Suzanne Beston - Head of Perry Wood

Suzanne has taught in four schools and has been a subject leader in DT, Maths, (in which she was a leading teacher for the LA), ICT and RE. Assessment, attendance and parental engagement have been key areas in which she has driven improvement over the years. Her passion is to engage pupils in active learning through an inspiring curriculum and finding ways to involve parents further in their child’s learning. She values the importance of finding each child’s talents, seeking to create a school environment where these are celebrated and recognised alongside strengths and achievements within the curriculum subject. Suzanne is a strong believer in growing the capacity of her staff team to ensure everyone is reaching their true potential.

Mark Bland - Joint Head of Nicholas Chamberlaine

Mark has more than twenty years experience of teaching and leadership in secondary schools, predominantly in London. An experienced Head and school improver, he is passionate about developing a curriculum and pedagogy that ensures that every child’s potential can be discovered and fulfilled. His expertise in using timetabling as a strategic lever in school improvement and a basis for innovative partnership working is an important driver of progress at Nicholas Chamberlaine School as well as a popular training course for senior staff across GST. Mark is driven to develop and coach staff to work together for sustainable improvement and believes that every child in the school community should be encouraged and supported to fulfil their potential and achieve their dreams.

Carrie Clare - Executive Head of Park Lane & Race Leys

Carrie has more than twenty years’ experience in teaching and school leadership. Before joining GST she was Executive Head of a federation of schools and led a small Multi-Academy Trust which she founded. Carrie believes that school to school support and strong partnerships are essential to maximise educational opportunities for children and communities and to provide fulfilling professional environments for staff. She has a strong belief that the children should be at the heart of all decisions made by school leaders.

Graham Clifford - Head of Lammas

A published poet, Graham has been teaching in London for nearly twenty years. Having worked in an all-through school, he brought high expectations for the primary experience to Willow Brook as Deputy and then Head. Willow Brook’s partnerships with galleries and other arts organisations grew under his leadership and children became confident in engaging with art and in expanding their horizons through Philosophy for Children for which Graham is a keen advocate. As Head of Lammas, Graham is passionate about building on the primary experience rather than repeating it. He believes in creating an engaging and self-improving professional environment for staff through partnerships and high-quality CPD.

Justin Creasey - Joint Head of Nicholas Chamberlaine

Justin has leadership experience in primary and secondary schools and as a school improver in the GST central team. A maths specialist, he has a keen interest in pedagogy and curriculum innovation and he has worked with single schools and in hubs to make sustainable step changes in outcomes and to speed their journeys via Ofsted Outstanding to Griffin Great. As Joint Head of Nicholas Chamberlaine school Justin puts teaching and learning for staff through modelling and peer working at the heart of his approach as the key lever for building and sustaining capacity. He reinforces the development of an ambitious and dynamic learning culture by creating an inspiring environment for students and staff.

Lucie Dawn - Head of School for Willow Brook

A graduate of the Open University, Lucie began her teaching career at Riverley Primary, building on invaluable experience gained as a Teaching Assistant. She passionately believes that access to a high quality education is a right and not a privilege and she is dedicated to ensuring that children experience a diverse, creative and challenging curriculum. As a GST leader of an outstanding school, Lucie has nurtured and developed teachers in her own and other GST schools and uses mentoring, coaching and collaboration to enable colleagues to reach their potential. Lucie works across GST primary and secondary schools as an experienced trainer, moderator and English specialist.

Janey Denton - Executive Head of Kingfisher & Saxon Way

Janey started and grew her career in one school where she was a teacher, Deputy Head and then Acting Head before joining GST as Head of Saxon Way. She was later appointed Executive Head of two Medway schools. Janey is passionate about improving outcomes and raising aspirations for children. She has developed a particular interest in improving teaching and learning through the use of pupil voice. She has found that listening to the thoughts and opinions of children regarding their learning and what they want and need from the curriculum is highly motivating and effective for pupils, teachers and leaders alike. Janey works with colleagues across the Trust on school improvement.

Sara Gascoigne - Head of School for Kingfisher

Sara has been teaching for 20 years both in the UK and overseas, which has provided her with a rich and valuable perspective on the world and on education. Sara places effective communication and language at the heart of her teaching and leadership to ensure she builds effective relationships with all stakeholders, developing confidence and success. Her Yorkshire roots and driven work ethic ensure she fosters a love of learning for all her pupils, so that they want to grow to be the best they can be. Sara is passionate about aspiration, and firmly believes all pupils can achieve. She encourages her school community constantly to look to improve and develop in a safe and challenging environment. After returning from Singapore, she joined Kingfisher Primary School in 2013, first as Assistant and then Deputy Head, before being appointed Head of School.

Lisa Guest - Executive Head of Bramford & Chivenor

Lisa began teaching in 1994 and has taught in two schools before taking on the Head of Bramford role towards the end of 2016. She was a subject leader in her first year of teaching and quickly moved through leadership roles of head of year, key stage, assistant head, deputy before taking on an acting headship. Lisa’s whole teaching career has been in poor socio-economic communities where she has a passion for offering a wide range of experiences and opportunities for all pupils, whilst raising aspirations and achievement. Assessment and curriculum have also always been at the heart of her school improvement initiatives. Lisa is a firm believer in team work and that ‘together we improve’ this stems from her sports background. Sport is still one of her passions, especially football and golf. However, many would say shopping and holidays are also her main hobbies. Lisa is driven to do all she can to ensure her school has happy children and staff, helping everyone of them reach their potential, to find skills and talents within each of them and developing them. She wants learning to be non-stop and where everyone cannot wait for the next day to begin.

Alec Jiggins - Head of School for Stantonbury

Having begun his teaching career in the UK maintained sector, Alec has worked in and led international schools in South America, Spain and Singapore for fifteen years. His expertise in introducing and leading IB programmes along with the facilities and organisation that underpin their success is of great value as the school begins in earnest its IB Middle Years Programme. Alec believes in the power of vibrant learning communities where students and staff are jointly engaged and mutually accountable. His experience of leading well-established and new schools which are predicated on wide horizons and high achievement in highly competitive environments comes at the right time for Stantonbury as its builds on a substantial improvement programme to re-establish its strong reputation in Milton Keynes.

Jayne Lusinski - Head of Lordswood

Jayne trained as a secondary school teacher, specialising in Mathematics and PE and taught for more than 20 years in one school, gaining experience in many areas of leadership, developing an interest in the curriculum and timetabling and taking a key role in safeguarding children. Jayne is passionate about engaging parents in their child’s education and promoting a variety of activities for children to experience within and beyond the curriculum. Her love of sport is reflected in school life and in the many competitions Lordswood wins locally and in the Trust. She also places a high value on the ceremony of community celebration so that the children have plentiful opportunity to perform to and to be audiences for others. Jayne was seconded to Lordswood to support the leadership team in 2014 and was appointed Head of School and then Head.

Alison Ramsay - Head of Stantonbury

Alison is a modern foreign languages graduate who has a passion for raising ambition in school communities and opening up the world to its students. As an experienced secondary Head and school improver, Alison has developed teams, mentored new leaders and supported schools through significant periods of change. Her experience in recruiting and inducting staff to a mission and a professional culture rather than to an individual role and the importance of strong partnerships are key elements of her leadership at Stantonbury. Her belief in championing every young person, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, is at the heart of everything she does. Alison is an advocate for promoting sports and arts provision, and celebrating the achievements of young people in these areas.

Sabrina Reilly - Head of School for Riverley

Sabrina began her teaching career in Ireland and joined the Riverley team when she relocated to the UK. Sabrina has nurtured talent by leading the Griffin NQT programme for the past three years, enabling newly qualified teachers to become confident practitioners. Many of her mentees are now taking up leadership roles, having benefited from being part of this dynamic learning community. Sabrina’s determination that the needs of every child should inform all decisions, have led her to develop the curricular and extra-curricular opportunities that define a Griffin Great school.

Angela Sandow - Head of School for Saxon Way

Angela joined Saxon Way as Deputy Head in 2013 after 20 years at another school. Angela regards her career as a journey of self-development starting as a teaching assistant, and becoming Head of School at Saxon Way in 2015. She encourages the children to take the same view of their learning as an exciting journey which reveals new horizons and greater self-knowledge. Before beginning her career in education, Angela was a social worker for Surrey County Council, a background she finds useful in her wide engagement families in the school community.

Gemma Sant - Executive Head of Riverley & Willow Brook

Gemma began teaching in 2009 and joined the leadership team at Riverley as an Assistant Head in 2013. Gemma has a keen interest in teaching and learning, further explored in a Masters in Education. She believes that schools should inspire learning in children whilst educating them to grow into independent, confident and accomplished young people. Through her leadership, Gemma models the expectation that all children can achieve at least national norms. She is committed to the coaching and professional development of her colleagues in school and across the Trust, paving the way for further progress in the field of education.