Derek is the Regional Director for United Learning Secondary Academies in the North. His first Headship was in Greater Manchester where he led a school from Special Measures in 2004 to being judged Outstanding in 2008. In 2009 he formed a new academy, replacing two single sex schools. Derek joined United Learning in 2013 as Executive Principal of two academies in Carlisle which had just recently joined the group.  Both academies have been on a significant improvement journey.

Derek has worked in the Greater Manchester area since 1987 – all schools being in challenging circumstances. He was also Director of the Greater Manchester Challenge Secondary Leadership Strategy, which involved developing leadership capacity in other schools. As a National Leader of Education he has supported and coached other Heads and has contributed to developing national strategy. He has been a coach and facilitator for the National College of Leadership and a Lead Inspector for Ofsted.

Tanya joined United Learning in January 2018. In her previous role as HMI she led inspections of primary schools, independent schools, nurseries and special schools. Her role as HMI also involved complaints investigations, monitoring schools in categories of concern and she took part in national surveys. Her background in early years means that she has had the privilege of inspecting nursery schools.

Tanya started teaching in 1988 and has had a successful career in education as a primary teacher, deputy headteacher and headteacher. This experience includes working in schools in challenging contexts and in both urban and rural settings. She sat on the executive boards for the Primary Heads Association and the NAHT in Cumbria, working on issues that affected the future direction of education.

Chris Raeside is a secondary Regional Director for academies in the south. She joined United Learning in September 2017 following 7 years working for Ofsted as one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors. For her last three years with Ofsted, Chris was a senior HMI, working in the South West, overseeing and quality-assuring inspection throughout the region. She is an experienced secondary senior leader, working in schools and local authorities in two London authorities and, since 2005, in Hampshire, where she lives.

Oli is Regional Director for Cumbria and Lancashire. She has previously been the Regional Director for the East Midlands where she has worked with three schools on their improvement journey towards outstanding. Prior to this, Oli led the first national SCITT for United Learning and was Principal and Executive Principal of Paddington Academy for 10 years.

Matthew joined United Learning in November 2016. In his previous roles Matthew has served as a Primary Headtecher for nearly ten years. Over this period of time he led schools that were in an Ofsted Category, ensuring a rapid and focused improvement in all areas.

Prior to his appointment as a Headteacher, Matthew worked as a Deputy Head, leading Assessment, Behaviour and Curriculum.

Matthew started teaching in 1993. All of his teaching and leadership experience have been within areas of social and economic challenge, ensuring his focus has always been upon improving life chances and educational progress for all groups of pupils.

Richard Yeates is Regional Director with responsibility for the Independent Primary Schools in the group. Until July 2017 he was the long-standing Head of Ashford Prep School where he oversaw the successful merger of two very different schools. The school achieved Outstanding/Excellent in all categories in its latest inspection and subsequently achieved its current Teaching School status.

Richard is an experienced facilitator and trainer of senior and middle leaders and has worked with many schools in and out of the group to help develop strategy, leadership and school effectiveness in a broad range of aspects, including working with a local University Technology College. He has been a school governor and is an experienced inspector. He enjoys coaching and mentoring both new and experienced leaders.

He has experience of Primary and Secondary education in various roles including Head, Deputy, Director of Music, Director of Marketing and Housemaster. He has a particular interest in bringing the best out of people and in developing leadership in others with three of his deputies going on to take up their own headships.

Ben Antell currently works as a Regional Director in United Learning. Before taking up this post, Ben worked for two years as an Executive Principal in United Learning supporting schools in Bournemouth, Poole, London, Manchester, Portsmouth and Kettering. Previous to taking up this post, Ben was Principal at Glenmoor and Winton Academies in Bournemouth for 4 years. These two schools have become two of the highest performing schools in the country and subsequently judged outstanding by Ofsted.

Ben, who holds an Honours Degree in Science and Physical Education from Exeter University, began his teaching career at Poole High School where he taught for 5 years in his specialist subject areas. He then moved to Millbrook Community School in Southampton to take up a Head of Department role and subsequent promotion to Assistant Headteacher focusing on behaviour and rewards. After nearly 3 years at Millbrook Ben took up a position at Winton Arts & Media College as Assistant Headteacher. His senior responsibilities at the College included behaviour and safety, curriculum development and student support. Ben was subsequently promoted to Deputy Headteacher across the two schools of Glenmoor & Winton in June 2012 with a clear and single focus of raising academic achievement for all young people. In September 2013, Glenmoor and Winton Academies joined the United Learning trust with Ben being appointed Principal less than a year later.

Ian joined United Learning as Deputy Director (Independent Schools) in 2013, following two decades of teaching and leadership appointments in HMC schools, including working internationally. In 2015 he assumed the newly created role of Head of Independent Schools. Since then he has led a central office team in the management and support of the 14 independent schools (secondary, primary and all-through) within the Group.

Richard Tutt is a secondary Regional Director for academies in the south. He joined United Learning in September 2019 as the Executive Principal for the Bournemouth and Poole cluster and started his role as Regional Director in September 2020. Prior to joining United Learning, Richard was a Principal for six years, where his school achieved an OFSTED ‘Outstanding’ judgement and accreditation as a National Teaching School and National Support School. He is also an experienced system leader and was appointed as a National Leader of Education in 2017.

Nat Parnell is a secondary Regional Director for academies in the north. He joined United Learning in September 2016 as Principal of Northampton Academy. Having led the Academy to academic and pastoral success, he joined the School Improvement team in January 2020 and has been working since that time with schools in Salford, Manchester, Sheffield, Barnsley and Northampton.