Gill is a passionate educational leader dedicated to transforming the lives of young people, especially those who are most vulnerable in society. With a proven track record of school improvement recognised by Ofsted and the Department for Education (DfE), Gill is committed to fostering social justice, ensuring that all excel and thrive to their fullest potential.

As an ethical leader with high emotional intelligence, Gill's principles and values have been the cornerstone of her career. She has successfully built professional teams and implemented effective practices that raise educational standards. Gill encourages educators to inspire and innovate while working collaboratively to enhance the workload and well-being of colleagues across the profession.

As Trust Leader, Gill works closely with staff and trustees to secure the best outcomes for pupils. She is dedicated to promoting and extending collaborative efforts with all stakeholders, maintaining high expectations, and reinforcing the benefits of partnership within the Trust. Her focus on developing, managing, measuring, and monitoring interventions for disadvantaged groups has resulted in outcomes significantly above national benchmarks, firmly believing that poverty should never be an excuse for poor performance.

Prior to this role, Gill served as Headteacher of Cyril Jackson Primary School and Interim Executive Headteacher of Ben Jonson Primary School in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Her leadership has consistently emphasised effective change and improvement, ensuring that every pupil has the opportunity to succeed. Gill’s unwavering commitment to educational equity and excellence continues to inspire colleagues and students alike, making a lasting impact in the field of education.

Mike is a qualified accountant with 35 years of diverse experience in both commercial and public sectors. He began his career as an auditor, working with both large and small practices, before moving into commercial organisations ranging from shipping to media. For the past 16 years, he has served in the education sector, working for one of the largest trusts in the country, which manages a revenue income of £400 million and reserves of £50 million.

As Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Mike is responsible for developing and delivering the Trust’s finance strategy in alignment with its vision. His role includes providing exceptional financial support to principals and academies, enabling them to make informed financial decisions.

In his previous position, Mike successfully led a team of 35 finance staff across 54 schools, having started with just five schools 16 years ago. He has built robust teams and structures to support the Trust's growth. His strong commercial acumen has been pivotal in negotiating optimal deals in areas such as catering, photocopying, payroll, insurance, energy, and banking. By centralising these resources, he has achieved significant cost savings and quality improvements.

Mike has developed excellent relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including suppliers, trustees, senior management, and the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). He currently chairs the ESFA working group responsible for developing the Academies Trust Handbook.

Self-motivated and leading by example, Mike remains passionate about the education sector and is excited to have recently joined UST. He is fully committed to ensuring that resources are effectively utilised to achieve the best possible outcomes for pupils, continuously seeking ways to enhance the services provided to schools.

Darren began his career at Robert Clack School in 2005, teaching all three sciences and specialising in physics. In 2013 Darren joined SPW as Director of Learning for the School of Education before becoming Deputy Headteacher, helping the Sixth Form to deliver record results as well as taking on wider responsibilities involving Data, Standards and Compliance across the school.

His proven track record of delivering strong results, developing teams, and ensuring robust and effective processes to facilitate whole school learning saw him appointed to the UST Executive as Director of Data and Compliance in 2019.

Darren’s passion for education extends to working for many years as a Subject Teacher Leader for the Prince’s Teaching Institute, providing support and knowledge enhancement in physics for teachers early in their teaching careers.

Matthew is a skilled education leader with over 25 years’ experience in the state sector and is passionate that all children should benefit from high quality learning experiences.  A music graduate of Durham University, he worked as a Director of Performing Arts and as an Advanced Skills Teacher for many years before moving into Senior Leadership roles.

His experience spans Local Authority, Music Hubs, and Senior Leadership Teams. This has included setting up a new free school for students with Special Educational Needs in Language and Communication and working for the charity Achievement for All. Prior to his current role, Matthew was Principal of a new all through school.

Prior to becoming UST’s Director of Learning, Laura had several Headteacher roles working in London, often in challenging contexts, leading school improvement journeys. Her experience has taught her the importance of good governance and so she holds several board positions related to safeguarding: Executive committee member of both Lambeth's Safer Children Partnership and Lambeth’s Virtual School Management Board. She is also a:

• Member of the strategic partnership board at London South Bank University, where she lectures on the MA, BA and PGCE courses
• Facilitator for Teacher Development Trust, delivering the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) on behalf of the London South Teaching School Hub
• Contributor to several national education magazines and podcasts

 Co-author of a book on how to support disadvantaged learners and pro-bono consultant for the third sector.

Lynsey is a highly experienced HR leader with over 25 years across the full breadth of people, culture and organisational development. Known for her passion, drive and unwavering commitment to her profession, she is dedicated to transforming the perception of HR, elevating it as a bold, strategic enabler that shapes organisational vision, culture and long-term success. Central to her personal endeavour is a belief that HR should be a force for good - purposeful and instrumental in helping people and organisations thrive.

An exceptional and inspiring leader, Lynsey is renowned for developing high-performing teams and creating environments where colleagues feel motivated, supported and able to excel. She brings a powerful blend of strategic insight, extensive HR expertise and a deeply people-centred approach to every aspect of her work.

Since joining the Trust, she has brought this expertise to life through a dynamic, future-focused People Strategy centred on inclusion, leadership development, modern systems, workload reduction and long-term workforce sustainability. Her innovative work includes reimagining induction and probation, transforming HR operations, and strengthening Trust-wide approaches to talent, performance and workforce planning.

Values-led, progressive and relentlessly people-focused, Lynsey champions inclusion, employee voice and compassionate, transparent change across the organisation.

Monique is a seasoned Estates and Facilities professional with 18 years of experience in building operations, including a decade in the education sector. Currently serving as the Regional Central Office Estates Manager for a major Multi-Academy Trust, she has successfully mobilized FM services for significant projects, such as the Building Schools for the Future initiative in Hackney.

Monique leads strategic initiatives, managing projects from new builds to boiler replacements and fire door upgrades. She ensures compliance with building standards, addresses defects, and holds contractors accountable.

With expertise in team development, she procures contracts and collaborates with School Building Services Teams to enhance Health & Safety and maintenance training. Her management philosophy emphasises five core areas: Condition, Compliance, Suitability, Sufficiency, and Sustainability. Monique aims to develop comprehensive Building Development Plans in partnership with Leadership Teams, believing that effective operations begin with well-supported staff.

Chris joined UST in November 2021. He started his career working in the third sector for The Prince’s Trust, supporting its efforts to get young people into education, training, and employment.

After several years working for charities, Chris combined his passions for communications and social mobility by joining an agency that specialised solely in the education sector. In this role he forged a strong reputation for supporting numerous schools across the country to achieve their marketing objectives.

Chris is passionate about the role that communications can play when it comes to high performing schools. From attracting the best staff to ensuring parents are fully aware of what’s happening in their child’s school, he plays an important part ensuring everyone inside and outside of UST is aware of the special things happening across the Trust.

Sarah began her teaching career at Cyril Jackson Primary School in 2005. Starting as an NQT, her passion for Early Years education over the next decade saw her lead that area of the school to the Ofsted Outstanding rating in 2015.

In 2016 she joined the senior leadership team as CJ’s Deputy Headteacher, taking ownership and responsibility for HR issues. Sarah took a career break to spend time with her two beautiful boys, returning to teaching in 2022 as the Early Years Phase Leader at St Paul’s Way Primary, and overseeing this team’s Outstanding rating provision.

Her broad experience across UST schools has led her to take up a role in the central HR team, where she is bringing her expertise to numerous projects.

Amy has worked in the recruitment industry for 20 years and has a strong track record of connecting talent with opportunities that drive meaningful impact. As an associate member of the CIPD, she brings professional expertise and dedication to workforce development and talent acquisition. She joined UST in September 2024, having previously worked with public sector organisations to implement talent strategies. Amy is passionate about education and joins us to drive our recruitment strategy to support the Trust’s growth.

Eneyo is a dedicated HR professional with a strong commitment to excellence in the dynamic HR landscape. Previously serving as the HR Manager at North Star Community Trust, she led comprehensive HR service delivery and collaborated closely with the CEO on strategic HR initiatives. Eneyo holds an Associate CIPD membership and an MSc in Human Resource Development and Consultancy, which she leverages to excel in employee relations and organizational change management.

Her proactive problem-solving skills and analytical approach enable her to navigate sensitive situations with discretion, ensuring successful outcomes. Eneyo's qualifications include a CIPD Intermediate Award in Employment Law and training in Safer Recruitment in Education.

Passionate about continuous learning and team collaboration, Eneyo has a proven track record of enhancing HR systems and driving impactful results, making significant contributions to her organizations and the HR field.

Sharlene is a part qualified accountant who first started working with UST in July 2021. She first started working in payroll in the private sector when she returned from maternity leave in 2005. After two years she successfully transitioned to working for the local authority within their schools HR team.

Sharlene stayed with the local authority for 14 years, but when the opportunity came up to work with UST she jumped at the chance. The school environment is very different to what she has experienced before, but Sharlene finds it motivating to be surrounded by the children that we are all here to support.

Trevor has a deep-rooted passion for systems and development reporting. He is motivated by the desire to provide a streamlined customer service, whilst simultaneously supporting the HR and Payroll community.

Trevor joined UST in August 2021 from Juniuper Ventures, where he was working with the schools Cleaning and Catering service as a Payroll Systems Lead. Prior to this he worked in local government for a number of years, working closely with both academies and maintained schools to deliver an efficient payroll service.

Linda began her career in finance at the age of 16, with a building company in Swanley, where she completed her AAT, an internationally recognized accounting and finance qualification. She then transitioned to a role that introduced her to management accounts.

After becoming a mother, she worked part-time for Woolwich Building Society, where she enjoyed many years until the company was acquired by Barclays. In 2007, she was one of the last 32 employees to assist in closing all remaining Woolwich accounts.

Linda then entered the education sector at a school in Gravesend, quickly mastering the intricacies of school accounting. She joined RGTS in 2017, initially supporting one day a week, but her extensive knowledge led her to assume a more comprehensive role providing support across UST.

Nichola is a strategic thinker who is committed to making a difference with a track record of building high performing teams, navigating high-energy situations and achieving goals on time and within budget.

Cyril Jackson was the springboard for Nichola’s career, where she gained her certificate in School Business Management. She left to oversee an academy in Hackney before returning to Tower Hamlets as Business Manager of a large secondary school.

Joining UST in August 2023, she brings a wealth of expertise when it comes to operations management, financial planning and implementing collaborative approaches to problem solving. Nichola is an integral member of the Trust’s finance team and is helping to spearhead it’s development through a period of growth.

Louise brings over 20 years worth of experience working for Local Authorities across the country with Childrens, Schools and Families Services.

She began working for Norfolk County Council in 2001, working for the Peripatetic Team Administration which covered all Children Services offices and residential homes in the Norwich and Great Yarmouth areas. Louise then moved to Surrey County Council as manager of the Information Governance team, where she held responsibility for the trial and implementation of the National Police Disclosure Protocol. As well as training police officers, social workers and health workers, her remit also saw her working with school staff. In 2015, Louise moved to Tower Hamlets, specialising in school data protection. Since 2019, Louise has worked as an independent consultant, providing schools with a Data Protection and Information Governance Service. She also works with Children Services Departments across the country, providing a redaction service. Her focus is on supporting with historical files.

Tom has the overall lead on the strategic IT planning for UST. He has been employed by TQS for fourteen years and has worked on all of the company's larger projects over this period. He has a wealth of technical knowledge in both the education and private sector.
Tom's technical knowledge includes the provision of large scale networks and wide area networks. This also includes the provision of cloud networks with Microsoft Azure.
Tom also oversees cyber security for the Trust to ensure it is meeting its obligations to the Government backed scheme, Cyber Essentials Plus.

Joyce joined UST in March 2022 and has quickly become an invaluable member of the team, supporting good data practice at both Trust level and in our schools. She has a long record of excelling in school data management and analysis. She started at St Bonaventure’s Secondary School & Sixth Form as the data manager for KS3&4, implementing assessment data capture and reporting. She then turned her attention to creating a teaching and learning reporting system.

Prior to joining UST, Joyce was the Data Leader across KS3-5 at Stoke Newington School & Sixth Form, where she oversaw assessment, attendance, behavioural reporting for the whole school, construction of new assessment reporting across KS3&4, as well as training on MIS or assessment systems for new starters, HOYs and SLT.

Caroline joined RGTS in September 2019. She has extensive leadership experience acquired through various roles within the secondary sector including Education Consultant, Principal/Headteacher, Co-principal, Associate Principal, Deputy Headteacher and Assistant Headteacher.

As a highly motivated and innovative leader, Caroline has a proven track record for successfully leading and managing across diverse areas of responsibility. Her core talent in viewing challenges as opportunities and in achieving intended outcomes with drive and enthusiasm supports her dedication to raising standards.

Caroline is an advocate for young people who, at the heart of all decisions and actions, maintains clarity on what is ultimately of greatest benefit to the students within the learning community.

Cath is an accomplished educational leader with a strong affiliation to the Trust. She was heavily involved in the transformation St Paul’s Way School and the seconded to The John Roan School, turning "Inadequate" rating to "Good" in just five years.

Cath advocates inclusive education and has a proven track record in supporting disadvantaged students. Her strategic use of data and resource management has driven impressive academic outcomes and increased community engagement.

As a governor and chair of the Board of Trustees at Bow Arts Trust, she emphasizes schools as vital community resources. Currently a Visiting Fellow delivering NPQH through Ambition, Cath collaborates with diverse educational leaders, enhancing her expertise in school leadership.

With a focus on collaboration and innovation, Cath is dedicated to shaping the future of education within UST, ensuring every student has the opportunity to thrive.

Firdusi is motivated by the desire to provide an aspirational and inclusive educational experience for students, helping them to become considerate young people, as well as critical and creative thinkers who are driven to make a difference in the world.  

Firdusi graduated from the London School of Economics with a degree in Psychology and Philosophy. She has a Master’s degree in educational leadership and a Post Graduate Diploma in Psychology. Firdusi is an RE specialist by training, has been a Head of Faculty and has led the quality of teaching and learning through the School of Education. She has also held the post of Senior Deputy Headteacher responsible for Pastoral and Inclusion.

Siobhan Fehim is an experienced and dedicated educational leader whose work is driven by a profound commitment to make a positive difference in children’s lives.

She joined the University Schools Trust in September 2019, bringing with her a deep understanding of the communities she serves, shaped by her own upbringing within inner London.

In January 2022, Siobhan became Headteacher of St Pauls Way Primary, where she established a culture of ambition, care and excellence rooted in strong values and a shared belief that every child deserves a transformational education. Her leadership style is grounded in integrity, collaboration and an unwavering focus on providing the highest quality learning experiences.

In September 2024, Siobhan was appointed as an Executive Headteacher for Sir William Burrough Primary and St Paul's Way Primary, extending her influence across both schools and strengthening a collective approach to school improvement.

Siobhan continues to champion the importance of providing transformational education for the children of both Sir William Burrough and St. Paul’s Way. She values the contribution of every staff member and is committed to creating an environment where colleagues feel empowered, supported and inspired to deliver exceptional outcomes for all pupils.

Hodo is a dynamic and forward-thinking school leader with a passion for transformational education in Tower Hamlets.

A proud alumna of SPWS, Hodo graduated from the University of Greenwich with a BA (Hons) in Primary Education and completed a Master’s degree in Education at London Metropolitan University.  She worked for 10 years at Ben Jonson Primary School (LBTH) - progressing from NQT to Assistant Headteacher - before joining CJPS as Deputy Headteacher in 2017.  She was appointed Headteacher at CJPS in 2020.

Hodo has a proven track record of strategic leadership development, curriculum design and implementation and creating a culture of high expectations. She believes passionately that the curriculum should be driven by a curiosity to understand the world and a desire to connect and build relationships - underpinned by a love of reading and cultural capital enrichment.  

Always adapting and refining her practice in response to national developments in education, Hodo recognises the power education has in transforming the community in which she serves.

Asma brings over 25 years of educational experience to her role as Head of School at Royal Greenwich Trust School. With a strong belief in the transformational power of education, she is dedicated to fostering an environment where students and staff can thrive.

Throughout her career across seven London schools, Asma has emphasised the joy of learning and the importance of curiosity and imagination in young minds. She values collaborative learning, where students engage with both peers and adults.

Before joining Royal Greenwich Trust School, Asma served as a senior leader in a Camden school for nearly eight years, first as Assistant Headteacher and then as Deputy Headteacher. Her wealth of experience and commitment to educational excellence position her to build on the school’s existing successes and inspire future generations.

Karyce began her teaching career in 2014 in South London, working across an outstanding federation of schools that provided a strong foundation as both a practitioner and emerging leader. In 2018, she moved to Dubai to teach in an international British-curriculum school, broadening her experience and deepening her understanding of diverse educational settings.

Returning to the UK in 2020, Karyce was committed to serving inner-city communities and improving life chances for all pupils. She joined a school requiring improvement and, as a middle leader, contributed significantly to the school's improved inspection outcome.

In 2023, Karyce became an Assistant Headteacher at SPWP before moving to Sir William Burrough in 2024 as a Deputy Headteacher, where she contributed significantly to achieving an improved Good and Outstanding Ofsted judgement for the school.

Karyce has now returned to SPWP, serving as Head of School, and continues to champion high-quality teaching, curriculum excellence and transformative professional development for all staff. Karyce remains fully aligned with the Trust’s mission of delivering a transformational and socially just education for every child.