Meet our Senior Management Team

Ed joined the Tutor Trust in 2023 after a decade working as a CEO in the education, charity, and youth sectors and most recently as an award-winning CEO of Middlesex University Students’ Union.

Ed was Vice President of the National Union of Students and has also worked in parliament for Jon Cruddas MP. He has a background in community organising and founded the Barnet Refugee Welcome Board which supports refugees resettled in North London by providing support, education, and welfare provision.

He has led national research into the student experience within Higher Education, working for the Office for Students as well as a number of universities. He is a college governor and has also been a trustee of several social justice charities.

Ed is completing a doctorate in education which is focussed on diversity in education and the role of the third sector in the education system. He is a Trustee of the Darwin Multi Academy Trust and is a graduate of the University of Hull. He has an MBA from the Open University and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Ed says: “I absolutely love working for the Tutor Trust, it is a real privilege to lead an organisation that makes such an important contribution to both education and to wider society. Now more than ever we need to support our young people to reach their full potential and to be able to achieve whatever they have the talent and the ambition to do. To be a part of a team who tirelessly works to make the world a better place is a real joy.”

Abigail has been involved with youth work and charities for many years. Her numerous roles in public affairs and media relations include extensive experience in the education sector, through spending time working at both the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (now the National Education Union) and the Pre-School Learning Alliance (now Early Years Alliance). Abigail's previous role as a freelance communications consultant has included work for GMPTE (now Transport for Greater Manchester) and Manchester City Council.

An alumna of The University of Leeds, Abigail is a graduate of the prestigious Politics and Parliamentary Studies course and has worked in Westminster and Washington DC. Abigail is also a lay member of the General Assembly of the University of Manchester and a Governor at King David Primary School. In February 2024 Abigail was awarded the prestigious University of Manchester's Medal of Honour, which recognises individuals who have made an outstanding and sustained contribution to the University, the city and the wider region.

Abigail says: “I co-founded this charity in 2011, because I believed then, and still do, that there are a proportion of young people in our schools who, through no fault of their own, are being left behind. It was this injustice that prompted myself and my colleague Nick Bent to create Tutor Trust to transform lives through tutoring. Since then, the team at Tutor Trust has focused on supporting young people at school in underserved communities, who might otherwise not realise their potential. I’m so proud of what we have achieved over the years, and the amazing community we have built amongst our staff and school partners. Long may it continue.”

Mark is an alumnus of the University of Manchester, where he also completed his Secondary PGCE.  After working in the music industry, he began his teaching career as a teacher of Modern Foreign Languages. He has over 20 years of experience in teaching and senior leadership across Merseyside and Greater Manchester.  Mark also provides education consultancy services to senior leadership teams across the North West.

Mark joined Tutor Trust in 2019, and is now our Programme Director. In his role, Mark is responsible for driving and overseeing school relationships and tutoring delivery across the three regions of Greater Manchester, Merseyside, and West Yorkshire. Mark is a member of Tutor Trust’s Senior Management Team and enjoys his part in helping to set the strategic direction of the charity to support the life chances of young people in the North West.

He says: "I worked in schools facing significant challenges for the whole of my teaching career, most significantly striving to provide outcomes and opportunities for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.  As a result, Tutor Trust fits perfectly with my own values and commitment to securing the best life chances for those young people who might traditionally face barriers of circumstance and background."

"I love being part of a team that tirelessly and creatively seeks ways to reach more of these young people who need our and our tutors’ support. That process never ends."

Jason joined Tutor Trust in 2014 after spending 15 years leading early years provisions within the Stockport area. Jason is a member of the Senior Management Team, and his main responsibilities now include leading Tutor Recruitment, HR, Safeguarding, and Business Operations teams.

Jason began his working life as a professional footballer, most notably with Derby County FC. 

Jason says: "Alongside working with like-minded people who are passionate, hardworking, and talented, I enjoy the fact that no two days are alike in carrying out my role - I have a very varied in-tray! Ultimately, playing a role in transforming lives through tutoring of so many young people provides me with the greatest satisfaction of all. Long may Tutor Trust continue to champion support to those who need it most!"     

Matt joined Tutor Trust in the summer of 2016 after teaching in primary schools in Sheffield, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, and Moss Side, Manchester. Teaching was all he ever really wanted to do but after 14 years of various roles (including supporting children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, English, KS2, and Inclusion), plus five years of senior leadership experience, Matt wanted a change. After seeing the impact of Tutor Trust tutors on the children in his own Year 6 class in his last school, he was thrilled to join Tutor Trust as the first Quality Manager and first former teacher more than seven years ago. 

Matt says: "I am now the Director of Training and Quality Assurance, overseeing all tutor training, tutors’ Continued Professional Development, and monitoring the quality of tuition. Alongside this, my passion remains supporting children and their families and ensuring all children have access to high-quality teaching and learning. That’s why I also teach children with dyslexia or dyslexia-type learning difficulties and am now the Chair of a local governing committee at a north Manchester primary school and a Trustee for a growing Multi Academy Trust."

Sarah joined Tutor Trust as Finance Director in November 2020, having spent most of her career with the Co-op working in senior finance, tax, and governance roles, initially in her hometown of Stoke-on-Trent then later in Rochdale and Manchester. She is both a chartered accountant and chartered tax adviser, and trained with Price Waterhouse (now PwC) in Manchester. Sarah is also now the Company Secretary, working closely with the trustees.

Sarah says: "I’ve been involved in the charity sector for many years, initially undertaking audits for charities and helping them prepare their accounts. I later became a charity trustee and I’m currently a trustee of AidCamps International, a small charity that delivers international volunteering projects.

"Before joining Tutor Trust, my experience of tutoring was that it was something that would only be available to children whose parents could afford to pay for it, so I was excited to find an organisation that was making tutoring available to those children who needed it the most. Tutor Trust is full of people who really care about the young people we work with, and it’s great to be able to use my skills and expertise to help the charity grow and develop."

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."

Jenny joined Tutor Trust in September 2017. Her background is in secondary teaching: after graduating from the University of Oxford, Jenny went into teaching through the TeachFirst programme, which fitted with her commitment to improving educational opportunities for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. She stayed in her initial placement school for five years and undertook a range of leadership roles, including Assistant Head of English and Head of Humanities. 

Since joining Tutor Trust, Jenny has served in a variety of roles, including Quality Manager, Director of Tutor Recruitment and Impact, and now Director of Impact. She has led on the development of our Impact Strategy and Salesforce CRM and loves all things data and digital! 

A keen traveller, she has taught in China, and volunteered on educational projects in Belize, Kenya, and Sri Lanka. She is currently Vice Chair of Governors at Manchester Communication Academy. 

Jenny says: "I love the commitment of everyone at Tutor Trust to expanding opportunities for children and young people. The feedback we receive consistently from our tutees shows just how much they value their sessions and their relationship with their tutor, while our impact data shows the very real effect tutoring can have on attainment. It's been a privilege to be part of Tutor Trust's journey as we've grown, refined what we do, and become able to offer high-quality, impactful tutoring to thousands of young people in the North."