Meet our Schools and Colleges Team

Alex joined Tutor Trust as a tutor in 2017. After graduating from The University of Manchester in 2019, he joined the team full-time as School Coordinator, and became Manchester Primary Schools Manager in February 2021, before becoming Greater Manchester Partnerships Manager. Alex also serves as a governor at a local primary school which provides resourced provision for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Alex supports staff with wellbeing, literacy, and outreach within the community they serve.

Alex says: "During my time as a tutor, I worked with vulnerable learners who needed extra support to catch up on some lost learning. Being able to mentor them 1:1 was incredibly fulfilling and sparked my belief that Tutor Trust is an amazing agent for change within the city where I grew up. It’s this commitment to tackling educational inequality head-on that led me to join the team full-time. I enjoy belonging to a vibrant, inclusive, and passionate team of people, all connected by Tutor Trust’s mission. 

"Over the past four years, I’ve been able to play a part in Tutor Trust’s rapid growth and I’m excited to see how we continue to innovate and grow our presence within the communities we serve."

Jessie joined The Tutor Trust as the Axiom Maths* lead and Programme Coordinator in December 2023, after working in education for five-plus years. Jessie studied Social Anthropology at the University of Manchester, learning about the socially embedded challenges people face globally. Following university she worked as a private tutor for primary students, a SEND support teacher and more recently spent three years at a Further Education Post-16 College as both a Safeguarding Practitioner and a School Liaison Coordinator.

Jessie’s focus throughout her career in education has been centred on removing the complex barriers to education young people may face, and providing a nurturing and patient environment to help young people thrive. She has a vested interest in supporting young people who are neurodiverse, as she has personally experienced the impact neurodiversity can have on one’s educational journey.

In her personal time, Jessie teaches Yoga, and loves outdoor activities like surfing, hiking and travelling.

She says: "I am excited to work with schools across Manchester to facilitate a person-centred, individualised approach to tutoring education and support vulnerable young people to thrive."

*Axiom Maths was originally MESME. A registered charity leading an exciting enrichment programme for high-attaining secondary school students to develop mathematical excellence, so they have a greater and richer range of future personal, employment and economic choices.​​​ You can read more about the programme here

Sammy joined Tutor Trust in the summer of 2021 as a Secondary English tutor whilst studying for her Master’s degree in Philosophy at the University of Manchester. A couple of weeks after she completed her degree, Sammy began working on a full-time tuition assignment at St Damian’s RC Science College, which was an incredibly fun and rewarding experience. She became a Primary Schools Coordinator in the Greater Manchester team. In February 2024, Sammy moved into the role of Project Lead within the Manchester Schools team, overseeing projects including Transition and Post-16. She is looking forward to playing an active role in diversifying our offer to reach even more children and young people in need of extra support. 

Sammy says: "I have always been passionate about playing a role in minimising educational inequalities. One of my favourite things about my role is the fact I am making a difference to the lives of many young people in my local community who otherwise wouldn’t have access to the extra support Tutor Trust provides. This makes the job extremely fulfilling, and I am proud to be a part of this amazing organisation. I also enjoy working alongside our tutors to help them settle into their roles and boost their engagement, through organising social events and facilitating drop-ins.

"When I’m not coordinating tuition, I enjoy watching football and I co-host my own FC Halifax Town podcast! I also love to read, and I’m currently on the Tutor Trust Book Club committee, where we organise monthly meetings with our fellow office bookworms."

Hannah joined Tutor Trust in May 2023 as a Manchester Primary Schools Coordinator. With a degree in Applied Performance (Community and Education) from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Hannah is passionate about equity and accessibility. Hannah has experience coordinating a team for a large charity and before working for Tutor Trust, worked in theatres and schools exploring creative arts with vulnerable adults and young people. 

Hannah says: "I enjoy bringing my knowledge, experience, and friendly Yorkshire accent into my role as Programme Coordinator. Outside of work, I love having little adventures every day, that usually involve good food and nature!"

Hayden joined The Tutor Trust in February 2025. Previously, he founded The Norwich Tanzania Association in 2013, leading projects in Iringa and Dar-es-Salaam that included refurbishing classrooms, building a library, delivering sports equipment, books, and solar-powered laptops, restoring water pumps, and providing monthly support to orphanages. Passionate about improving access to education, Hayden is dedicated to creating stable foundations for disadvantaged children to reach their full potential. In his spare time, he is a keen reader and enjoys writing scripts and poetry.

Hayden says: “I am very excited to join the Tutor Trust and apply my experience to the charity, tackle educational inequalities and to empowering vulnerable communities. The team is like-minded and passionate, and I am proud to be a part of it.”

After completing her BA in English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Manchester, Lola made the decision to move to South Korea to teach English. After two years working in local primary schools as the EAL teacher, Lola knew she wanted to further her career in education. She returned to the University of Manchester once again, to earn a PGCE in Primary Education. 

Her PGCE coincided with the height of the pandemic, an experience that made Lola realise that she wanted to focus her teaching on the pupils who needed it most, which led her to Tutor Trust. After working for a year as a part-time Primary tutor, Lola successfully applied for the position of Full-Time Tutor. Since then, she has been working in a range of Primary and Secondary schools across Greater Manchester.

Lola says: "Working for Tutor Trust has been a wonderful and rewarding experience! I was very nervous when I earnt my PGCE, as I knew, having worked in different classroom environments, that I wasn’t looking to become a teacher as such, but did want to continue to help young people to learn.

"Tutor Trust offered the perfect environment for me to work in my desired profession. It has been incredible working with so many different pupils to increase their knowledge and confidence!"

Emily first joined Tutor Trust in 2017 as a Primary Tutor in West Yorkshire whilst completing her undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the University of Leeds. Emily then joined the Tutor Trust as a full-time member of staff in December 2019, where she worked for three years, primarily focussing on the recruitment and training of tutors.

After some time away from the organisation, where she gained both employment and voluntary experience with mental health charities, Emily returned to Tutor Trust in her new role as Hartlepool Programme Coordinator in January 2025.

Emily says: “My primary motive for working with the Tutor Trust remains the same as when I first applied to be a tutor in 2017: I feel passionately about working towards a more fair and equitable society where everybody can thrive. I know the incredible impact the Tutor Trust’s programmes can have on young people, empowering and inspiring them, whilst providing tailored academic support.

As I am from County Durham myself, I am very excited to be a part of the charity’s expansion to the North East, and to make a real difference to the young people of Hartlepool.”

Nadia joined the Tutor Trust team as Hartlepool Programme Coordinator in January 2025. She holds a degree in Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from Newcastle University.

Her journey in education began as a teacher working in schools in economically disadvantaged areas of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. From this role, she gained invaluable insight into the barriers pupils may face in accessing quality education. This experience fuelled her passion for tutoring and underscored the importance of tailored educational approaches for those that need it most. She has designed effective lesson plans and implemented differentiated instruction, creating inclusive learning environments that empower every student to thrive.

Nadia first joined the Tutor Trust in 2024 working as a QTS Primary Tutor in West Yorkshire, where she led targeted tutoring sessions for Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Year 6 pupils. Through personalised learning experiences, she witnessed significant improvements in SATs performance and phonics assessment pass rates. These successes reaffirmed her belief in the transformative power of high-quality tuition, especially for undeserved communities.

Nadia says: "In my current role, I am dedicated to advancing Tutor Trust's mission to combat educational inequality. I aim to build strong partnerships with schools, families, and the community to foster collaborative support for our students. With a genuine care for the impact I make, I am also committed to mentoring tutors to ensure they provide the highest standard of tuition.

As a polyglot, I am able to connect with a diverse range of learners, further enriching our inclusive approach. I am excited to harness my qualifications, teaching experience, and passion for education to establish a robust tutoring program in Hartlepool. By empowering students and equipping them with the necessary tools, I strive to help every young person navigate academic challenges and unlock their full potential."

Louise is an alumna of Durham University, where she studied English Language and Linguistics. After graduating, she worked at Teesside University before embarking on her Key Stage 2/3 PGCE, specialising in English. On completion, Louise decided to work within the primary sector where she has taught in Key Stage 2, primarily Year Six, for over twenty years within areas of Teesside which face significant disadvantage. As well as a classroom teacher, she has been whole-school English and Art Lead, Transition Coordinator and Lexonik teacher. After a decision to work part-time, Louise worked as an intervention teacher for smaller groups of students to help prepare them for their SATs and subsequent move to secondary school. She also worked as a tutor as part of the National Tutoring Programme and has seen first-hand the positive impact tutoring can have on a child’s confidence and ability to meet the challenges they face in today’s face-paced world.

Alongside her teaching, Louise works for Capita during the Key Stage 2 National Tests cycle and is Vice-Chair of Governors at her local primary school. She has recently completed her MA Creative Writing at Teesside University where she wrote an anthology of poems exploring the issues facing the region, as well as celebrating the strength, humour and pride found in the people who live and work there.

Louise says: "Throughout my career, I have worked in schools which face considerable challenges and whose young people often face significant disadvantage. My focus has been to support, guide and educate students to the best of my ability and enable them to become successful, confident and independent learners who can reach their full potential. I am proud to join The Tutor Trust in their journey to be a part of an education system that provides excellence, equity and opportunity to every child and young person."

Janet joined us in August 2023. Her background is in the education sector, where she worked for over 20 years as a teacher and teaching assistant. She has also worked in the charitable sector in various voluntary roles including wellbeing and admin.

Janet says: “I am excited to be able to support and enable the West Yorkshire team in delivering programmes which transcend socio-economic barriers and realise young people’s true potential. Tutor Trust is a warm and welcoming place to be, where we hold in common a desire to transform the futures of young people.”

After graduating from Bangor University Jo began her career as a teacher of Chemistry. Jo has over 20 years’ experience in senior leadership across Greater Manchester and Lancashire including Headship, with wide-ranging involvement in both mainstream and Alternative Provision settings.

Having worked in senior positions in both mainstream and Alternative Provision settings across Greater Manchester, Jo is well placed to lead and drive the quality of our tutoring programmes within our Tutoring Plus offer.

Jo is the Director of Tutoring Plus, which provides a bespoke service of one-to-one tutoring and other supportive interventions for children and young people with even greater barriers to overcome than their peers. This may include cared-for children, those at risk of exclusion, those excluded, and children and young people not attending school regularly. 

Jo is also the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Jo says: "The Mission and Values of Tutor Trust align perfectly with my own and this is what drew me to working with Tutor Trust initially. However, this has strengthened and developed as we have grown. It is so rewarding to know that you are part of a team of like-minded colleagues all working together to make a difference to the lives of children and young people who need it most."

Penny joined Tutor Trust in September 2019 as a Schools Coordinator. Shortly afterwards she joined the Tutoring Plus team as a coordinator and became Tutoring Plus Manager in 2020. In this role Penny oversees all of the programmes aimed towards supporting pupils holistically, such as The Right Angle and Time for Me. In February 2024, Penny added to her role and became part of the fundraising team as Tutoring Plus Partnerships and Fundraising Manager.

She says: "I joined Tutor Trust as a Primary and Secondary English tutor in 2016 during my second year at the University of Manchester.  Whilst tutoring I enjoyed working across a range of ages, as well as advocating for Tutor Trust at University.

"I have always been interested in roles and projects that aim to support young people to develop their confidence and overcome barriers, with the core values of compassion and equality being what initially drew me to this charity.  

"When the opportunity to work specifically with pupils who are looked after or in alternative provision arose within Tutor Trust, I jumped at the chance. With the need for support for these young people only growing, our team and the work we do is more important than ever. Together we hope to continue to diversify the ways in which we can support each young person as an individual. My new role in fundraising provides the opportunity to celebrate and share our work with those who can support us in our mission of transforming lives through tutoring."

Fiona first joined the Tutor Trust in December 2019 as a Leeds Secondary Maths Tutor, whilst studying for her degree in Music and masters in Music Psychology from the University of Leeds. After becoming an advanced tutor and supporting maths training for new recruits, she became an Axiom Maths tutor for the charity to support students aiming to pursue maths in higher education. Fiona is also an advocate for mental health and wellbeing support, which she aims to demonstrate within her new role as Tutoring Plus Coordinator.

Fiona says: “I initially joined the Tutor Trust as a GCSE Maths and Axiom tutor during my first year at University; supporting students individually and in group sessions through remote and in-person learning. It was lovely to get to know my students more and to work together through personalised lessons to ensure they were appropriately challenged and encouraged based on their individual targets and aspirations.

I am very passionate about promoting learning support and accessibility, particularly when working with students facing additional educational inequalities. I am therefore very grateful to be working for a charity such as the Tutor Trust whose ethos aligns with these values and promotes inclusion, compassion, and equity within education. Being part of the Tutoring Plus team means I am now able to utilise my practical experience to coordinate tuition and promote support for students in alternative provisions which I am very excited about.”

Joining Tutor Trust while at Manchester Metropolitan University, Matt wanted to support his Education Studies degree with relevant and exciting work. After almost three years working as a Primary school tutor across Manchester and graduating from university, Matt loved the culture and ethos of Tutor Trust as well as the satisfaction of the positive impact of his work.  

Matt joined us as a Full-Time Tutor on the Tutoring Plus Team, before moving into the role of coordinator for the team. He has also been involved in the AI tuition pilot.

Matt says: "Having joined the Tutor Trust in Autumn 2023, I have been so impressed at the atmosphere within the charity. Everyone is so kind and supportive and carries the charity’s ethos with them in everything they do. Whether working remotely or in the office, there is always a friendly face to help with anything you need, and this is something I remember from my time as a tutor too. 

"I have always felt strongly about the ethos of Tutor Trust and I am so proud to be able to contribute to that further as a Full-Time Tutor while engaging in the many projects, pilot programmes, training, and learning and development sessions that the charity runs."

Alice joined The Tutor Trust as a part-time tutor in late 2020 alongside working in the heritage sector. She took on the role of Full-time Tutor in September 2022, working in primary and secondary schools across Greater Manchester. 

Alice says: "I love working for a team which focuses on making a difference to young people who need it most. I am really enjoying the challenge of tailoring tuition sessions to learners of different ages and needs, from Primary to post-16 students. The chance to incorporate students' ambitions and interests means that every day is different and challenging.

"The focus on personal development and reflective practice have allowed me to develop my skills and encourage students to do the same. I am currently looking forward to incorporating a focus on mentoring into my tuition sessions, as well as supporting academic progress."

Katy studied Philosophy and Religion at the University of Sheffield and graduated in 2019.

Katy has enjoyed working with children and young people from an early age, and, since the age of 16, has been involved in various projects and schemes working with young people. During her time in sixth form, she went to Malawi to work in local schools and youth centres. Whilst at university she was a mentor to secondary school pupils in a widening participation scheme. After university, she worked in schools as a Teaching Assistant, helping to teach children with SEND. In 2021, Katy moved to Manchester and completed a PGCE in Primary Education. She worked as a Primary School Teacher in KS2 until 2023 and has a particular passion for working with children with additional needs.

Katy says: "The ethos of Tutor Trust is something close to my heart. Coming from a disrupted home background myself, I know that prioritising education in a young person's life can have a huge impact on them and can really make a difference. In the short time I have worked at Tutor Trust, I have seen how important the work is to everyone involved. I love that the support and help we can give is directly focused on impacting the pupils. I am proud to work for an organisation that aims to change the lives of children for the better."