Liz is Chief Executive at Initio Learning Trust.

As CEO, the Trust’s first, Liz is primarily responsible for raising standards across the trust and playing a key role in contributing to the development of the education system as a whole. Additional key responsibilities include developing partnerships with the wider community and collaborating with others to raise standards locally, establishing a culture promoting collaboration, ambition and respect, and identifying priorities for continuous improvement.

Liz was Headteacher at St John’s CE First School (Ofsted Outstanding July 2009, SIAMS Outstanding June 2014), a school within the trust, prior to becoming CEO of Wimborne Academy Trust and subsequently Initio Learning Trust from February 2023.

Liz has worked in the education sector in a variety of roles and has held a number of senior positions within Dorset.  She is a National Leader of Education (NLE), with schools in challenging circumstances across the country benefiting from her knowledge and experience. Liz sat on a number of Interim Executive Boards supporting schools on their improvement journey.  Liz was strategic lead for Wimborne Teaching School.

Liz was invited to sit on the Dorset Education Board, using local, regional and national evidence and research to inform its work to set a clear direction and a positive culture to support partners to deliver ambitious educational outcomes for all children and young people into adulthood.

Liz has an MBA in Educational Management.

Katharine is Associate Director at Initio Learning Trust.

She was appointed as Associate Director in July 2021 whilst remaining a headteacher within the Trust. In this role Katharine was responsible for the strategic leadership of First schools within the Trust, driving a culture of high expectations, improving standards and contributing to Trustwide priorities and standards.

Katharine is part of the Strategic Board for the Jurassic Maths Hub and has supported schools across the county and beyond to develop a mastery approach in Maths. Katharine has been deployed as a Local Leader in Education supporting the leadership of a school during a period of change and continues to provide school improvement support to schools both within and outside the Trust. Katharine is a serving ofsted inspector.

Katharine is a qualified teacher who has taught across the primary phase in both small and large schools since 1996, working in authorities across the country: East London, West Sussex, Southampton, Devon and Dorset.

From May 2023 to August 2024, Katharine was Executive Headteacher of Verwood CE First School and Merley First School, having previously been Headteacher of Merley First School since September 2019. Prior to that, she was Headteacher at St John's CE First School, Wimborne since 2015.   Katharine led Merley to be judged by Ofsted as good overall and outstanding in early years and personal development in November 2023. Katharine led St John’s to gain an Excellent SIAMS rating in June 2019.

Ross is Director of Resources and Company Secretary at Initio Learning Trust.

Ross is a highly experienced trust and school leader having been Business Director at a large secondary academy and teaching school in Hampshire from 2011 before joining this trust in 2015.

Ross was previously Finance Director for a large social housing group in the north of England. He has been a parent governor at a local special school since 2017 and previously served as a trustee of Abbeyfield Housing Society.

Having qualified at KPMG LLP in 2004, Ross is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, and he holds a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford. He is currently undertaking the National Professional Qualification in Executive Leadership with University College London.

Brian is Director of Education with responsibility for secondary education.

Brian has held a number of senior leadership positions and two headships in both community and Church of England schools. He has an honours degree in computational physics from the University of Bath, a postgraduate certificate in education from the University of Southampton and completed the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) in 2018.

He is currently studying a masters in business administration (MBA) with University College London.

Recent successes include working with two sponsored academies to complete their journey from Ofsted 'inadequate' to 'good'.

Laura is Director of Education with responsibility for primary education.

Laura holds a Bachelor of Education Degree (Honours) with over 25 years in the UK and international education system, having also been a CEO in Southeast Asia. Laura’s career has primarily been leading schools in challenging circumstances. Her track record as a Headteacher/Principal and CEO has improved the quality of teaching and learning and raised standards in a number of early years settings, primary and secondary schools.

Laura has also been a Lead Inspector for Ofsted and an Inspector for Church Schools. She has provided consultancy to education trusts and local authorities as well as project managing the design and build of schools including a centre for children requiring specialist provision.

Darren is Headteacher at St Michael’s CE Middle School.

Darren has been teaching since graduating from Exeter University in 1997 and has taught in middle schools for his entire career.  He is a subject specialist science teacher and has been the curriculum subject coordinator in two of the middle schools he has worked in.

He moved to Ferndown Middle School as an assistant headteacher in 2003 and was promoted to deputy headteacher in 2007.  He moved to St. Mary's C.E. Middle School in 2015 to take up the position of headteacher. He holds both the National Qualification for Headship (NPQH) and the National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership (NPQEL).

Darren is an advocate for middle schools and middle years education.  He has spoken at several national middle years conferences and is currently chair of the National Middle Schools Forum (NMSF) and the chairperson of the Dorset Area Middle Schools (DAMS) headteacher group.

Rebecca is the Interim Headteacher at Merley First School.

Rebecca has worked in Education since gaining a BA (Hons) in Primary Education in 2002.  She has worked in both Key Stage 1 and 2 in Surrey and Dorset.  During this time, she has led a variety of curriculum subjects, mentored ECT teachers and trainee students and held middle leader positions including Year 6 Year Leader. 

Rebecca joined Initio Learning Trust in January 2020. Since then, she has been involved in steering English and Curriculum Design across the trust and spent time working with trust colleagues.  Her love of English drove her to obtain a position as a Key Stage One moderator for Hampshire in 2023 and she is also a Deputy Safeguarding Lead.

Rebecca became the Assistant Headteacher at Merley First School in 2022, where she has taken a leading role in teaching and learning.  She successfully completed an NPQ in Leading Teacher Development in 2023 and supported the Merley team to secure a ‘Good’ grading in the latest Ofsted inspection.

Kate is Headteacher of Bridport St Mary’s CE Primary School.

Kate has led St Mary’s Primary since September 2018, having previously been Deputy Headteacher and SENCO at the school and a SENCO champion for Dorset.   

Kate is a Headteacher Advocate for the Jurassic Maths Hub, and an Edgehill University, Every Child Counts Mathematics Intervention Trainer with a Masters in Early Mathematical Intervention.  She trains schools across the county and beyond in evidence based maths interventions and has worked as a specialist leader in mathematics supporting schools in developing a mastery approach in Maths. She has also led training for NASEN (The National Association for Special Educational Needs).

Kate led St Mary’s Primary to gain an Excellent SIAMS rating in March 2023. Kate is now supporting other schools in the trust with church school flourishing.

Rob is Executive Headteacher at Emmanuel CE Middle School and Verwood First School and Nursery.

Rob began at Emmanuel Middle in September 2009 as Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for leading the Specialist Schools Strategy. This quickly expanded to the pastoral systems in school. In September 2013 he took on the role of Deputy Headteacher with responsibility for curriculum. The experiences provided him the platform to take on the role as Head of School and, following a review of responsibilities, Headteacher at Emmanuel Middle from January 2020. 

As Executive Headteacher from September 2024, this is an exciting opportunity for families within Verwood to enjoy a campus model and through education for children aged 2 to 13. 

Rob began his teaching career in a Bournemouth secondary school, spending 9 years at Portchester School for Boys. He was Head of PE and responsible for Initial Teacher Training before taking on the role of Advanced Skills Teacher.

In this role, he supported schools across Bournemouth and Poole with Assessment for Learning (AfL) techniques and assessment in addition to running teacher training within his setting.

Antonia is Headteacher at Lockyer's Middle School.

Antonia has been teaching since 2007. In 2008, she joined Allenbourn Middle School teaching a range of year groups and subjects, specialising in PE. During her 10 years at Allenbourn she gained experience as both a Head of Year and Head of PE. Antonia also worked mentoring GTP students, gained her Middle Leader qualification and became a Specialist Leader in Education.

In 2018, Antonia was appointed Deputy Headteacher at St John’s CE First School and worked closely with the Headteacher to gain an excellent SIAMS rating in June 2019. She took on responsibilities for teaching and learning, pupil premium and DSL. In February 2020, Antonia became Acting Headteacher of St John’s First School, with the role becoming permanent in 2021. 

In 2022, Antonia returned to the middle school phase and was appointed Headteacher at Lockyer’s Middle School, leading the school through a ‘Good’ Ofsted inspection in October 2022.

Adam is Headteacher at Burton Bradstock CE Primary School.

He started his teaching career in a large primary school where he taught in a number of year groups. He then moved into senior leadership when he was appointed as a KS1 leader. During this role, Adam became a Key Stage 1 moderator for Dorset Local Authority before moving to become Deputy Headteacher in a small village school. Whilst there, he completed his NPQH and then moved to become Deputy Headteacher at Bridport Primary School in Minerva Learning Trust. Adam was seconded to Burton Bradstock Primary in September 2021 and this position was made substantive early in 2022.

Over his career he has taken the lead role in a range of areas including Safeguarding, Pupil Premium, Curriculum and RE and Collective Worship. He has also worked with ITT providers to support student teachers and those new to the profession.

Dave is Headteacher at Hillside First School.

Dave brings extensive senior leadership experience accumulated over 14 years in various schools and multi-academy trusts across Dorset. Throughout his career, he has held numerous roles, including Specialist Leader for Education in maths and lead on English, Pupil Premium, and curriculum development.

Dave has successfully led whole-school initiatives focusing on behaviour management, feedback, maths, writing, increasing numbers on school roll and metacognition. His leadership has driven significant improvements in these critical areas, enhancing the overall educational experience for children.

In a previous trust, Dave spearheaded a comprehensive trust-wide initiative to implement a new project-based learning approach. This initiative aimed to develop essential 21st-century skills in children, preparing them to thrive in a rapidly changing world. As part of this role, Dave travelled to Houston, Texas, to observe and collaborate with staff at a local high school, gaining valuable insights and ideas.

Additionally, Dave played a key role in the planning and establishment of a new school in Bournemouth.

Dave is deeply passionate about providing every child with the opportunity to become the best version of themselves. He is committed to equipping children with the necessary skills to function as responsible citizens and achieve success in our ever-evolving world.

Laura is School Improvement Lead - Inclusion at Initio Learning Trust.

Laura leads on improving inclusion, including behaviour, attendance and SEN across the trust. As part of her role, she works with Local Authorities, other trusts and national bodies to facilitate change.

Laura is a qualified SENCo and holds an MA in Education. She was a finalist in the Pastoral Leader of the Year Award with NAPCE and was previously a Specialist Leader in Education for Behaviour and Inclusion. She has worked in primary, middle and secondary schools and sits as the SEN expert on Independent Review Panels nationally, as well as being vice-chair of governors for a local Learning Centre (PRU).

Her passion is to embed truly inclusive practice into every classroom.

Gillian is Resources Lead (West) at Initio Learning Trust.

Gillian is responsible for the smooth running of the day to day operations of the West hub and associated schools. 

Her primary responsibilities are to line manage the premises, finance, office and HR colleagues responsible for service delivery.

Gillian is the single point of contact and support for the West Schools and their leadership team.

Steve is Trust Resources Manager at Initio Learning Trust.

Stephen is one of two Trust Resources Managers working in the central team. He is a member of the Trusts SLT with responsibility for IT and Edtech, leading a team of IT support professionals and designing and implementing the Trust’s IT Strategy.

He has worked in education since 1998 in a wide variety of support roles from IT and Operations to Chief Operation Officer at a large secondary school. Stephen brings a wide range of school business management experience to the post including finance, HR, operations and IT.

Michaela is Headteacher at Bridport Primary School.

Michaela grew up in Bridport and then went on to study in Cardiff, beginning her career in Upton, Poole and then moving to Manor Park in Dorchester.  

She has taught and held leadership positions in several different schools; in 2015, she became the Head of School at Mrs Ethelston’s in Uplyme.  

In September 2019, the opportunity to lead Bridport Primary gave Michaela the chance to make a difference to the town she loved and grew up in.  

She feels very privileged to be headteacher at Bridport Primary School, working with a fantastic team and supportive community.

Mark is Headteacher at Allenbourn Middle School.

Prior to his appointment at Allenbourn Middle, Mark was Headteacher at Lockyer’s Middle School. In this role he led the school through the academy conversion process with the school joining our Trust in July 2018.

Mark has been a senior leader in three large Middle Schools taking his first Headship post in 2011. He has led a school on their improvement journey from Requires Improvement to Good and worked as a school leader in an outstanding school setting. 

Mark has completed his NPQH and worked in the role of School Improvement Partner for Dorset LA.  

Mark began his career in education in 1997 teaching in a successful primary school setting.

Tom is Headteacher at Queen Elizabeth’s School

Tom has many years experience in secondary education. He qualified in 2009 and has held leadership positions in a number of schools in the South-West of England. These have included Head of Department, Assistant Headteacher, Vice Principal and most recently Principal at another Dorset school.

Tom has a master’s degree in educational leadership (2013) and completed the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) in 2020.

Throughout Tom’s teaching career he has taught English to students aged 11-18. He has also worked as a mentor for new teachers, Pupil Premium lead, English as an Additional Language (EAL) lead and Extended Project Qualification assessor. Tom has also been involved in sports coaching and D of E expeditions and enjoys spending time outdoors when not in the classroom.

Tom led his previous school from an ‘Inadequate’ Ofsted judgement to ‘Good’ in 2023. He recognises the transformational impact that teachers can have on the lives of young people and wants to ensure that everyone can succeed at Queen Elizabeth’s School, regardless of their background or ability.

Kelly is Safeguarding Officer at Initio Learning Trust.

Kelly has strategic oversight of safeguarding across the Trust, keeps the CEO and Trust Board appraised of safeguarding risk, is responsible for quality assurance and the development of effective safeguarding standards and ensures that all schools across Initio Learning Trust are supported in relation to safeguarding.

Rachael is Trust Finance Manager at Initio Learning Trust.

Rachael joined the Trust in November 2019 as the Senior Finance Officer at Queen Elizabeth’s School. As a result of the restructuring of the Central Team she became the Finance Manager of the Trust schools in September 2020.

She leads the Central Finance Team and works closely with Headteachers and staff in our schools on all areas of finance. Her main responsibility is ensuring compliance with the Trust’s finance procedures.

Rachael graduated from Sheffield Hallam University with BA(Hons) in Business Studies and went on to qualify as a Chartered Management Account (CIMA) in 2006 working in London for JP Morgan as a Finance Analyst, and then as Group Accountant for Close Brothers, a UK Merchant Bank.

Michelle is Headteacher of St John's CE First School.

Michelle’s teaching career began in 2006. She joined St John’s CE First School as a class teacher in 2010 and became Deputy Headteacher in March 2020, then Headteacher in September 2023.

Michelle is a Mastery Specialist and Accredited Professional Development Lead for The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM).

She has also completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Educational Practice in Mathematics with the University of Chester. St John’s is a Maths – No Problem! accredited school and has led training on this and teacher research groups for Trust schools and beyond.

Adam is Headteacher at The Sir John Colfox Academy.

Adam has worked in education for more than 25 years in many different roles.  Prior to his Headship at Sir John Colfox from 2019, he was Acting Headteacher in another local school.  Adam has had numerous roles including Deputy Headteacher, Assistant Headteacher, Head of Department and a Maths and Computer Science teacher.

During his time in teaching he has always been happy to teach subjects outside his specialism and has taught A level Psychology and Philosophy as well develop Citizenship and the PSHE curriculum. In 2005, he published a resource book for Maths teachers called “ICT links – Maths”. He has also had articles published in computer teaching magazines as well as creating teaching resources for various companies including the National grid.

Adam first moved to Dorset in 2001 where he became part of the National Strategy consultant team for Dorset Council working with secondary schools including The Sir John Colfox Academy to develop their ICT curriculum.

He achieved a Masters of Education (MEd) in 2015 at the University of Exeter where his dissertation focused on meta cognition and motivation of students. He gained a postgraduate National Professional Qualification in Headship in 2007.

His main focus is improving the quality of education for all students in Bridport and giving everyone the best opportunities possible for them to succeed in the future. 

Olivia (Liv) is Trust Resources Manager at Initio Learning Trust.

Liv has responsibility for Trust HR, leading a small, specialist team who work closely with the Trust’s heads and school HR leads to deliver standardised, high quality HR and wellbeing practice and support throughout the Trust.

She has worked in education since 2011, starting in School Business Management then moving into a central position at Wimborne Academy Trust in 2017. Before becoming involved in the education sector, Liv had a career in business development and change management in the general and health insurance sectors. This background provides a breadth of commercial and business understanding which she brings into her role within the Trust.

Qualifying as a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD in 2022, has enabled Liv to bring a more strategic perspective to her role in the Trust.

Sharon is Executive Headteacher at Colehill First and Hayeswood First Schools, and Interim Executive Headteacher at Pamphill First and Witchampton First Schools.

She trained in Dublin and qualified in 1992. Having worked in various schools in Ireland, she came to the UK in 1998, where she completed her Masters. She has worked here since then in a range of educational settings, teaching classes from Reception to Year 6. She also spent 3 years working at Bournemouth and Poole College on the National Diploma of Early Years programme.

More recently, Sharon was Headteacher at Milborne St Andrew First School, and prior to that was Assistant Headteacher at Hillside Community First School, but known then as Mrs Hunt.

During her career, Sharon has taken on the lead role for various subjects, however Safeguarding, Special Needs, Pastoral Support and Behaviour are her key areas of interest and expertise.

She is passionate about building positive relationships and making each day count, to enable everyone to be the best version of themselves.

Jo is Executive Assistant to the CEO and Director of Education (Secondary) at Initio Learning Trust.

Jo joined the then Wimborne Academy Trust in April 2015 as PA to the CEO and Business Director and Clerk to the Trust Board/Committees.  

She has worked in both the public and private sectors, including PA to the Deputy Group Chief Executive of Thirteen Housing Group, the largest group of housing associations in the North East, in the top 25 nationally and one of the top 10 employers in the North East of England.  

Jo graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Social Studies and has a Certificate in School Business Management and Diploma in Administrative Management.

Prior to PA/administration positions, Jo worked in education with responsibility for management of the free nursery entitlement budget across the private childcare sector on behalf of Hartlepool Borough Council.  She held the position of Business Support Officer to the childcare sector at the same local authority.

Sarah is Clerk to the Trust at Initio Learning Trust.

Sarah joined the Trust in September 2017.

She provides clerking and governance support to the Members, the Trust Board and its committees. She liaises with the Executive Team and local school committees through contact with headteachers, local school committee chairs and clerks, and supports governance training and recruitment processes.

Sarah completed the ISBL Professional Clerking Programme in 2020. Prior to working for the Trust, Sarah’s background was in financial services compliance and regulation.

Kate is Executive Assistant to the Director of Education (Primary) and CPD Lead at Initio Learning Trust.

Kate joined the then Minerva Learning Trust in November 2021. Prior to her current role within the Trust, she was clerical assistant and Clerk to the Local School Committees, west-based schools. 

Kate graduated with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art.

She previously worked in the Luxury Sector for 15 years at De Beers Group as HR Advisor, EA to the CEO and Product and Services Manager.