Members

Professor Damien Page

Damien has worked in education since 2000. He began his career as a lecturer of English in further education, managing a number of subject areas including humanities, finance, and construction before moving to the higher education sector, working at Birkbeck, University of London, The University of Greenwich, and Leeds Beckett University.

He is currently Dean of the Faculty of Education, Health, and Wellbeing at the University of Wolverhampton where he sits on the University Executive Board. As a Professor of Education, he has researched areas as diverse as family engagement in Alternative Provision, surveillance in schools and performance management and regulation of teachers.

David Holland

David is Headmaster of Hill House School, Doncaster, an independent school for ages 3 to 18 with 740 pupils.

Hill House has won a number of national awards in recent years, including being named Times Independent School of the Year 2012-13, and receiving the 2016-17 Times Award for the Outstanding Community Initiative, which was based on the success of the Robin Hood Music Festival, which now involves over 30 local schools, including those in the trust. In last year’s inspection, Hill House was judged outstanding in 7 of the 9 available categories, including leadership and management.

Having read Classics at Cambridge, David has been in education for almost 30 years, spending the last 14 in 2 headships. In addition to his day job, he is a member of the Society of Heads of Independent Schools, sitting on their committee which forecasts and monitors developments in education. He also serves as a school inspector.  He is a passionate advocate of holistic education and the importance of striving for improvement and excellence.

Anne Elliott

Anne is a Senior Executive Principal for Delta Academies Trust, a large mulit-academy trust spanning Yorkshire and the Humber, working in communities of high deprivation and significant disadvantage.  In this role she is focussed on all aspects of school improvement including the implementation of trust wide strategies to secure highly effective teaching and learning, leading to strong outcomes for all pupils.  Anne particularly enjoys working with school leaders to build capacity in leadership at all levels.  She takes a lead role in the induction of new heads within the primary phase of the trust.  She has also had the opportunity to facilitate on the NPQ programmes.

Anne's career spans 30 years during which time she has taught across the primary age range as well as being SENDCO, before securing a headship in 2009.  She was pivotal in taking her school through the process of academisation in 2012, seeing the benefits of belonging to a multi-academy trust and the opportunities this would bring for high quality school improvement and collaboration.  Anne maintains a key interest in the education of pupils with SEND and has developed a trust wide strategy to deliver effective provision through the graduated response.

Anne thoroughly enjoys her work and feels privileged to play a part in changing the lives of children in the north of England, through the delivery of a high-quality educational experience.

Jonathan Sharp

Jonathan has worked in the education sector for over 25 years as a teacher, deputy headteacher, headteacher and Local Authority Senior Officer. His current role as Implementation and Improvement Lead in a local Multi Academy Trust draws on much of his experience gained over the past four years as Deputy Director of Doncaster Research School and Opportunity Area Lead Professional. Jonathan’s current work involves collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders to share successful, innovative ways of working, particularly the effective use of evidence informed practice. This is primarily focused on developing leadership and teaching for the benefit of all pupils, but particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

As an experienced school governor in primary, special school and Trust settings, Jonathan has a good understanding of the expectations, challenges and opportunities which trusts, schools and their leaders are afforded in the current educational climate.

Darren Holmes

Darren is an experienced leader and educator and is the founder and CEO of the Enquire Learning Trust. In this capacity he works with leaders, teachers, trustees, local governors, and other professionals to enhance leadership, facilitate improvement, foster transformation, and generate quality outcomes for young people. His specialism is in developing strategy, practice, provision, and opportunity through reflection on action, enquiry based learning and powerful communities of practice.  Darren has wide experience of governance in public services and has actively supported the foundation and growth of 5 Trusts across the north of England.

Darren has written on a range of leadership issues for academic journals and national publications and has presented at national and international research conventions. His previous experience includes more than 30 years as a teacher, school leader, facilitator, coach, leadership consultant and senior local authority officer. He has worked as a researcher and facilitator for the National College and is currently in the final year of MBA studies.

Darren is a Yorkshire emigre living in the North East. He is married to Suzanne, and they have three grown up children who provide a crucial perspective on learning. In his spare time, he reads widely, tends an allotment, listens to heavy rock, swims wild waters, watches Hartlepool United and picks a mean guitar!