Paul Cronin MEd NPQH – Director

40 years working in SEND and Education in 4 countries both with children and adults

1881 to 1987 working with adults and children with learning disabilities in France Ireland the UK and Australia.  Qualified as an RNMH (Registered Nurse for people with learning disabilities) in 1985.

1987 – 1991 Completed a 4-year BEd. in Outdoor Educations and Environmental Science at Liverpool Polytechnic and a MEd in Education Management at Hope University in 1998.  I completed the NPQH in 2000.

1991- Present:  I have worked for 4 Local Authorities, Wirral, Bolton, St. Helens and Liverpool always in the field of SEND in primary secondary and all age schools.  I have been a Headteacher for 20 years initially Headteacher of an all age school for pupils with severe learning difficulties for 4 years in ST Helens and the last 16 years as Headteacher here at Redbridge High School.  I have been honoured to have led the school through 4 consecutive Outstanding Ofsted inspections in that time.  The school also had, Specialist School Status for Cognition and Learning, had Teaching School status, and continues to deliver the Schools Direct programme as part of the Merseyside SEN Alliance.

I have completed secondments with the LA for both St Helens and Liverpool working on SEND provision during my time as a Headteacher and have also worked as a SIP for Lancashire Local Authority in the past.

I chaired the Merseyside SLD Schools Network for a number of years and have also served as chair of ALSSH.

Stuart Haynes (Vice Chair)

(Term of Office 14th September 2020 – 13th September 2024, representing the Diocese)

Stuart has worked for 30 years in various communications roles. Starting his career doing communications work for housing associations he has for the last 12 years worked for the Church of England in Liverpool. Here 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 brand reputation. Stuart has been involved in a wide range of communication events from supporting the announcement of the Hillsborough Independent Panel’s findings to managing high profile celebrity and sensitive funerals. He has also led the crisis response to a range of difficult situations involving church and cathedral.

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

Angie Holden

(Term of Office 1st June 2021 – 31st May 2025 representing the Archdiocese)

Angie is a qualified [CIPD] and experienced HR 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 which had a key focus 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, secondary schools and academies. She has forged trusting and productive relationships with trade unions at both local and regional level. She is experienced in dealing with all aspects of employee relations and has a full understanding of School Teacher’s Pay and Conditions (STP&CD) 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 NW local authorities.

Angie chairs the Renumeration Committee.

Jane Griffiths       

(Term of Office 22nd June 2021 – 18th October 2025 representing the Diocese)                          

Jane Griffiths has served in the field of state and voluntary aided secondary education for over 30 years.  She has taught the whole 11-18 age range and has held positions of managerial responsibility throughout her career. From 2007-2014 she was the Headteacher of a high performing Church of England High School in Liverpool, where she oversaw the design of a new building for the school.  She then joined the Education Department at the Diocese of Liverpool as Diocesan Schools’ Advisor.

Jane has considerable experience in leadership, managing large budgets, quality assurance, teaching and learning, curriculum design, pastoral care, safeguarding, governance and performance management.  She leads In-Service Training at both primary and secondary levels, supports outstanding schools and those in challenging circumstances, advises on Christian distinctiveness in church schools and assists governing bodies during headteacher recruitment processes. Jane is a serving SIAMS (S48) Inspector.

She is Vice Chair of the Liverpool Diocese’s Board of Education and Chair of its Executive Committee.

Jane became a Director of the All-Saints’ Trust in 2021 and chairs the Trust’s Education and Standards Committee.

Sue Cronin – Appointed 21st June 2023

(Term of Office 21st 2023 – 21st June 2027, Co-opted Trustee)

Sue Cronin is currently the Director of Accreditation and Quality for the School of Education. She has spent more than 25 years in education holding a variety of posts in schools and at Liverpool Hope University. At LHU her previous roles have included Head of Teacher Education and Director of Quality and Teacher Development. Most recently her teaching has involved leading on Masters programmes focused on mentoring and coaching and teacher’s professional development, covering the full range of stages in a teacher’s professional career from beginning teachers to experienced school leaders. This work aligns with Sue’s main accreditation activities which include supporting schools and leaders in the North West to provide quality education, through their involvement with University Teacher Educators and ITE.
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 NW Catholic Dioceses Training Partnership. Sue also represents the university on the Millionplus Deans of Education Group and The University Cathedral Group Education committee which meet regularly with the DfE.
Sue has a background in secondary mathematics teaching in a variety of Liverpool schools before joining the Liverpool advisory team. At LHU 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) and SKE course for non-specialist mathematics teachers.
Sue’s current research interests and publications are focused on aspects of Teacher Education, in particular, coaching and mentoring, school leadership and partnership. Sue is currently researching the impact of the ECF policy on schools and ECT 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 DfE External Reference Group (ERG) advising on the DfE review of their initial teacher training and early career frameworks, first launched in 2019.

Eno Akinyande – Appointed 21st June 2023

(Term of Office 21st 2023 – 21st June 2027, Co-opted Trustee)

Eno is the Group Finance Manager responsible for setting budgets for education services and schools and is also responsible for budget monitoring and forecast. Eno ensures compliance with financial processes such as budget setting, closedown and financial management. Improving systems such as financial planning, procedures and funding guide.

Eno prepares reports, briefings to various senior management team, school forum and Cabinet member on emerging financial issues and holds workshops on topical issues such as schools in deficit, financial management.

Eno is transitioning into a finance business partnering role responsible for children services with additional responsibility of challenging and scrutinising financial modelling, procurement processes and robustness of funding mechanisms and savings delivery.

Eno is a foundation Governor of Archbishop Blanch School and has worked as an external auditor and internal auditor in her previous roles.

Eno is active in church where she plays keyboard and sings. Eno loves to travel and organise different trips and events for groups and loves to teach young people on budget management.

Eno’s links to the trust is through her current role and she has coordinated to work on behaviour support and alternative education working group.

Eno loves to make an impact in various sectors especially in the education sector. Eno would like to use her skills, experience and behaviours to work with a trust from a financial overview, but in a trust that has an interest in Liverpool children’s education and has a faith-based ethos.

Elaine Rees

(Term of Office 1st January 2022 – 31st December 2026, Co-opted Trustee)

Elaine was born in South Wales, where she studied English and Psychology at Keele University. She taught English in a secondary school in Preston before joining two charities to work in the student world. Then in July 1995, she moved to Liverpool to establish an alternative education project for 14–16-year-olds in Toxteth. Having been involved in the inception of the Dingle Granby Toxteth EAZ, Elaine became their deputy director.  During this time, she undertook an MA at LJMU in Educational Management.

An unusual set of circumstances led Elaine to become a primary school head teacher for 12 years in Toxteth, until December 2015. Her school was extremely diverse and had over 450 children from 32 different countries. She was also a National Leader of Education and a School Improvement Partner in the city. On leaving her school, Elaine became the first full time Chief Executive Officer of the Liverpool Learning Partnership (LLP), which is a grass roots organisation supporting learning across 170 schools in the city. LLP has several priorities, identified by schools. As well as driving forward these priorities which include Reading, Maths, Attendance, Mental Health and Cultural Education, Elaine is an education representative on a wide range of strategic boards across the city. Her passion is to see that every pupil has the opportunity to succeed and to grow up as a confident, resilient young person.

Outside of work, Elaine is Chair of Trustees at a local charity, a school governor, a keen cook and the owner of a lively Border Terrier!