Leadership & Governance

Across SCSP we recognise that leadership is the ‘golden thread’ weaving through the success of a school. We know that having strong governance at all levels and supporting effective governance is critical to sustaining success. Effective challenge, the right support and accurate self-evaluation are key to any setting improving.

Effective governance is crucial to this success. It provides confident, strategic leadership and creates robust accountability,  oversight and assurance for educational and financial performance.

Members are responsible for the articles of association, appointing and removing trustees and receiving the annual report and accounts.

Governance Structure
Steel City Schools Partnership has a clear structure for governance based on best practice and RSC, DfE and ESFA guidance.

Trustees are the individuals who are appointed to challenge and scrutinise the strategic direction and day to day running of the MAT. Trustees manage the business of the Trust and work on 3 core functions – clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction; holding leaders to account for educational and pupil performance and performance management of staff and overseeing the financial performance of the Trust.

Local School Committees are primarily responsible for the oversight of teaching and learning including recruitment of staff and curriculum models within their own academy – all of which are fundamental to ensuring the best possible outcomes for pupils. Steel City Schools Partnership believes in local community engagement at Governance level, including parental and staff representation.

Nicola Shipman

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

With over 35 years of teaching and leadership experience behind her, Nicola is a National Leader of Education and supports schools and Trusts across the region as part of School Improvement work with the DfE. Nicola, who has NPQH, has led a number of schools and a Federation as Executive Headteacher. She has wide experience of successful system leadership including leading NPQML, NPQSL, NPQH and NPQEL programmes with SCSP strategic Teaching School Hub partners.

Morag Somerville

Chief Officer - Operations (COO)

Morag is the Chief Officer Operations at SCSP and works closely with the CEO Nicola Shipman. Morag leads the work of the operations teams across SCSP including Business & Administration; Estates; Finance & Payroll; Governance & Compliance; Health and Safety and HR. Morag is a Specialist Leader of Education and has completed qualifications up to Advanced Diploma. She also holds NPQH and NPQEL. She has extensive experience in the field of Finance, HR and Business Management. Morag works in collaboration with other partners including the South Yorkshire School Business Leaders forum.

Jon Bell

Head of Estates

Jon has extensive knowledge and experience of working in the building and construction industry having been a facilities manager within Bovis Lindley. Qualified in Health & Safety and Building regulations, Jon is responsible for ensuring that all Health & Safety, Risk and Premise issues are fully compliant with statutory legislation.

Angela Low

Attendance Officer

As Attendance Officer across SCSP Angela has developed the SCSP OTIS (On Time In School) strategy to improve attendance and reduce lateness and persistent absence. Angela works closely with the leadership and inclusion teams at each Academy. She also works closely with external partners, including MAST and the Attendance lead practitioners to support families with attendance.

Coleen Renshaw

Executive Director for School Improvement

Coleen was previously the Strategic Director for School Improvement and Workforce Development at the Maltby Learning Trust. She brings to the role significant experience in English – Reading, Writing, Phonics and Speaking and Listening as well as secondary and primary expertise. For the past 2 years, prior to joining SCSP she was deployed across the primary schools, secondary schools and the central trust team to drive the rapid school improvement agenda required in schools facing challenging circumstances. This included supporting a secondary school in special measures. She currently leads our second hub and manages key priorities within the Trust Strategic Plan, including those around Oracy and Writing. She leads on other associated Academy Development Plans driving these priorities and initiatives forward at pace through close work with the senior leadership teams. 

Sinead Fox

Executive Director for School Improvement

Sinead has extensive knowledge of SCSP, as prior to her appointment as EDSI was the headteacher at Woodseats. She has the NPQEL. She was a locality lead head within one of the hubs and has experience in leading pupil premium and SEND reviews having been trained nationally in these aspects of school improvement. With a track record of rapid and sustained school improvement and with school improvement support already underway with 2 of our schools, she leads one hub. This is alongside the leadership development programmes and coaching and mentoring of new heads and leaders to SCSP. Sinead is also leading the Teacher Walkthrus on behalf of Learn Sheffield in the city.

Michelle Proctor

Director of Teaching and Learning

Michelle is our Director of Teaching and Learning. In her role she has developed the CPD offer includes the very successful Developing Learning Programme, leadership of the Learners First NQT and RQT programmes, maths, writing and New to Y2 sessions. Michelle is a SLE, A National Primary Science Teacher of the Year, leads a regional PSQM Hub and is an experienced KS1 moderator for Sheffield. Michelle is also an English Consultant through the English Hub at Whiston Worrygoose in Rotherham.

Steve Smith

IT Manager

Steve previously worked in hardware and software support for a number of years prior to working for a large IT Managed Service Provider providing national IT support for over 19 years.  Steve joined SCSP in April 2021 and has extensive knowledge in educational IT support, he brings a wealth of experience in the delivery and support of IT systems & contracts across a wide range of educational establishments.

Gary Leesley

Catering Manager

Gary has a wealth of experience in the field of catering and hospitality having been a catering manager for an academy in Sheffield prior to working with SCSP. He has been a chef for over 30 years. Gary is responsible for the catering teams and provision across SCSP and in making sure we are compliant with all food hygiene and national school food standards. 

Trustees

James Glover – Trustee
Experienced in: Law, Corporate Affairs, Company Law

James is an experienced general counsel and executive leader with expertise in legal, regulatory compliance, governance and corporate affairs. Most recently, he successfully built and led legal, risk, governance and corporate affairs pillars supporting the transformation of a £300m turnover healthcare and insurance business. James has commercial experience in mergers and acquisitions, business integration and transformation, general management and sales and marketing.

Peter Mucklow – Trustee

Experienced in: Strategic Management, Project Management, Financial Management, Risk Management

Peter worked in education at a senior level in mainly national roles for over 14 years; 10 of these as Director of two national agencies. He was Director of Apprenticeships at the Department for Education and was responsible for apprenticeship policy in England. His previous experience included working as Director of Further Education within the ESFA and Director of Young People’s Funding in the EFA. Peter is a graduate of the Major Project Leadership Academy, Said Business School, University of Oxford. Peter has recently been appointed as Chair of Trustees. 

Dr Juliet Rowson – Trustee
Experienced in: Education, School Improvement, Leadership and Management

Juliet has extensive experience in teaching and leadership within a range of educational settings including Ofsted category schools and those causing concern. After 22 years in teaching, Juliet now works as a DfE policy advisor, first in curriculum strategy and now in careers policy.

Nicola Shipman – Trustee
Experienced in: School and System Leadership, School Improvement and Education

With over 30 years of teaching and leadership experience behind her, Nicola is a National Leader of Education and an Ofsted Inspector. Nicola, who has NPQH, has led a number of schools as Executive Headteacher and has wide experience of successful system leadership including leading NPQML, NPQSL and NPQH with SCSP strategic Teaching School Alliance partners.

Fatimah Adesanya – Trustee

Experienced in: Audit, Accountancy, Financial Management, Higher Education, and Research.

Fatimah is a qualified accountant and has worked in private and not-for-profit sectors for more than a decade. At a senior level, she has worked with top-tier assurance firms on different projects abroad while managing and facilitating strategic management accounting, corporate reporting, financial accounting, and audits of small and large organisations.  She also works as a researcher and enjoys teaching across local schools.

Katy Davison – Trustee

Experienced in: Strategic Communications, Patient and Public Engagement, Equality and Diversity, Leadership and Management

Katy has worked in the public sector for 18 years, firstly in strategic communications and more latterly in senior patient and public engagement and equality and diversity roles for the NHS. Katy has been involved in education through governance roles for over 10 years. Katy has a Masters Degree in Strategic Communications and Engagement for the NHS, and industry recognised Certified Practitioner qualifications in Public Consultation and Equality Law. She is also proud to be a Mental Health First Aider and Suicide Prevention First Aider and is a passionate advocate for SEND.

Jeremy Harris – Trustee

Jeremy has had substantial experience in school and executive leadership.  His current role is as Chief Executive Officer of an academy trust working in Doncaster and North Lincolnshire.

As a leader his focus is on all aspects of school improvement including the implementation of trust wide strategies to secure highly effective teaching and learning, working with school leaders to build capacity in leadership and looking at all aspects of the organisation to maximise the potential and expertise of the workforce.

Members

Paul Doherty – Member & Trustee
Experienced in: Change Management, Project Management, Legal, Compliance, Finance

Paul has been a trustee at SCSP for over 6 years and has previously been Chair of the Board. Paul is also a Member of SCSP and a Member of the Institute of Directors (IoD) who work closely with Academy Ambassadors in encouraging business leaders to become involved as non-executive directors. 

Katie Sully – Member
Experienced in: Premises, Health and Safety, regeneration, acquisitions and development management.

Katie is well known for the successful delivery of nationally recognised strategic regeneration projects. She has led many large scale mixed use waterside projects in city centres across the North and London. Katie manages design teams that create innovative design solutions, ensuring the igloo agenda of people, place and planet is achieved. She is committed to and passionate about the brand identity of all her schemes. Working closely with partners and communities.

Keith Smith – Member

Experienced in: Information Technology and Project Management.

Keith was a founding Trustee of SCSP and previously chair of governors at two of the schools in the Trust. Now retired after a long career with HSBC. He is a governor at a school outside of the Trust and sits on school admission appeals run by the Sheffield Council.

Sheila Killeen – Member

Experienced in: Project Management, Continuous Improvement

Sheila has extensive public sector experience as a civil servant, on programmes for children and families and the education sector, including operational delivery, communications, procurement, contract management and finance. As a project manager, she ensures effective delivery of major projects to secure project outcomes and benefits.

Kate Gleave

Experienced in: Project management, system leadership

Kate has significant experience in NHS management, including leading and supporting the transformation of health services for children and their families and working with colleagues in the education, care and voluntary sectors to improve children’s outcomes.  She has previously been a school governor at one of the schools in the Trust.