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Our National Team

  

Executive Team

Mohsen Ojja

Chief Executive

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Sheila McKenzie

Chief Operating Officer

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Claire Pannell

Director of Governance - General Counsel

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Helen Barker

Director of People

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Elma Lawson

Director of Education

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Marie-Claire Bretherton

Director of School Improvement and Education Director

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Jane Coley

Education Director, Secondary

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Core School Improvement Team

Vicki Briody

Associate Education Director

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Sam Coy

Associate Education Director

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Simon Morley

Associate Education Director

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Richard Corry

Associate Education Director

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Wider School Improvement Team

Led by our Education Directors, this group of Anthem and KYRA lead professionals direct, support and guide our school improvement work:

Head of Assessment for Learning (Secondary) Debbie Wiles (currently on maternity leave)
Head of Teacher Development (KYRA and Anthem) Lauren Nicoll (KYRA)
Lead Practitioner for Leading Teaching (Kyra and Anthem) Vanessa Hopkinson (KYRA)
Lead Practitioner for Teacher Development (Kyra and Anthem) Anna Miller (KYRA)
Primary English Specialist Leann Anderson
Science School Improvement Lead (Secondary) Jonathan Radcliffe
English School Improvement Lead (Secondary) Ellie Clark
Maths School Improvement Lead (Secondary)  Carleen Masson

Central Operations Team

Led by Anthem's Chief Operating Officer, this group of professionals have strategic and operational responsibility across the Trust and lead the work of our central team. Largely based at our head office in Reading, our central team work closely with school-based colleagues, forming a back-office community that collectively ensures the smooth day-to-day operation of Anthem schools.

Head of Communications Sarah Fleming
Head of Data and Impact Melanie Calder
Head of Estates Corey Gilbert
Head of Finance Nicki Retallic
Head of IT Ross Weeks
Head of Legal Claire Pannell
Safeguarding Advisor Kamelia  Johnson

 

Mohsen Ojja

Chief Executive

Mohsen is Anthem’s new Chief Executive Officer from January 2023. He has come to us from The Mossbourne Federation in East London, where he was Deputy CEO for two years before becoming Acting CEO in January. Prior to that, Mohsen was National Director of Education at E-ACT, having been a successful Principal of the Crest Academy in North London. He is a highly motivated leader with extensive experience of working with schools in areas of high deprivation, and an uncompromising commitment to equality of opportunities for all.

Sheila McKenzie

Chief Operating Officer

Sheila joined Anthem (then known as CfBT Schools Trust) as Finance Director in February 2014, becoming COO in November 2017. A qualified accountant with 15 years’ experience in the voluntary sector, Sheila’s previous roles include senior finance positions at an organisation that supports people with learning difficulties, and a membership organisation that supports the NHS. Sheila also acts in a voluntary capacity as trustee of SOS Sahel UK, a small international development charity that works primarily in Sudan, and the National Deaf Children Society.

Claire Pannell

Director of Governance - General Counsel

Claire is Anthem’s new Director of Governance – General Counsel. She has worked for the Trust in various forms for over 12 years, most recently as our Head of Legal. Claire is a qualified solicitor, specialising in education law and is also Anthem's Data Protection Officer and Company Secretary. She has previously worked for Education Development Trust as in-house legal and senior education development consultant, and as a senior education solicitor at education specialist law firm Veale Wasbrough Vizards. Beyond Anthem, Claire is an Academy Councillor for Hans Price Academy in Weston and Lime Hills Academy, a special school in Somerset.

Helen Barker

Director of People

Helen Barker is Anthem's Director of People, leading on the development and delivery of all workforce-related policies and practice across the Trust. Helen's background is in primary teaching and leadership. She was a Headteacher for four years, and one of the ‘early adopters’ of Peer Review with Education Development Trust’s Schools Partnership Programme. She was also Head of KYRA Teaching School in Lincolnshire for a number of years. Helen is committed to developing, training and supporting leaders for Anthem, and forging new partnerships to the benefit of all.

Elma Lawson

Director of Education

Elma is Anthem's newly appointed Director of Education, responsible for assuring the quality of education delivered across the whole Trust. Elma has 14 years’ experience in senior leadership roles and has a track record of improving student outcomes and raising standards. Most recently she was a Regional Education Director at E-Act, working with both secondary and primary schools.

Marie-Claire Bretherton

Director of School Improvement and Education Director

Marie-Claire is Anthem's Director of School Improvement and Education Director for our primary schools based in and around Lincolnshire. In addition to being a National Leader of Education, Marie-Claire chairs the Lincolnshire Teaching Schools Together board, a coalition of six teaching schools working to secure transformation school improvement in Lincolnshire schools.

Jane Coley

Education Director, Secondary

Respected educator Jane Coley has been teaching for 18 years, most recently as Principal at Brakenhale School in Berkshire, which was transformed under her leadership. In her various leadership roles, Jane has earned a reputation for working at a rapid pace to improve progress and standards in her schools. She is also well known for her work as a national lead for PiXL6 (Partners in Excellence) where she works alongside over 500 schools to lead improvement for Sixth Form students.

Vicki Briody

Associate Education Director

Having been Headteacher at Anthem's Abacus Belsize Primary School since it opened in 2013, Vicki has now been seconded to the National Team for four days a week as our third Primary AED, with responsibility for Gladstone Park and Judith Kerr primary schools. She retains a role at Abacus as Executive Headteacher.

Sam Coy

Associate Education Director

Sam Coy is Associate Education Director for five of Anthem's primary schools, who first joined the Trust as Headteacher of Benjamin Adlard Primary School back in 2015. An inspirational, but down to earth leader, Sam was instrumental in Benjamin Adlard's transformation from inadequate to good, and its subsequent triumph in the 2018 Pearson Teaching Awards as 'School of the Year - Making a Difference'.

Simon Morley

Associate Education Director

Simon Morley is the Associate Education Director for our four Lincolnshire primary schools. Simon brings extensive experience of school leadership in primary education to the Trust. He has worked for over 25 years in good and outstanding schools in London, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire with 12 of those years as a headteacher in two different schools including Anthem’s outstanding Boston West Academy where he was Headteacher between 2017-2022. Simon is a collaborative leader who is deeply committed to striving for excellence and maximising opportunities for all children and young people.

Richard Corry

Associate Education Director

Richard Corry joined the ranks of Anthem Education Directors in January 2022 as Associate Education Director for Secondary schools working alongside Education Director Jane Coley. Richard has come to us from Brakenhale School in Berkshire, where he was Deputy Headteacher. He has also worked with Pixl schools at Key Stage 4 for a number of years as part of their subject development team.

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