Torch SCITT. David is an accredited teaching for Mastery Specialist and has experience in supporting over 20 schools in developing and embedding Teaching for Mastery. As part of the Chinese-English teacher exchange programme, David hosted teachers from Shanghai and also spent 2 weeks in Shanghai, studying and observing best practice.

Paula Findlay: Aspire Lead Practitioner for R.E.

Paula is an experienced teacher who has worked in a variety of faith schools. She currently leads RE at Gunthorpe Primary school where she has developed, with the children, an effective worship and wellbeing group that aims to involve children more in collective worship and for the pupils to take an active role in developing prayer and reflection spaces in school. As a committed Christian, she is actively involved in her local church, where in her role as a catechist, she nurtures and explores faith with the young people in her community and also sits on her church’s parish council.

Aspire Support Consultants

Mel Brown: Aspire Leadership and Wellbeing Coach 

Mel has worked extensively as a mentor and coach in the education sector with staff, student teachers and pupils for over 20 years. Most recently, her leadership roles have included working as a Head of School and Deputy Head. This has put her in a great position to recognise the wonder of school leadership whilst also acknowledging the pressures that such a role can generate.  

Mel is a qualified Executive Coach and Mentor (ILM Level 7) and works with leaders across all phases of education. Her philosophy is one of empowerment, supporting Head Teachers and school leaders to make progress towards their desired goals, improve their self-awareness and positively affect wellbeing. In addition, she works with aspiring leaders and those seeking the next stage in their career development. Mel believes coaching is an excellent strategy to improve wellbeing, workload and performance within any establishment, especially at a time where schools face increasing challenges.