Meet our Schools and Colleges Partnership Team

Sharon has more than two decades of experience in the education sector. A graduate of the Institute of Education at the University of London, she began her career by successfully coordinating the Effective Provision of Pre-school Education (EPPE) project in Inner London. This endeavour marked a significant milestone as the first major European longitudinal study of young children's development.

Early in her teaching journey, Sharon achieved the status of an Advanced Skills Teacher, opening doors to a role as a pedagogical mentor across schools in Bradford, Birmingham, and Manchester.

Sharon's leadership skillset led her to senior positions within Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) across the North of England. Here, she developed the effective use of the peer coaching model, with senior management teams across various educational settings.

During her tenure as a Link Tutor at Bradford College, Sharon nurtured and developed vital Initial Teacher Training school partnerships. Beyond this, she delivered presentations and training sessions on leadership to local education authorities. She joined us in July 2020 as the West Yorkshire Schools Partnership Manager.

Sharon says: "I am proud to be part of an organisation that cares deeply about improving life chances for children and young people in our communities. Having the opportunity to build and nurture partnerships with local schools and educational institutions aimed at identifying and supporting students who might otherwise be left behind due to various barriers is incredibly rewarding. 

"My journey as a Schools Partnership Manager has solidified my belief in the power of education to transform lives and has given me a platform to contribute to a more equitable educational landscape."

Simon is an experienced Primary teacher and senior leader, joining Tutor Trust in August 2022 to continue his passion for enhancing the educational opportunities of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

After completing his teacher training, Simon took a teaching role in a Leeds school facing some of the biggest barriers to learning in the country. He stayed in this position for eight years, developed as Head of Maths, and went on to join the school's senior leadership team. This gave him valuable experience helping pupils and schools within the Trust to close the attainment gap and improve progress for the most disadvantaged pupils.

He further developed as an educational leader by completing the Teaching Leaders fellow programme (at what is now the Ambition Institute) for talented educational leaders. Simon is excited to be a part of the Tutor Trust team and is determined to use his skills to help young people overcome barriers to learning and reach their maximum potential.

Becky first discovered Tutor Trust while at university and spent two years during her Linguistics degree as a part-time Secondary English tutor with us, working in many of our partner schools across Greater Manchester.

Becky re-joined our team as West Yorkshire Schools Coordinator in February 2023. She is thrilled to once again be working with Tutor Trust to help make a difference in the lives of young people in her hometown of Leeds.

Becky says: "Having the opportunity to support pupils with additional barriers to learning fuelled my passion for a more equitable, accessible, and holistic approach to education. I saw first-hand the impact that pupil-centred tuition can have on the confidence and attainment of pupils through tailored, individual support. As someone who is neurodivergent, this is incredibly important to me – every pupil learns differently, and it’s important for us to celebrate these differences and find new ways of doing things to make learning work for every child.

"It’s been wonderful to work full-time for a charity whose values so strongly align with my own. In September 2023, I became Chair of Tutor Trust’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Staff Group. As part of the group, I hope to develop my continuous learning about ED&I, and help make changes which place equity at the heart of everything we do."

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."

Imogen (she/her) began her journey at the Tutor Trust in 2022, when she took on the role of Secondary Science Tutor while completing her Pharmacology degree at the University of Liverpool. After graduating, Imogen joined the office as a Tutoring Plus Coordinator in September 2023. 

Imogen says: "Through my tutoring experience at the Tutor Trust and other voluntary positions I have been able to share my love of science with young people. These experiences have also deepened my passion for equality in education and the promotion of social mobility.  In my role, I am excited to play a part in student success and the fight against educational inequality by coordinating one-to-one tuition for students that require more specialist support."

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."