MEET THE TRUST BOARD

Angie Holden (Chair)

Angie is a qualified and experienced Human Resources professional whose career has spanned over 30 years in the education sector.

During her career she has held a number of senior HR positions within the Local Authority focussing on school improvement.  Angie has a proven track record of having worked successfully with leaders and governors in a range of settings including early years, primary, special and secondary schools and academies.  She has forged trusting and productive relationships with trade unions at both local and regional level.  Angie is experienced in dealing with all aspects of employee relations and has a full understanding of School Teacher’s Pay and Conditions, and the Burgundy and Green Book conditions of service.

Since 2005, Angie has been working on a self-employed basis as an HR Consultant successfully supporting schools across a number of local authorities.

Stuart Haynes (vice-chair)

Stuart has worked for 30 years in various communications roles.  He started his career working for various housing associations, and for the last 12 years he has worked for the Church of England in Liverpool.  As Director of Communications for the Diocese of Liverpool and Liverpool Cathedral he has built a small team of communications professionals to develop and manage the reputation of both communities.  Stuart has been involved in a wide range of communication events, such as supporting the announcement of the Hillsborough Independent Panel’s findings. 

Over the last five years Stuart has served as Assistant Diocesan Secretary to the Diocese of Liverpool with an operational brief to find improvements in organisational performance and to oversee a range of internal delivery teams.  He also has operational responsibility for asset management across the diocesan portfolio including the management and maintenance of vicarages.

Eno Akinyande

Eno works in School Finance as Group Finance Manager for School Improvement Liverpool, where she is responsible for setting budgets for education services and schools across the city.  She ensures compliance with financial processes such as budget setting, closedown and financial management, working closely with various senior leadership teams and Liverpool’s Schools Forum.

Eno is a foundation Governor of Archbishop Blanch School and has worked as an external auditor and internal auditor in her previous roles.  She is active in her local church where she plays the keyboards and sings.

Eno has a particular interest in the financial educaiton of young people.

Paul Cronin MEd NPQH

Paul has worked in Special Educational Needs with both children and adults in four different coutnries and for 40 years.

Between 1981 and 1987, Paul worked with adults and children with learning disabilities in France, Ireland, the UK and Australia.  He qualified as an RNMH (Registered Nurse for people with learning disabilities) in 1985.

Between 1987 and 1991, he completed a 4-year BEd in Outdoor Education and Environmental Science at Liverpool Polytechnic.  (Paul also completed a MEd in Education Management at Hope University in 1998, and the NPQH in 2000.)

From 1991, Paul worked for four Local Authorities (Wirral, Bolton, St. Helens and Liverpool), always in the field of SEND, in primary, secondary and all-age schools.  He served as a Headteacher for 20 years, initially at an all age school for pupils with severe learning difficulties for in St Helens, and latterly as Headteacher at Redbridge High School where he led the school through four consecutive ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted inspections.  The school was awarded Specialist School Status for Cognition and Learning, Teaching School status, and delivered the Schools Direct programme as part of the Merseyside SEN Alliance.

At various times Paul was seconded to St Helens and Liverpool Local Authorities, and he also worked for Lancashire as a School Improvement Partner.

He chaired the Merseyside SLD Schools Network for a number of years and also served as the chair of the Association of Liverpool Special School Headteachers.

Sue Cronin

Sue Cronin is currently the Director of Accreditation and Quality for the School of Education at Liverpool Hope University.  She has spent more than 25 years in education holding a variety of posts in schools and at Hope, where she has also served as Head of Teacher Education and Director of Quality and Teacher Development.

Sue has a background in secondary mathematics teaching in a variety of Liverpool schools before joining the Liverpool advisory team.  At Hope she originally taught on a range of modules from undergraduate mathematics to foundation degree courses for Teaching Assistants.  She then moved on to PGCE programmes, developing master’s mathematics education modules and CPD projects such as MaST (Primary Mathematics specialist teachers).

Most recently her teaching has involved leading on Masters programmes focused on mentoring and coaching and teacher’s professional development.  This work aligns with Sue’s main accreditation activities which include supporting schools and leaders across the north-west through their involvement with University Teacher Educators and Initial Teacher Educaiton.

As part of her Strategic Partnership work Sue sits on various committees and steering groups including Formatio (focused on promoting the formation of teachers, leaders and governors in Catholic education) and the north-west Catholic Dioceses Training Partnership.  Sue also represents the university on the Millionplus Deans of Education Group and The University Cathedral Group Education committee.

Sue’s current research interests and publications are focused on aspects of Teacher Education, such as coaching and mentoring, school leadership and partnership.  She is currently researching the impact of the Early Careers Framework policy on schools and mentors, and has recently published initial findings in the International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching.

Most recently Sue has been asked to become an expert member of the Department for Education’s External Reference Group, advising on a review of initial teacher training and early career frameworks, first launched in 2019.

Stewart Crowe

Stewart joined Liverpool University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (LUFHT) in 2021.  A Chartered Fellow of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), Stewart leads the strategic direction, the vision and ethos for fire safety and health and safety management at LUHFT.

Stewart is an accomplished professional with a BSc in Occupational Health and Safety Management, a Diploma in Environmental Management and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA).  He has a wide range of experience across the NHS, the railway industry, London Underground Limited, and one of the world-class, research-intensive Russell Group’s universities, the University of Liverpool. Stewart has extensive experience of leading and managing risk and assurance functions across diverse and complex organisations.  In his current role, he has specific accountability for the strategic direction and leadership of health, safety and fire management in a highly complex public sector organisation, overseeing a team of Health, Safety and Fire Professionals, a training section and a clinical facing team.

Stewart leads on compliance management policy, development, education, awareness, training and assurance across a myriad of disciplines and across a range of diverse, complex busy estates, setting the strategic direction, monitoring compliance with statute and performance against leading and lagging indicators to demonstrate assurance.

Stewart’s experiences as a volunteer have been extensive.  He is the Vice Chair of the Northwest Healthcare Services Section of the institution of Occupation Safety and Health (IOSH) and a member of the NHS Staff Council’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing Group proactively influencing standards of workplace health, safety and wellbeing in the healthcare sector.  In addition, Stewart is a Trustee at St. Annes, Church, Aigburth, ensuring the clear vision, ethos and strategic direction of the church.  He has previously held the roles of Chair of Governors at St Margaret’s Church of England Academy, Chair of the IOSH Nominations Committee members and Chair of the University Health and Safety Association Estates Specialist Group.

Tania Lewyckyi

Tania’s career in education has spanned over 40 years. From training as a teacher in Liverpool in the early eighties to headship, Tania has worked extensively in a variety of secondary schools throughout the NW, mainly inner city and within both the faith and non-faith sectors. Tania says it is privilege to return and work with Liverpool schools where her vocation began.

Tania believes that education is the key to transforming lives and that a distinctive Christian education can help and guide young people to ‘Live life in all its fullness.’(John 10:10)

Tania was a headteacher for 10 years in a secondary Church of England high school in Bolton and it was the first school in the area to gain ‘outstanding’ from Ofsted under her leadership. In 2019 Tania was then appointed as the founding CEO of a Multi Academy Trust, growing the trust to 4 high schools and 2 primary schools. Tania retired last year but is still involved in education and brings considerable experience of trust work to our organisation.

For several years Tania led on the NW Christian Leadership Programme for Manchester Diocese, supporting potential leaders in further developing distinctive faith schools and nurturing children’s spirituality. Tania believes that the development of staff at all levels is crucial to ensure the best possible education for our children, whilst at the same time, allowing staff to flourish and grow. Tania ran a successful teaching school for over a decade and was a National Leader of Education (NLE), supporting other schools in her region and beyond. Tania currently sits on the NW Advisory Board.

Tania is also a trustee of her local theatre, Bolton Octagon, and member of her local church.

In her spare time Tania loves walking, yoga, spending time with family, travel and is attempting to become a gardener.

Jonathan Jones

Jonathan is an experienced education leader with a background spanning school leadership, inspection, and local authority work. His career has been shaped by a commitment to children and young people, with a particular focus on inclusion, safeguarding, and improving outcomes for learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

He began his career in senior school leadership, mainly in Catholic schools, where he learned the importance of combining high standards with care, values, and community. Later, as one of Her Majesty’s Insepector and Ofsted’s specialist advisors, Jonathan contributed to the development of inspection policy and practice. He went on to serve as Director of Education and then Children’s Services in local government, where he worked with schools and communities to strengthen governance, promote partnership working, and integrate education with wider services for children and families.

He is currently Chief Executive of a Catholic Multi-Academy Trust.

Andy Kent

As the CEO and founder of Angel Solutions Ltd, a software development company that supplies assessment and analysis tools to the education sector, Andy has over 25 years of experience in entrepreneurship, vision, strategy, and innovation.

Andy established Angel Solutions in 1999 after a background in both IT and education, and since then, he has led the company to become a trusted and respected provider of solutions for every local authority in the country, as well as schools, academies, early years providers, and school improvement organisations.

His core competencies include data, solutions, innovation, extraordinary thinking, streamlining, automation, partnerships, and school improvement. Andy has a passion for creating and delivering products that meet the needs and challenges of the education sector, such as Nexus, Keypas, Perspective, Observatory, Balance, Watchsted, Pendulum, Broadcast, and the 5 Minute Lesson Plan.

Andy also has a strong commitment to fostering a culture of innovation and creativity amongst his team of 50 talented and passionate professionals, who are Microsoft Gold Certified and work in a circus-themed office.

Additionally, he is a speaker, facilitator, and strategist who enjoys sharing his insights and expertise with others in the industry.

Andy is a Trustee at Ykids charity in Bootle and also a Trustee of Young Ocean Explorers, a fantastic Trust in New Zealand that is on a mission to inspire children to love the ocean through entertaining education.