Improvement Leads (ID 1083)

• Fiona Laywood
  Principal - SEND Lead
  Fiona Laywood

  As the SEND PLP Lead, Fiona works alongside colleagues at all our Academies to develop strategies which ensure that the needs of every child are met. Inclusion is at the forefront of Fiona's daily practice; she celebrates neurodiversity and believes that educators have the responsibility to support all learners to reach their full potential.

  Fiona has a strong understanding of the SEND regulatory framework and aims to achieve a Trust wide approach to SEND which makes effective use of external services & professionals, and places the child at the centre of every decision. This is implemented by Fiona's support to colleagues across the Trust in developing adaptive teaching which enables them to look beyond the barriers to learning and instead refocus on the 'causes' of the barriers to learning.

  Fiona is Principal at Babington Academy and has led on raising attainment, curriculum, quality and standards. Fiona has also worked across our Trust, supporting school improvement at South Wigston High School. She has been an SLE for a number of years and has experience of working across a number of different schools to support improvement.

• Alicia McElhill
  Associate Principal - Primary MFL Lead
  Alicia McElhill

  Alicia is our PLP Lead on primary school modern foreign languages (MFL) and also oversees our group of Trust-wide PLPs. Our PLPs enable the sharing of best practice and expertise across our Trust.

  Alicia has been responsible for running several Trust-wide partnerships, embedding evidence-based best practice and establishing collaborative coaching models. Effective collaboration is at the core of Alicia's practice and is the cornerstone of the hubs, ensuring all staff have the tools and expertise necessary to secure the achievement of the over 3000 students that we serve. This reflects LwLAT’s commitment to building strong and considerate relationships within and across all stakeholder communities.

  Alicia has been involved at a leadership and development level across all our Academies, primary and secondary, most recently at South Wigston High School, adding capacity and expertise as part of the exciting SWHS School Improvement journey. She began work at Lancaster Academy in 2008 as a senior leader and has enjoyed several high-profile roles including leading on Teaching and Learning, Behaviour and Safeguarding.

  Alicia continues to develop our Professional Learning Partnerships and is excited for the opportunity to work across phases and subjects, drawing on both internal and external expertise to forge future pathways to improvement.

• Chloe Sanders
  Assistant Principal - Teaching and Learning Lead
  Chloe Sanders

  Chloe is the PLP Lead on Teaching and Learning and is also Assistant Principal at South Wigston High School. In their role as a PLP Lead, Chloe shares knowledge, resources, and reviews current systems to benefit all of our pupils. Colleagues across our Trust are able to access personalised support, training, and CPD to support their own professional development, growth and success.

  Chloe is consistent in using evidence-based research to reflect on teaching and leadership. She is experienced in training and supporting schools and Trusts in driving improvement. On a larger scale, Chloe has presented at ResearchEd, National Headteacher conferences and has worked with the EEF and NFER promoting the best pedagogical principals in teaching and learning across the Midlands. Chloe continues to coach colleagues in both primary and secondary schools in our Trust and via Challenge Partners.

  With vast experience and success as a Senior & Middle Leader, Chloe has led, coached and supported other school leaders to drive rapid change in their schools across the country with a focus on teaching & learning, SEND provision, behaviour & attendance, careers guidance, embedding classroom routines, and providing CPD to all stakeholders.

• Tracey Frohawk
  Trust Librarian - Reading, English & Writing Lead
  Tracey Frohawk

  Within the role of Reading, English & Writing PLP Lead, Tracey is based at South Wigston High School. The students are delighted to have a permanent, experienced member of staff in place and are intrigued to see the changes which are happening on a daily basis in their library.

  Tracey believes it is of paramount importance to create a reading culture within primary and secondary schools, and hopes a love and passion of reading will follow the students into their adult lives, and the circle of reading will continue through their future generations.

  Tracey's vision is to allow students within the Trust to be given the opportunity to be privy to the delightful and inspiring experiences offered through reading, to be able to speak to their peers and staff about what they are reading and enjoying, to be engaged in their learning, to want to achieve their potential and become socially mobile.

  To complement her vision, Tracey is responsible for running and overseeing the Accelerated Reader programme in our Trust, to ensure staff are trained and confident using the programme to support our students’ reading journey, using formative and summative assessments on a termly basis and using the data effectively to further our students’ capability.

• Tom Moore
  Associate Principal - Data & Target Setting Lead
  Tom Moore

  Tom is the PLP Lead on Data & Target Setting at LwLAT. Tom is passionate about analysing school data in meaningful ways and using target setting as a tool to motivate students to improve their examination outcomes and life chances.

  With over 30 years' experience in education, Tom has previously been in the role of Vice Principal at Lancaster Academy and is now currently an Associate Principal. Tom’s subject specialisms include Physics and Computer Science. Having gained a BSc.(Hons) in Physics with Computing and undertaken a PGCE, Tom taught secondary science for 5 years before returning to study himself to gain an MSc. in Information Technology. With an updated and renewed enthusiasm for computing, Tom returned to the teaching profession where he worked in various leadership roles - Head of Physics to Head of Science then onto Assistant Principal, Vice Principal in two different schools and finally his current roles. Tom successfully completed the NPQH along the way.

• Sarah Brightwell
  Science Lead
  Sarah Brightwell

• Kim Kent
  Safeguarding Lead
  Kim Kent

  Kim is the Learning without Limits Academy Trust Safeguarding Lead, she has worked within the diverse community of Leicester for many years and is inspired by both staff and pupils.

  Prior to her current role, Kim was an Assistant Principal, a member of the SLT, SENCO and DSL at Babington Academy and completed her NSPCC Child Protection Supervision Course upon joining the LwLAT Central Team.

  Kim's role is essential for making sure that Trust staff have the training and skills to keep our children safe. Whilst the role of safeguarding can be challenging, Kim finds working closely with inspiring people who put children at the heart of what we do to be rewarding.

  As the Trust Safeguarding Lead, Kim has organised a wide range of specialist safeguarding courses for the Safeguarding Leads across the Trust and takes the opportunity to attend any training which will further the development of her safeguarding knowledge and skills.

  As well as the Safeguarding Lead for the Trust, Kim is also a Specialist Leader of Education for Special Educational Needs and a Trauma Informed Schools trainer.

• Martine Boyd
  Welfare & Attendance Lead
  Martine Boyd

  Martine is our Senior Education Welfare Officer, offering support, guidance and advice to assist in resolving any difficulties between children, families and schools. She is focused on student attendance & wellbeing and has supported improvements, maintained and sustained the attendance level, whilst highlighting the legalities and consequences of non-attendance and welfare issues that may arise. From a wellbeing angle, Martine has completed a wide range of training to ensure the role of a Designated Safeguarding Lead can be fulfilled within our daily work to support the schools. Recently, Martine's role has entered into management in expanding the Trust role with a team of individuals - Trust Attendance and Welfare Officer, Trust Family Support Worker and an Outreach teacher. Martine has varied experiences within the education sector and social care field. After securing a NNEB qualification after leaving school, Martine is now a qualified and registered Social Worker, currently undertaking a NPQLBC.

• Kate Madia
  Music Across the Curriculum Lead
  Kate Madia

  Kate is the PLP Lead for Music and is also one of our Directors of Education. In her role as a PLP Music Lead, Kate shares her passion, knowledge and expertise to improve music across the trust. Music leads, who access the PLP, are able to support one other, look at best practice, be a critical friend to one another and use research to ensure music is the very best it can be for our schools. We aim for singing to always the golden thread and aim for all pupils to actively engage in the subject for as long as possible.