top of page

Trust Central Services Team

The White Rose Academies Trust prides itself on supporting its family of schools with a team of education and industry specialists, each delivering in-house, world-class services to raise and maintain our schools' standards.

School Improvement Team

Nicola Widnall ID card_edited.jpg
Nicola Widnall
Vice Principal 

Hailing originally from the Brecon Beacons, Nicola graduated from the University of Leeds in 2005 with a degree in Spanish Language and Literature, before continuing her studies there and completing her PGCE in Secondary Modern Foreign Languages...

P1042533_edited.jpg
Rachel Sharples
Vice Principal 

Rachel Sharples is delighted to join the White Rose Academies Trust as Vice Principal focusing on Academy improvement. Prior to her appointment...

Read more >>

Meg F.jpg
Meg Flaherty
Executive Assistant 

Meg is thrilled to be a part of the Trust’s Executive Team, bringing a unique blend of experience in education, performing arts... 

Read More>>

Safeguarding

P1042540_edited.jpg
Raminder Aujla MSc

Director of Safeguarding

Raminder has worked with children and families within both the education and youth justice sector for over 20 years. Raminder is an accredited...

Read more >>

Marketing, Communications, Projects and Events

P1042469_edited.jpg
Emily Hare 

Marketing and Communications Manager

Emily was delighted to successfully interview to join the White Rose Academies Trust in April 2018 as an intern during her Industrial Placement year from Northumbria University...

Read More >>

P1042430_edited.jpg
Curtis Hare

Creative Lead

Curtis joined the trust as our Creative Lead after gaining over 10 years experience in the marketing industry working for agencies in Europe and the UK...

Read More >> 

MicrosoftTeams-image.png
Robert Moxon

Creative Lead

With over 15 years of experience working with some of the world’s best-known brands across the arts, lifestyle, music and sports sectors...

Read More >>

Finance & Operations

SAMBHeadshot.jpg
Sam Bradley
Trust Chief Financial Officer

Sam Bradley graduated from Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, with a First Class BA Hons degree in History and Sociology, and completed further post-graduate study at the University of East Anglia..

Read More >>

Finance

P1042508_edited.jpg
Steve Etherington​

Finance Manager

 

Steve joined Leeds West Academy in the summer of 2011, after working for Post Office Ltd for 38 years. He started at the Post Office as a counter clerk in Wetherby and worked his...

 

Read More >>

P1042523_edited.jpg
Ethan Harlow
Finance Assistant

Ethan joined the White Rose Academies Trust in the summer of 2018 and after a brief time spent with the trust projects team was deployed at Leeds East Academy...

Read More >>

Kat Pic.jpg
Katarzyna Lukasiewicz
Finance Assistant

Katarzyna joined the trust as Finance Assistant in November 2022.  Kat moved to the UK from Krakow, Poland in 2005 and lives with her 12-year-old daughter who is a talented...

Read more >>

Business Management

LizArmstrong.jpg
Liz Armstrong
Business Manager

Liz has extensive leadership and management experience both in an educational and a commercial setting. Liz worked for a major engineering company for 20 years, latterly as a...

Read More >>

LUMINATE_WRAT_GROUPS_OCT2021 58.jpg
David Hillary
Business Manager

David joined the White Rose Academies Trust in January 2019 as Operations Manager across Leeds West Academy and Leeds East Academy...

Read More >>

lucy paddy 1.jpg
Lucy Paddy
Business Manager
Lucy Paddy has extensive leadership and management experience in both educational and commercial settings. Lucy has worked for one of the largest construction companies...


Read more >>

HR

P1042518_edited.jpg
Rajinder Soor 

Director of Human Resources

Rajinder graduated from Bournemouth University in 1999 after gaining a degree in Business Studies, with a focus on Human Resource Management in her final year....

Read more >>

JoannaHeadshot.jpg
Joanna Stokes 

Recruitment and People Services Advisor

Joanna joined the White Rose Academies Trust HR Team in October 2021 and is responsible for supporting the academies and central trust team with recruitment, absence, contracts and payroll changes...

Read More >>

Governance

Image.jpeg
Alice Ryan

Trust Governance Manager

Alice was born in Leeds and has lived in Horsforth all of her life with a big family of four sisters, one brother and two boxer dogs...

 

Read More >>

LaurenHeadshot.jpg
Lauren Crowther 

HR Manager

Lauren joined Leeds East Academy as Finance Assistant in April 2014. 
During the course of her career Lauren developed skills in Finance and undertook some admin tasks within HR...

Read More >>

P1042414.jpg
Gabriela Hlavacek
HR Manager

Gabi joined the Trust as HR Manager in September 2022. Originally from Poland, Gabi came to the UK in 2006 to continue her education...

Read More >>

 

IT

MDOHeadshot.jpg
Michael Douglas
Director of IT & Digital

Michael is a Director of IT with over 20 years of experience in the industry. His career spans both the private and public sectors, with a particular emphasis in the education space...

Read More >>

 

ChrisSHeadshot (1).jpg
Chris Sheffield
IT Service Manager
Originally from Scarborough, Chris began working with White Rose Academies Trust in 2017 and has over 15 years' experience...
Read More >>

 

bottom of page