the right people

in the right jobs

Director of Educational Standards David Lowbridge-Ellis MBE has extensive experience of leading successful school improvement, having been an Advanced Skills Teacher, an Assistant Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher and Headteacher. Leadership of sustainable change was the focus of his Masters degree. Beyond Matrix Academy Trust, he has worked with many organisations on curriculum development, assessment, teacher workload and wellbeing and equality and diversity. He teaches the NPQH, works extensively with the Department for Education and has been published widely. David was the recipient of an MBE for ‘Services to Education’ in the King’s Birthday Honours 2023.

Mr David Lowbridge-Ellis MBE – Director of Educational Standards

Jodie has led on quality of education in a variety of contexts and at all levels across the West Midlands. As Director of English, Lead Practitioner, Assistant Principal and Leadership Consultant, she has developed and challenged others to think and act strategically to secure significantly stronger outcomes for staff and pupils. She is passionate about coaching leaders so they can create the best climate in which everyone in a school can thrive.

Mrs Jodie Till – Deputy Director

Since qualifying as a science teacher, Jacqueline has taught in urban, multicultural secondary schools across the West Midlands. An experienced school and system leader she has been an Advanced Skills Teacher (AST), Specialist Leader in Education (SLE) and is a serving practitioner working as an inspector for Ofsted. She has served as Headteacher at two schools and achieved the National Qualification for Executive Leadership (NPQEL) in 2022.

Ms Jacqueline Newsome – Leadership and School Improvement Consultant

Jennifer is an experienced Maths teacher and has worked in a number of West Midlands schools and MATs as well as an inner-city London School. Her roles have included Faculty Leader for Maths, Lead Practitioner for Maths, Maths consultant through her own educational consultancy business and also Assistant Headteacher for raising achievement, progress and quality assurance. Jennifer has improved outcomes significantly in Maths for many schools that she has supported and worked alongside. Jennifer’s passion is ensuring that all students receive an outstanding education in Mathematics. Jennifer has a breadth of experience and an energetic enthusiasm for all aspects within education.

Mrs Jennifer Hambrook – Maths & Curriculum Specialist

Shannon has extensive experience of leading English at both middle and senior leadership levels. As Head of English and a leader in curriculum development, Shannon has coached others to recognise the concepts of effective curriculum design and implementation. She also has experience of the pedagogy and approaches needed to rapidly drive literacy development. Shannon is truly passionate about being research driven and using this to empower teachers to be the best they can possibly be.

Mrs Shannon Smith – English & Curriculum Specialist

Since qualifying as an RE teacher,  Alexa has spent her career working in deprived, urban schools and has previously held the posts of Head of Humanities, NQT/ECT Lead, working in partnership with the University of Birmingham RE Education team and Assistant Headteacher.  As a school leader she has led on whole school Teaching and Learning, Personal Development, SEND and Mental Health. In her current post as SEND and Mental Health lead, Alexa is passionate about improving the school experience for pupils with needs and promotes a trauma-informed approach to whole school initiatives. Alexa is proud to have worked alongside the mental health charity Young Minds to support in the development of mental health curriculum end points to ensure all of our pupils have the resilience and confidence to thrive both in school and beyond.

Mrs Alexa Oshodi – SEND Specialist

Felicity is an experienced languages teacher and has worked in a number of West Midlands schools. Her roles have included Head of MFL, Lead Practitioner and Assistant Headteacher focussing on curriculum, teacher development and quality assurance. Felicity is passionate about making languages accessible to all children and allowing them to develop as global citizens, including providing international opportunities for all pupils. She is also the lead for Early Career Teachers as part of Manor Teaching School Hub.

Ms Felicity Callanan – MFL, ECT & International Visits Specialist

Michael is an experienced teacher of Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) and has worked with many schools in the West Midlands, including as an Assistant Headteacher. Michael has an in-depth knowledge of Initial Teacher Training (ITT), has been a Specialist Leader of Education (SLE) in ITT and was a member of the Department for Education’s (DfE) Marking Policy Review Group. As the SCITT Manager and Subject Course Leader for MFL, he was instrumental in setting up the secondary SCITT programmes for Barr Beacon SCITT (BBSCITT) in 2015, which was graded Ofsted Outstanding in 2018. Since 2019 he has led BBSCITT as the SCITT Director and under his leadership the SCITT has broadened its offer to now provide Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) courses, the assessment only route and 3-7 and 5-11 primary programmes. In 2022 he successfully led BBSCITT through the DfE’s re-accreditation process ensuring that BBSCITT can continue to deliver ITT leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) from September 2024 onwards. His Master’s in Education focussed on understanding resilience and wellbeing of trainee teachers. Michael is passionate about ensuring that all colleagues receive expert support at the right time to realise their full potential and build successful careers in education.

Mr Michael Eszrenyi – SCITT Director

Chantelle has extensive experience in teaching secondary science in a range of different settings across the West Midlands. For many years, she served as a successful Faculty Leader of Science within an urban multicultural school. She then continued to drive forward science on senior leadership teams across the region. In her highly successful senior leadership roles within two large Midlands trusts she led on Teaching and Learning, Curriculum, CPD, ECTs/ITTs, coaching and mentoring, Digital Technology and also Quality Assurance. While fully invested in her senior leadership roles, she also found the time to lead across-trust on various projects, including a consultancy role for trust-wide coaching and mentoring. She has mentored staff on their NPQ route and also been a Specialist Leader of Education (SLE).

Mrs Chantelle Delaney – Science Specialist

Jess has led on behaviour and safeguarding in a variety of contexts across the West Midlands as Head of House, Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead and Assistant Headteacher. She thinks strategically to ensure pastoral care is a priority so all pupils can thrive as individuals in school and beyond. Jess is proud of promoting a trauma-informed approach to whole school initiatives and is passionate about ensuring all children of any background can succeed.

Mrs Jess Airey – School Improvement Specialist: Behaviour, Safeguarding, Attendance and Wellbeing

Jess is an experienced English lead who has a keen professional interest in curriculum design and is driven by an enthusiasm for pedagogical research and how it can be utilised to support and enrich students. This passion stems from her academic background; she completed both a bachelor’s degree in English and Psychology and a master’s degree in Child Psychology at Keele University. In addition to this, she has also completed postgraduate research in education, with a particular focus on vocabulary instruction, and has worked alongside institutions such as Voice 21 on developing oracy and talk in the classroom.

Ms Jess Miller – English Specialist

Robert has worked extensively across Sandwell, Wolverhampton and the Black Country in a variety of Middle and Senior Leadership roles, working within English departments, and with whole school responsibilities. Robert’s portfolio has included Whole School Teaching and Learning, Literacy, Reading and Pupil Premium. Robert has gained the NPQ in Leading Teacher Development and also works with schools across the country to support staff and students through bespoke subject specialist conferences, as well as with Literacy and Teaching and Learning.

Mr Robert Dangerfield – English Specialist

Kelly is an experienced English teacher and leader who has worked in schools in disadvantaged areas and challenging contexts across the West Midlands. Kelly has gained extensive knowledge and understanding of English curriculum design and implementation through holding a variety of roles at all levels, including Lead Practitioner, whole school literacy lead and Assistant Headteacher line managing English. As Assistant Headteacher, Kelly is currently responsible for Teaching and Learning, CPD, Reading and EAL. Kelly is passionate about instilling a strong reading culture across schools to ensure that all pupils are able to overcome their barriers and leave education with the necessary reading and literacy skills to succeed in life.

Ms Kelly Mason – English Specialist

Rajinder’s career as a teacher of Mathematics and a pastoral lead spans over three decades – four schools, seven Headteachers, nine different roles and thousands of students. She joined Barr Beacon School, the flagship school of Matrix Academy Trust, in April 2010, bringing with her a wealth of experience. She empowers students to believe in their mathematical ability, leading them to success.

Rajinder is a dedicated and passionate leader who has the students’ best interests at heart at all times, be that in the classroom or in her role as Head of Sixth Form. During her tenure in this role at Barr Beacon School, she took the Sixth Form from strength to strength, greatly expanding the number of students on roll. Rajinder is passionate about pastoral care being about more than merely supporting academic achievements; with Sixth Form being an emotionally challenging time for most, it’s also about creating a sense of belonging and a safe space where young people express their real feelings.

She prides herself on getting to know students individually – including learning every single one of their names, even if there are hundreds of them – and making a difference every single day.

Mrs Rajinder Osborne – Sixth Form and Maths Specialist

During her career as a school leader, Leanne has led on implementing systems into Matrix schools to support pupil behaviour, personal development and well-being. She is skilled in a wide range of areas including staffing, safeguarding, attendance and behaviour.

Leanne started her career as a teacher of music at Barr Beacon School. She has been Head of Department, Head of Year, Head of House, Designated Safeguarding Lead, Assistant Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher. Leanne is passionate about supporting, advising and coaching colleagues at all levels within the trust.

Miss Leanne Lloyd – Investigation Officer

Extended Team.

Laura is an experienced senior leader who had led on many aspects of school life including data, teaching and learning and Initial Teacher Training.  Her proudest achievements include taking a school to ‘Good’ in 2018 after repeatedly being ‘Requires Improvement’, doubling the schools’ outcomes at KS4 in 2019 and being Headteacher of the school during the COVID Pandemic. She has always had a passion for school improvement, believing that a key driver of school improvement is all stakeholders actively engaging with data about their pupils. Having accurate, readily available and understandable information about pupils empowers teachers to ensure that they can plan their lessons to suit the needs of the pupils in front of them so they make the most progress possible.  Furthermore, timely analysis of progress data at all levels enables leaders to have an accurate picture of current pupil progress so that they can ensure the right strategies are deployed in the right places. Laura has evolved the use of data since joining Barr Beacon and now looks forward to supporting data leads across the trust so that data is understood and used effectively by all.

Mrs Laura McLaurie – Data Specialist

Deputy Headteacher, Barr Beacon School

 Since first joining the trust as an NQT in Business Studies, Darren has honed his craft whilst being part of the team to transform and maintain an underperforming school. As part of that journey Darren has held the posts of; Assistant Head of House, Attendance Co-ordinator, Sixth Form Lead and Director of Learning for Computing and Business. Currently responsible for Teaching and Learning, Parental Outreach, Student Leadership and early career teacher training, Darren enjoys the role of a school leader with a desire to ensure all pupils receive the high quality education they deserve. Additionally, Darren has completed the NPQSL and SSAT Leadership Legacy Fellowship programmes and is also a facilitator of the NPQSL.

Mr Darren Bowley – Teaching & Learning Specialist

Deputy Headteacher, Etone College

With over 30 years of teaching experience, Juliet has worked in schools across the West Midlands as a Head of Geography, High Prior Attainer Lead and then as a Senior Leader. Juliet became an Assistant Head in 2001 and completed her NPQH with a focus on teaching and learning. She has worked both as a school leader and consultant in Matrix schools to support school improvement and share good practice.  During this time, her roles have included the leadership of curriculum planning, Key Stage 3, teaching and learning, quality assurance, personal development, staff wellbeing and CPD. Juliet also has considerable experience of working at a senior level with examination boards, has been published, provided LEA support and is currently an EEF Evidence Lead for a local research school. She is passionate about teaching and learning with considerable experience of coaching staff at all levels and embedding systems to facilitate change. She is proud of the strategies she has implemented to reduce workload and promote staff wellbeing in her current school and to be part of the team that has transformed one of our trust’s schools.
 

Mrs Juliet Stafford – Deputy Headteacher

For more than a decade, Alan has served on leadership teams at every level, in schools with high levels of deprivation and challenge including an extensive period as interim headteacher at a school in particularly challenging circumstances, further compounded by the Covid pandemic. He has been an appointed SSAT Lead Practitioner, Specialist Leader of Education and completed his NPQH in 2021. Alan has an unwavering belief in, and extensive experience of, capitalising on the power of partnerships and collaboration as a vital mechanism to drive school improvement and improve the life chances of young people, despite their context and without exception.

Mr Alan Inglis – Deputy Headteacher, Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School

Hannah has been a musician for over 35 years and has been teaching music in a range of educational settings for over 20 years, ranging from preschool to adult learners. As an experienced musician and teacher, she has a broad knowledge of music education and the power that a good quality music education has to enrich lives. She has been part of both middle and senior leadership teams, with experience teaching a range of subjects. She completed a BMus at Cardiff University with a specialism in performance and later completed an MA at Newman University focussed on how teachers can best support High Prior Attainers.
 
Beyond the classroom, Hannah also works as an Assessment Specialist for Cambridge International, contributing their worldwide music provision. As a musician, Hannah performs regularly in a range of musical disciplines with a number of orchestras and groups including the British Police Symphony Orchestra who have received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (equivalent to an MBE) for their volunteer work. She has also variously performed on the One Show, recorded at Abbey Road Studios and been shortlisted as a regional finalist in the Open Mic UK competition among other projects; Hannah is an advocate for teachers’ practice being informed by keeping active in their subject specialisms.
 

Mrs Hannah Kaye-Shepheard – Music and Cross-Trust Events Specialist

Etone College

Paul joined Barr Beacon School as a Mathematics teacher in 2014. Despite having a love for his subject, Paul’s passion has always been working with pupils with Special Educational Needs. In 2018, Paul became assistant SENDCO at Barr Beacon School and then SENDCO in 2021. During his time working in the SEND department, Paul completed his Certificate of Psychometric Testing, Assessment and Access Arrangements. He now has 7 years’ experience of testing for and implementation of Access Arrangements for students taking external exams.

Furthermore, during the COVID pandemic, Paul completed his NASENCO qualification. After briefly working in another trust as a primary school teacher, Paul returned in 2024 and now works with SENDCOs around the trust on access arrangements and other areas of SEN coordination. In 2024, Paul was selected as a facilitator on the new NPQSENCO qualification. He is currently guiding a group of colleagues through the course in conjunction with Manor School Teaching Hub.

Mr Paul Davies – SEND & Maths Specialist

Barr Beacon School

Alex is a dedicated professional with an incisive knowledge of behaviour and pastoral care. With eight years of experience within Matrix, Alex has demonstrated strategic thinking and a commitment to ensuring that all pupils can thrive in and beyond the school environment. Alex’s journey began as an NQT teaching PE at Bloxwich Academy. Through hard work and dedication, Alex quickly progressed to the role of Director of PE and played a key role in transforming Bloxwich Academy into the most improved school in the country. Alex then became a Head of House at Turves Green Boys’ School before progressing to the position of Deputy Headteacher with responsibility for behaviour and personal development. In this role, Alex led on behaviour when going through the most recent Ofsted inspection. Behaviour and Attitudes received an ‘Outstanding’ rating. Passionate about creating a positive learning environment, Alex believes that it is essential for all to work together to foster a climate where everyone can thrive.
 

Mr Alex Woodall – Behaviour Specialist

Deputy Headteacher, Turves Green Boys School

Richard has over 25 years experience of teaching all aspects of Design and Technology, for the majority of that time as Head of Faculty, his pupils achieving some of the highest qualification outcomes across the country. He has been nominated for the teacher of the year award repeatedly, reaching the regional final in 2007, where he came second overall for the West Midlands region. He has extensive experience of line managing Art and Design, Child Development and BTEC Children’s Play, has been on Senior Leadership and has successfully trained dozens of teachers. He passionately believes that DT is an essential subject that equips children for life in the increasingly technological world of the 21st century.

Mr Richard Nines – Design and Technology Specialist