The United Learning Way - primary academies

Tanya Hughes

Primary Regional Director (North)

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 taking 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.

Matthew Wynne

Primary Regional Director (Midlands)

Matthew joined United Learning in November 2016. In his previous roles, Matthew served as a Primary Headteacher for nearly ten years. During this period, 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.

Claire Fortey

Primary Regional Director (South)

Claire has enjoyed an extensive and varied career working in schools, starting in 1988, and leading on to subsequent success in primary teaching, subject and senior leadership. As part of this, she has had over 20 years’ experience of headship which included taking a school to Outstanding and leading a school out of Special Measures. 

Claire is a Local Leader of Education, has been an Inspector for Ofsted for a number of years, and has worked as a school improvement partner providing wide-ranging support for schools in challenging contexts. She joined United Learning following 3 years in the role of Director of Education for a large multi-academy trust in Cornwall.

Karen Matthews

Primary Regional Director (London)

Karen joined United Learning in September 2022. She started teaching in 2004 and has had a successful career in education as a primary teacher, deputy headteacher and headteacher. This experience includes working in maintained schools, MATs and schools in challenging contexts and areas of high depravation.

Karen is a lead Ofsted Inspector with experience of inspecting schools in all remits. Karen has also worked as a lead adviser for an inner London local authority supporting primary headteachers.

Sarah Green

Head of SEND and Inclusion

Sarah started her teaching career in 2007.  She had a long and successful career at Corngreaves Primary where she started as an Unqualified Teacher and worked her way up to Headteacher.  During this time, Sarah has led on many areas and has always been passionate about school improvement.  The school joined United Learning in 2013.  During this time, Sarah has supported many schools across the trust.

With a desire to continually improve, Sarah has also trained as an Outstanding Facilitator when Teaching Schools were set up, as a Specialist Leader of Education and completed the National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordination.  Sarah is extremely committed to working with vulnerable children and ensuring teachers and leaders make a difference to their life chances.

Dawn Lester

Executive Assistant to Primary Directors

Dawn joined United Learning in April 2013 when there were approximately 20 schools in the group.   

Dawn is Executive Assistant to Darran Ellison-Lee, Director of Primary Education and also provides support to Primary Regional Directors and the wider Primary team.  A large part of her role is diary management, arranging school visits and meetings.  She is also responsible for organising events and managing the heads recruitment process alongside HR and school colleagues. 

Prior to joining United Learning, Dawn worked in various PA, HR and admin roles in a number of sectors including Pharmaceuticals, Finance, Education and Aggregates.   

Laura Davenport

Operations Lead - Primary Team

Laura joined United Learning in January 2024 and provides executive assistant support to Primary Regional Directors and the Head of SEND and Inclusion. She also works closely with the National Director and wider primary team to provide project management support in delivering strategic plans and organising events.

Prior to joining United Learning, Laura worked at Girlguiding London and South East England, where she started as an administrator and worked her way up to Learning, Development and Events Manager.

Jen Reynolds

Primary English Adviser

Jen has worked in Primary Education for over 25 years, much of the time combining teaching with other roles. Prior to joining United Learning she was the English Adviser for the CAM Academy Trust and also facilitated writing moderation with large clusters of schools throughout Cambridgeshire. Jen is a former Local Authority English Adviser for Cambridgeshire; a role in which she supported schools and delivered courses focused on all aspects of English, including leading the St Neots Schools Forum poetry and storytelling festival and working with teachers in museums and out-of-school settings.

From 2000 to 2014 Jen was a tutor on the PGCE and GTP at the Faculty of Education, Cambridge University; she has also delivered training to teachers in Kazakhstan. Jen has researched several areas of children's literacy, including gender differences in responding to texts. From 2001 to 2004 she was a researcher on the Cambridge University government-funded project, ‘Raising Boys’ Achievement’, specifically researching the role of drama and talk to develop writing.

Karen Tulloch

Primary English Adviser

Karen Tulloch joined United Learning after eleven years as a senior lecturer at St Mary’s University, an Outstanding teacher training provider. In this role, Karen was the primary English subject leader. She taught across PGCE and Undergraduate routes, as well as supporting trainee teachers on school placements and tutoring students within university. Karen also delivered courses on autism, having become a trainer for Autism Education Trust.

Prior to her role in initial teacher education, Karen taught in London primary schools for almost twenty years. This experience included several years as SENCo in a large primary school. From 2005 – 2007, Karen was a VSO volunteer in Ethiopia, managing and moderating a nationwide teacher educator programme. She also worked in a teaching capacity for several NGOs whilst there.

Jill Todd

Primary Subject Adviser - Maths

Jill joined United Learning in September 2018. In her previous role she was the Primary Teaching for Mastery Lead for the West Yorkshire Maths Hub and the Primary Maths Lead for Bradford College’s Initial Teacher Education. Prior to this, Jill has taught within Primary, Middle and Secondary school settings, focusing on mathematics, gaining experience as a Maths Coordinator, Key Stage 3 Coordinator and Second in Department. Jill was a Maths Consultant for Education Bradford and was involved in the Comenius European Project 'Weird to Wired' which focused on the development and delivery of ICT led mathematics lessons.

Mark Stephenson

Primary Subject Adviser - Maths

Mark joined the Primary team at United Learning in September 2019 as Maths Adviser supporting schools mainly in the South and the Midlands.

Prior to joining the Primary team, Mark was a primary school teacher and maths subject lead for over 10 years in schools in Westminster and Hammersmith & Fulham, one of which was Langford Primary School, which is also part of the group.  

Mark has completed the NPQSL and is an NCETM Professional Development Accredited Lead.

Jane O'Leary

EYFS Adviser

Jane has worked in education for over 17 years, as a primary school teacher, specialising in EYFS, in schools across the West Midlands and Worcestershire. She joined the Primary team at United Learning in September 2022, initially seconded from her role as Assistant Headteacher at Corngreaves Primary, where she led on Early Years Foundation Stage. Jane joined the team on a permanent basis in June 2023, continuing to support schools and advise on EYFS across primary schools within the trust.