Central Executive Team

Talentum believes that schools are stronger together.  Collaboration and working successfully together provides opportunities to maximise resources and ensure excellence for all.  We work as a collective, guided by a set of common principles, whilst leaving schools free to harness their unique characteristics and make adaptations to best meet the needs of their communities.

Mr Ian Wilson – CEO & Secondary Lead

Mr Wilson joined the Trust in April 2023 with a wide range of educational governance and school leadership experience.  He supports and enables learners to believe in themselves, to succeed in life and to aspire to be all that they can be.  In a teaching career from the classroom through to leading a Church of England High School, this experience of effective leadership underpins his work as Chief Executive Officer and Accounting Officer.

Mrs Lise Houldsworth – DCEO & Primary Lead

Prior to joining Talentum, Mrs Houldsworth was the headteacher of an outstanding school and the founding CEO of a primary MAT. She has supported a range of schools as a School Improvement Partner and LLE. She is an experienced system leader and when requested, has provided interim leadership support for schools. She is passionate about improving the life chances of children through ongoing school improvement and leadership development.

Mrs Kim Bailey – CFOO

Mrs Bailey is AAT qualified and is the Chief Finance and Operations Officer of the Trust; working closely with the CEO in developing the successful strategic and operational direction of the Trust.  She has been employed by the Trust since its formation as a School Business Manager supporting two of the high schools and has considerable experience in the public sector, including working for the police force and a large land based college.

Mrs Rhiannon Terry – Governance and Compliance Manager

Mrs Terry has worked in education for a number of years as a School Support Manager and Governance Professional. She has a professional background in finance with AAT qualifications, and holds Level 4 School Business Manager qualifications, along with Data Protection Officer Certification. She drives internal change and improvement across the Trust by oversight, management and support of all aspects of governance, compliance and data protection regulation. She ensures a cohesive approach to internal systems, processes and the developing ICT infrastructure.

Miss Ellie Thorpe – Trust Accountant

Miss Thorpe is the Trust Accountant. She has a professional background having worked in audit within an accountancy practice, and joined the Trust in 2022. She finished her professional accountancy qualifications in 2022 when she became ACA qualified, following completion of her AAT in 2019. She works closely with our School Support Managers and supports the CFOO to ensure sound financial management across the Trust.

Mrs Julie Olver – Trust Finance Officer

Mrs Olver joined the Central Trust team in 2021 as Trust Finance Officer. Until then, she worked as a School Office Manager in one of the Trust first schools for a number of years, where she achieved a certificate in school administration. She has a background in banking and finance with an AAT qualification. As well as supporting the central finance function, Mrs Olver provides support to the schools with their internal systems and processes.

Mr Ben Butterworth – Finance Assistant

Mr Butterworth joined the Central Trust team in 2022 as Finance Assistant. He has a degree in Mathematics completed in 2014. Prior to joining the central team, he worked in one of the Trust’s first schools for 8 years.

Our Headteachers

Our headteachers meet regularly with the CEO and DCEO as a strategic management team, shaping the work of the Trust for the benefit of all our students:

Mrs Elizabeth Allbutt (All Saint’s CE First School)

Mr Kevin Allbutt (Leek First School)

Mrs Samantha Crawforth (Blackshaw Moor CE First School)

Mrs Sarah Cockersole (Rushton CE First School)

Mr Steve Fryer (Churnet View Middle School )

Mr Kevin Graham (Leek High School)

Mrs Adele Johnson  (Westwood First School)

Mrs Caroline Quinn (Beresford Memorial CE First School)

Mr Matthew Taylor (Westwood College)

Mrs Vicki Woollacott (The William Amory Primary School – associate member)