The United Learning Way - secondary academies

Leon

Secondary Regional Director

Leon is a part-time Regional Director and part-time Executive Head at The Elms and The Hurlingham Academies. Leon works with schools across London and his strategic priority is Year 11 Standards.

Steve

Secondary Regional Director

Steve works as a Regional Director with United Learning schools in Cambridge and London. Before taking up this post, Steve established United Learning’s team of subject and specialist advisers and led the team’s curriculum work which accelerated during the pandemic. In 2018, Steve was part of the team that led the introduction of the Rosenshine Principles to United Learning schools.

Steve joined United Learning in 2015 following senior leadership positions in two London schools. He has a Masters in Education Management and recently completed the National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership. Steve enjoys reading and running, and playing football with his son while he still has the upper hand. He lives in east London with his wife and son. 

Benjamin

Director of Secondary Academies and Regional Director for Paddington Academy

Ben Antell currently works as Director of Secondary Academies in United Learning. Before taking up this post, Ben worked for four years as a Secondary Regional Director supporting schools across the country.

Ben has previously held Executive Principal and Principal posts in a number of schools before his appointment as Regional Director. Ben holds an honours degree from the University of Exeter. His wider interests include keeping fit, playing a variety of sports and providing a taxi service to his two teenage sons. 

Chris

Secondary Regional Director

Chris works as a Regional Director, supporting schools across the East Midlands and Salford. Prior to this role, he served as Principal of Northampton Academy, where his leadership saw the school recognised nationally for its excellence in character education and achieving a strong Ofsted outcome in March 2023. Drawing on this strength, Chris now leads the Trust’s work on Education with Character.

Outside of work, Chris is kept on his toes by his two young children. When time allows, he’s a passionate sports fan - more of a spectator these days, though he still enjoys playing cricket when he  can. His sporting loyalties lie with the Scotland rugby team and Dundee United Football Club - both of which regularly put his character to the test. 

Dino

Secondary Regional Director

Dino works primarily with schools in the Midlands and Lancashire, and is also the Trust lead for Attendance for Secondary Academies. Alongside his other roles, Dino has guided many of United Learning’s aspiring leaders through the completion of the group’s NPQH programme. 

Katie

Secondary Regional Director

Katie is a part-time Regional Director and joint Principal of Paddington Academy. Katie works with schools in South-East London and her strategic priority is United Teaching.

Stuart

Secondary Regional Director

Stuart is a full-time Regional Director and works with schools in Bournemouth and Poole and more widely across the South. Stuart’s strategic responsibility is Behaviour and Suspensions. Stuart has worked in the Trust since 2015 where he started at Glenmoor and Winton Academies in Bournemouth. His interests include coaching at his local cricket club and being an active parent for his three children. 

Laura

Secondary Regional Director

Laura is a full-time Regional Director and works with schools in Yorkshire and Manchester. Laura’s strategic responsibility is Inclusion, including Disadvantaged and SEND. Before taking up this post, Laura worked as a Principal of a high performing secondary school in Leeds. Her wider interests include visiting galleries, arts and crafts, walking and keeping her young daughter entertained. 

Christine

Secondary Regional Director

Chris 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.