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Who We Are

We are a community of leaders who learn, grow, and lead in partnership with one another and we look forward to working with you! Some of the inspirational leaders supporting our partnership are listed below:

Will Smith

Will is CEO of the Greenshaw Learning Trust working to support schools across the South of England. Previously Headteacher at Greenshaw High School and Leader of PiXL, Will is a passionate science teacher, husband to a BBC newsreader and father of three children whose development has formed the basis of many an inspirational talk! 

Jeremy Turner

Jeremy has over 20 years of experience working in a diverse range of secondary schools in Inner and Outer London and Hertfordshire and over 15 years’ experience of school leadership at a senior level.  He has been a Lead Strategic Partner in four teaching and learning partnerships and consortiums, served on the Barnet School Forum and at a regional level on various Educational Management Committees. He has participated in Local Authority Strategic Reviews and worked at a National Level on the Strategic Board of Partners in Excellence (PiXL) for 10 years.

He has supported the work of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and the National Leadership College speaking at many conferences and developing the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) and Senior Leadership Development programmes.

Josie Mingay

Josie is School Improvement Lead on Literacy & Language for Greenshaw Learning Trust. She was trained in primary and has since transitioned to Secondary English and SEN, delivering intensive SEN support to weaker readers. She has designed and led a number of significant whole-school language programmes in various schools which are having impact across the curriculum.

Josie regularly delivers bespoke CPD and conference sessions in the core areas of vocabulary, reading, writing and oracy. She is passionate about offering the best quality training and support for staff, which ultimately feeds into the provision of high quality education for students.

Ben Parnell

Ben has successfully led 9 secondary schools across the South of England and has worked for some of the largest MATs in the UK. Ben's record of rapid school improvement is second to none achieved through a steely determination mixed with an equal measure of humanity and humility.

Izzy Ambrose

Izzy Ambrose is Headteacher at Yate Academy. Since her appointment in January 2018, Izzy has overseen a transformation at the school. She has supported and led her staff and community to some of the very best GCSE outcomes in Summer 2018 in South Gloucestershire and with the right blend of challenge and support, has inspired her staff to believe that even more success is possible.

Manny Botwe

Manny is Headteacher at Tytherington School, Macclesfield. Born, raised and educated in South London, he attended a comprehensive school and then went to Corpus Christi College, Oxford where he read Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE). Prior to joining Tytherington School, Emmanuel was Deputy Headteacher for Raising Standards in a semi-rural school in South Oxfordshire where he had oversight of achievement at Key Stage 4. During his time there, the school moved into the top 3% of all state schools for progress made at GCSE. Prior to this, he taught in an inner city comprehensive in East Oxford.

He has been Headteacher at Tytherington School for just over three years. His leadership was described as “inspirational and dynamic” in their most recent Ofsted inspection.

His outside interests include Arsenal Football club and charity work. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Poynton, Cheshire.

Leann Swaine

Leann Swaine is Headteacher at East Barnet School in North London. She is passionate about the power of education and equality of opportunity for all. With a master’s in education, completing the ‘Future Leaders’ programme, and undertaking the Ambition School Leadership programme ‘Headship Now with NPQH’, Leann complemented her training with experience in senior leadership roles at Immauel College, Robert Clack School, and Globe Academy. She became Headteacher in September 2019.  A passionate and resilient leader, Leann is determined to make a positive difference to the life chances of the young people in her care. Leann believes that with motivation, hard work and resilience sprinkled with a little kindness anything really is possible.

Nick House

Nick is headteacher of Greenshaw High School in Sutton, a large mixed comprehensive in a highly selective outer London borough. Described by Ofsted as having "impressive clarity and drive" he is committed to creating sustained school improvement through a focus on teacher improvement and raising the expectation of what is possible for pupils and staff. 

Nick has worked across a range of networks, always believing in the positive potential for collaboration and cooperation.  In the last six months this has included coordinating activities in secondary schools across Sutton developing public safety for young people and acting as lead for a cluster of schools and the NHS on improving young people's mental health in South West London. 

Joe Ambrose

Joe Ambrose is Headteacher at Henbury School and School Improvement Leader for Assessment and Curriculum at the Greenshaw Learning Trust. He is responsible for ‘question level analysis’ across the trust, supports and develops curriculum policies, and quality assures programmes of study and schemes of work.