Who are we

ESF MEMBERS

Stewart McKinlay

ESF Chairman, Member, Trustee, Member of Remuneration Committee and Member of Education Standards and Performance Committee

Stewart is married with four grown up children and in his professional life he currently leads the worldwide Research and Development activities for Smith & Nephew’s Advanced Wound Management Division based out of Kingston upon Hull. Smith & Nephew is Europe’s largest Medical Device Manufacturer and his teams research and develop new Medical Devices to be used in the Healthcare systems of over 130 countries.

Dame Maura Regan

Member

Chief Executive Officer, Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust (formerly Carmel Education Trust) until her retirement in August 2022. Maura began her teaching career in London teaching History and RE, she returned to the North East to take a pastoral role before becoming Deputy Head Pastoral and subsequently Principal of Carmel College.

Nigel Robson MBE

Member

Nigel was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and his involvement in Academies stretches back to 2002, when as Chair of the Chamber of Commerce in the North East he was determined to address the issue of historic underperformance of many of the regions LEA secondary schools. He was a lawyer in an international law firm and his positions included International Head of Engineering and Construction, Global Head of Energy, and Managing Partner. He was an accredited Mediator, and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Professor Trevor Cooling

Member

Professor Trevor Cooling is a Professor Emeritus of Christian Education at Canterbury Christ Church University UK. He was Chair of the Religious Education Council of England and Wales from 2015-2021 and is now Project Director for the REC's Religion and Worldviews Curriculum Development Project. He has worked as a secondary school teacher in biology and religious education, a university theology lecturer, a diocesan adviser, and CEO of a Christian Education charity. He has written extensively on both religious education and Church school ethos, including the impact of the concept of worldview on his own work.

Barry Hill Bishop of Whitby

Member

Barry has served as Bishop of Whitby since October 2024, caring for parishes and clergy across the Archdeaconry of Cleveland and leading the Diocese of York’s priority of Growing Younger and More Diverse. He chairs the Board of Education, supporting 121 Church of England schools. Previously, he served in the Diocese of Leicester in parish renewal, mission, and education. Married to Pep, also ordained, he is father to Greg and Katy, and a Brighton & Hove Albion fan.

ESF BOARD OF DIRECTORS (TRUSTEES)

Martin Oldknow

Trustee, Member of Audit and Risk, Member of Education Standards and Resources Committee, LGB Chair Trinity Academy, H&S Link Trustee, Safeguarding and LAC/SEND

Martin recently retired from South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service after a career spanning 30 years. Martin reached the rank of Group Manager (Divisional Officer) and was Head of the Technical Fire Safety department. Martin has over 15 years’ experience in Fire Safety and Emergency Planning. He now runs his own Fire Safety Consultancy and Training Company.

Ross Hendry

Trustee

A strategic leader with over two decades of transformational work in senior leadership positions across national charities and public sector organisations. Always seeking to lead work that improves the lives of disadvantaged, marginalised, or exploited groups, and passionate about promoting virtue and convicted civility in public life, the development of young leaders of character for the public square, and provide biblical, credible, evidence based, public policy solutions to policy makers and influencers.

Angela Tinkler

Trustee, Chair of Audit and Risk Committee, Link Trustee for Christ's College

Angela has extensive experience within governance, risk, compliance and assurance in a variety of sectors and has been involved in school governance for a number of years. Angela strongly believes that effective governance can ensure that schools are well run, continue to achieve best outcomes for all students, ensuring a nurturing and supporting environment is provided. Angela is family oriented and her faith is very important to her. She loves to spend time with extended family, church family and friends.

Peter Pickthall

ESF Board Vice Chair, Trustee, Chair of Remuneration Committee, Chair of Finance and Resources Committee, Member of Education Standards and Performance Committee, H&S Link Trustee, Link Trustee for The Kings Academy

Peter was formerly the Group HR Director for R&R Ice Cream (renamed Froneri), the second largest worldwide ice cream manufacturer, where in addition to HR duties he was also responsible for staff training and development across all countries. Peter was also a Justice of the Peace (Magistrate) in Cumbria for 23 years.

Stewart McKinlay

Chairman

Dr Olusola Idowu

Trustee, Member of the Finance and Resources Committee, Link Trustee for Emmanuel College

Dr. Olusola is CEO of HexisLab, an AI-driven platform for sustainable product development. A PhD-qualified scientist and founding member of e-Therapeutics plc, he has held research roles at Stanford and Newcastle University and is an active member of St Thomas’ C of E Church in Newcastle.

Dr Mark Pike

CEO and Trustee

Dr Mark Pike MA, PGCE, MBA, PhD, has led the MAT to provide ‘Christian-ethos schools of character’ in disadvantaged areas for over 8000 children and young people (from 5000 in 2019) and from an annual budget of around £30m to £60m. Dr Pike is the author of books such as Ethical English (Bloomsbury), Mere Education (Lutterworth) and Citizenship and Moral Education (Routledge) and Visiting Professor of Education at Leeds University.

Dr Paul Parkin

Trustee/ Chair of Education Standards and Performance Committee, Trustee Bede Academy

Whilst working in engineering Paul’s involvement in youth work led him to pursue a rewarding 33 year career in education. In addition to teaching Paul has held a range of leadership roles, including Headteacher and CEO of an education trust which he helped establish. Since retiring Paul has returned to the North East to be closer to his extended family.

TRUST SENIOR LEADERSHIP GROUP

Dr Mark Pike

CEO/Trustee, member of remuneration committee and Education Standards and Performance Committee

Matt Waterfield

Director of Education

Matt Waterfield joined the Emmanuel Schools Foundation in February 2008, having previously taught mathematics, RE and PE and having served as a deputy headteacher. In 2009, he joined the Senior Management Team at Emmanuel College and has led the school since September 2015. Matt played in leading role in the adoption of Jospeh Swan Academy (now Grace College) into ESF in 2019 and since April 2023 has been back at Grace College as Lead Principal whilst maintaining oversight of Emmanuel College. Having moved to Northumberland in 1990 and remained in the region since then, Matt has a passion for the economic, cultural, and spiritual regeneration of the North East. Matt has served as chair of the Gateshead secondary headteachers group from 2018 until 2023 and has a particular interest in leadership development and school improvement.

Andrew Thelwell

Chief Operating Officer

Andrew Thelwell joined Bede Academy and the Emmanuel Schools Foundation as Principal of Bede Academy in April 2019. Andrew obtained a degree in Biblical Theology from Manchester University at Regents Theological College before completing his PGCE at Kings College, London. He then served as a Religious Studies teacher, senior leader and Deputy Headteacher in schools in Hertfordshire, Somerset, and West Yorkshire. In 2026 Andrew took the role of Chief Operating Officer for the Trust.

Heather Robinson

Director of HR

After growing up on the Isle of Wight and studying Physics at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Heather Robinson commenced a management career at Tesco; where for 13 years she cut her management teeth in a variety of operational retail roles before specialising in Human Resources. A move to the Legal Services Commission in 2004 saw her develop her HR experience further in a national and multi-site Business Partnering role in the organisation which managed the administration and delivery of £2.4bn worth of Legal Aid.

Darren Warburton

Chief Financial Officer

Darren Warburton grew up in Yorkshire before obtaining his Bachelor’s degree in History and Politics and his Master’s degree in International Relations and Strategic Studies at Lancaster University. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant with the National Audit Office in London and is now a Fellow of the ICAEW.

PRINCIPALS

Rachael Hooker

Principal Grace College

Coming soon...

Robbie Burns

Head of School Bede Academy (Primary)

Robbie began his career through Teach First, spending five years teaching and leading in some of the most disadvantaged communities in West Yorkshire. He has written for a range of publications and before joining ESF, worked as a Special Leader of Education with schools in areas of high deprivation. After completing his PGCE at Sheffield Hallam University, he went on to complete a Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of Manchester, and an NPQSL and NPQH with Ambition Institute. Robbie is dedicated to the vision and Christian ethos of ESF, and believes it offers a truly distinctive approach to education for generations of young people to come. For this reason, he sees it as a privilege to serve the town of Blyth in this way alongside his colleagues at Bede Academy. He is married with three young children and lives in Northumberland.

Shayne Elsworth

Acting Principal Bede Academy

Shayne joined Bede Academy in 2015. He has an aeronautical engineering degree from Loughborough University, but his desire to serve in education led to his secondary mathematics PGCE from Leicester University. He is an accredited Advanced Skills Teacher and trained with Future Leaders in 2011. He has held senior leadership positions in several inner-city and coastal school communities. He is obsessive about educational equity. Shayne and his family relocated to the North East in 2015. They love life in the North East and enjoy exploring the glorious Northumberland coastline.

Vic Gibson

Principal Trinity Academy

Vic Gibson joined Trinity Academy as Head of School in June 2020 before stepping into the role of Principal. Prior to joining Emmanuel Schools foundation, she worked in Hull and East Riding schools over a period of 23 years, the last 18 in Senior Management positions, and was the youngest teacher in the country to gain a national PLATO for Science teaching. She completed her National Qualification for Headship a number of years ago and is currently studying for the Executive qualification in Headship.

Simon Reader

Principal The King's Academy

Simon Reader joined The King’s Academy as a trainee teacher in September 2008 after completing a chemistry degree at The University of St Andrews. Simon has held a number of roles in the Academy, joining the senior leadership team in 2015.

Julie Normanton

Principal Christ's College

Julie has worked in schools in the North East since 1994, starting out at a Geography Teacher before progressing into leadership roles in two County Durham Schools. She moved to ESF in 2015, where she joined the team at Emmanuel College, serving on the Senior Leadership team in pastoral roles. In 2018, Julie took up post as Vice Principal (Pastoral and Ethos) in Bede Academy, Blyth. During her time at Bede, Julie worked closely with other schools in the trust to provide some school improvement support and have taken a lead on ethos and character education. In 2023, Julie moved to Christ's College as Principal, and has maintained a keen interest in character development of staff and students.

Nat Ogborn

Principal Emmanuel College

Nat has worked for Emmanuel Schools Foundation since 2012, and in senior leadership since 2016. He was appointed Head of School at Emmanuel in 2023 and Principal in 2026. He is passionate about staff and students flourishing within a generous and inclusive Christian ethos, in which all the community feel a deep sense of belonging and purpose. Nat has a History degree from Magdalen College, University of Oxford and a Masters in Educational Leadership from Warwick University. Before working in the North East, Nat taught in Southwark, London, and in Kenya.