Meet the team

To support our schools, Creative Education Trust has a central team providing expertise in school improvement, governance, finance, IT, HR and other areas.

ABOUT OUR TEAMS

The Executive Team

The Executive Directors and their teams give professional support to the schools in educational improvement and standards, curriculum design, enrichment, finance, marketing and communications, estates management and human resources. Each of these directors is as likely to be found in schools as they are in the London office of Creative Education Trust.

The Education Team

Creative Education Trust’s Education Team supports and challenges school leaders to achieve and sustain the highest outcomes for students in all areas of school life. Shared processes are in place across our network to ensure the smooth running of Creative Education Trust schools and to enable leaders to focus on teaching and learning. The senior members of our Education Team are available at all times to Head Teachers and Principals.

The Education Team is supported by an exceptional group of former school leaders and HMI. From EYFS to Post-16, phase experts work with staff and students to ensure strong practice and effective collaboration across the Creative Education Trust network.

In our secondary schools, experts in core subjects support departments to improve teaching, learning and assessment. Creative Education Trust subject leaders work together regularly to develop the curriculum and manage the moderation of assessments across the network.

School leaders have access to the services of experienced inspectors who offer preparation for Ofsted and other accountability structures. In addition, the Education Team works closely with our Human Resources Team to ensure that Creative Education Trust leaders and teachers have access to high-grade training and development programmes.

The work of the Education Team is matched to the needs of individual schools in the Creative Education Trust network. It is practical and efficient, yet responsive to the changing needs of schools committed to continuous self-improvement. The Education Team’s work is supported by the Education Standards Committee, and by the Primary Head Teachers’ Group and the Secondary Principals’ Group, all of which meet regularly to assess progress and design the strategies to carry our schools forward.

The Safeguarding and Personal Development Directorate

The Safeguarding and Personal Development Directorate ensures that safety, wellbeing, and the holistic development of every student are at the heart of school life. Led by the Director of Safeguarding and Personal Development, the team provides expert support to schools across the Trust, helping them to create safe, inclusive, and aspirational environments.

Safeguarding is delivered through a robust framework of guidance, quality assurance, and professional development. Designated Safeguarding Leads and their teams are supported by our Head of Safeguarding and a network of regional advisory boards, ensuring consistent, high-quality practice across all schools. The directorate also oversees key areas such as attendance and alternative provision.

Personal development is championed as a core pillar of education at Creative Education Trust. The directorate leads a trust-wide strategy to nurture students’ character, resilience, ambition, and values. Through a rich programme of opportunities and support, students are empowered to thrive both in and beyond the classroom.

The Human Resources and Governance Team

The Human Resources Team at Creative Education Trust provides professional, pragmatic and solutions-focused support to our schools on all people-related matters. It is responsible for the delivery of our People Strategy, which helps to make each of our academies a great place to work and Creative Education Trust an employer of choice for teaching and non-teaching professionals.

Our experienced Director of Human Resources and regional HR Business Partners help Principals and Head Teachers create the right environment to attract, engage and retain a high-performing workforce in order to deliver an excellent education to Creative Education Trust students. Our Recruitment Manager supports Creative Education Trust schools to recruit successfully and cost-effectively in a competitive employment environment.

The work of the Human Resources Team covers the entire employee life-cycle, from recruitment to employee relations, pay and recognition, diversity and equality of opportunity, and well-being. The Creative Education Trust Human Resources Team works closely with our Education Team to design and deliver high-quality training and development initiatives to our leaders and staff to increase skills, develop competencies and grow confidence.

The Estates and Facilities Team

Our Director of Estates & Facilities works with school leaders and site staff to make our buildings and grounds safe, pleasant, efficient and well-designed places for students and teachers to work. The team is responsible for maintenance, cleaning, gardening, and health and safety, as well as for delivering major capital projects.

The EdTech and IT Team

ICT plays an important role in Creative Education Trust’s educational vision. The Director of IT and his team are responsible for developing our overall strategy with input from school leaders, for procurement of hardware and software, and for running a central help-desk that enables ICT issues to be resolved speedily and effectively so that the work of our schools can go on without technical disruption.

The Finance Team

The Finance Team works closely with the Education team and the senior leadership of our schools, to ensure that budgets support school improvement goals and that value for money is achieved through efficient use of resources and effective financial controls. Each school is supported by a dedicated Senior Finance Business Partner who are also part of the central head office team.

The Finance Team prepares regular reporting for Principals and Head Teachers, Executive Directors and the Board of Creative Education Trust, as well as the annual accounts for the Education & Skills Funding Agency.

You can meet our key people in the sections below.

the executive team

Nicole McCartney

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Nicole McCartney has been working in education since 1999, as a school leader since 2003, and in the academies programme since 2007 in both small, local trusts and large, national multi-academy trusts. She was designated a National Leader of Education in 2014 and has a wealth of school improvement experience gained through academy leadership, Executive Principalships and Executive roles within Multi-Academy Trusts. She is on a number of national advisory boards, and has supported a number of multi academy trusts in developing their operational models.

Since Nicole joined Creative Education Trust in September 2018, she has designed and implemented our Leadership Development Programme, lead on our ambitious curriculum development and assessment work and as our Director of Education from 2020, revised our model of educational delivery.

Nicole was appointed as Chief Executive Officer in April 2025.

Dr Jason Howard

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

Jason became one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors in 2013 and has inspected since, serving as a Senior HMI in the East of England. Previously, Jason has led school improvement in a number of roles, including at an executive level in a local authority, within a multi-academy trust, and as a secondary headteacher. Jason has a doctorate in history, and has considerable experience in curriculum development, governance and safeguarding.

Jason joined Creative Education Trust in September 2021.

Jason was appointed as Director of Education in April 2025.

Victoria Tricarico

DIRECTOR OF HR

Victoria Tricarico rejoined Creative Education Trust as Director of Human Resources in August 2023. Victoria previously held this position at the Trust until 2019, when she joined the Competition and Markets Authority as Human Resources Director. At the CMA, she was responsible for formulating effective HR strategies and delivering a best-in-class HR service.

Prior to working at Creative Education Trust, Victoria was Head of People & Change at the London Borough of Haringey, and for six years before that she led the HR function at ARK Schools. Victoria has a wealth of experience in the Education sector including recruitment, talent-spotting and staff development, as well as in the more transactional aspects of HR including restructuring and industrial relations.

Victoria is passionate about ensuring that the Trust continues to be a great place to work by providing a positive, productive and fulfilling work experience for employees.

Louis Donald

DIRECTOR OF SAFEGUARDING AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Louis joined Creative Education Trust in December 2021 as an Executive Director, responsible for Safeguarding and Personal Development, Louis is a member of the Trust executive leadership team.

Louis has vast experience in holding various senior leadership responsibilities across education, specialising in Safeguarding, school improvement, supporting leaders with their preparations for Ofsted visits and their broader improvement journey. Most recently, Louis was Safeguarding Director at a regional Multi Academy Trust, leading SEND and Attendance and before that, an Assistant Principal at a secondary academy.

In 2020, Louis supported the work of the Department for Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic, advising civil servants on the impact and effectiveness of the Government safeguarding strategy around attendance and children in need.

Louis is a calm and professional leader, especially in the face of adversity or challenge; he is passionate about safeguarding, advocating for children and young people, and maximising the effectiveness of senior leaders in Education; by taking a common-sense approach to effective and robust strategic leadership.

In his spare time, Louis is a non-executive Director (Trustee) at a Nottinghamshire based Multi-Academy Trust, a member of the Independent Advisory Group of the British Army at the Defence School of Transport (DST) Leconfield and founded and now sits on the board of the national group of academy trust Safeguarding Directors (NASSA)... Most importantly, he is an avid follower of Hull City.

Catherine Hughes

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

Catherine joined the Trust in 2015 as Regional Head of Finance in the West Midlands and since then has been involved in assisting several academies through periods of financial change and recovery. Previously in the role of Financial Controller, Catherine is Director of Finance and the Trust’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Catherine graduated from Aberystwyth University in 2007 with BSc (Econ) (Hons) Accounting and Finance and qualified as a chartered accountant in 2010. After graduating, she developed a passion for education while working as audit manager providing financial advice to academy schools, charities and companies.

Gwayne Webb

DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

In his capacity as Director of Research and Development,Gwayne works closely with the education team leading on professional development, teacher recruitment and retention, and leadership training and support. The role includes delivering challenge and support to the schools and driving transformational change through collaboration and networking.

A specialist in English Language and Literature, and Psychology, Gwayne has 32 years’ teaching and leadership experience. He has been part of the Academies’ Programme since its inception and has held senior positions in cross-sector institutions, including most recently as Regional Director with one of the country’s largest academy trusts. Gwayne’s skill-set includes initial teacher training, change management, performance management, middle and senior leadership training and accountability, self-evaluation and governance.

Ash Mudaliar

DIRECTOR OF IT

Ash Mudaliar is responsible for the strategic development of IT within the Trust. Ash works closely with Creative Education Trust schools to support their IT development plans ensuring that they incorporate the schools' needs and the Trust-wide IT strategy.

Ash has a number of experienced IT Support professionals within his team who ensure that core IT services and individual schools are supported effectively. Through the use of the CETcloud services, he is able to ensure that pupils and staff have the tools they need to deliver and receive a high quality educational experience.

Ash has a BSc in Computing which he completed in 2007. Having worked in the education IT sector for over 10 years, Ash has extensive knowledge which includes managing complex IT projects and developing IT within the classroom.

Jon Ward

DIRECTOR OF ESTATES & FACILITIES

Jon Ward has worked for a range of multi-academy trusts since 2007 on more than 50 estates and facilities projects. In 2017 he was recruited as a consultant by Creative Education Trust to manage the construction of the new Michael Dickson Building for Ash Green. He joined Creative Education Trust on a full-time basis as Head of Estates & Facilities in September 2018. Earlier in his career Jon worked on regeneration projects for the London Development Agency, and before that in Aerospace engineering, running factories to make aircraft and automotive components.

Ben Driver

DIRECTOR OF PERFORMANCE

the education team

Dr Jason Howard

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

Jason joined Creative Education Trust in September 2021.

Jason was appointed as Director of Education in April 2025.

Gwayne Webb

DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Ben Driver

DIRECTOR OF PERFORMANCE

Toni Bailey

DIRECTOR OF SEND

Toni joined Creative Education Trust following his role as Assistant Director of SEND and Inclusion for Peterborough and Cambridgeshire local authorities. Toni started his journey with SEND working as a residential care-worker before training as a mainstream primary school teacher, but returned to his interest in working with special needs and vulnerable children early in his career, moving into primary and secondary special needs schools from 1998. He has been a headteacher in three residential schools with specialisms in social emotional and mental health and autism and associated complex needs.

Toni has been chair of a national network of SEMH schools, which has led to successful experience as a consultant, supporting special and mainstream schools, academies and local authorities to develop their SEND and alternative provision offers and has supported specialist schools and settings across Europe and with the Ministry of Education in New Zealand

Nimish Lad

HEAD OF CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

Nimish joined the Creative Education Trust Education team, initially on a secondment in January 2021, supporting schools with the process of collaborative curriculum development. An experienced senior leader, Nimish has a keen interest in the use of educational research to improve the implementation of a knowledge-rich curriculum.

Nimish has completed his NPQH, focused on the use of cognitive science to improve the outcomes of all pupils This led to him authoring the book: Shimamura's MARGE Model of Learning in Action. He often presents at national educational conferences, sharing ideas of how research-informed strategies can drive improvement in the classroom.

Jo Chambers

HEAD OF ATTENDANCE & ADMISSIONS

Jo Bell

HEAD OF DATA STRATEGY

the safeguarding & personal development directorate

Louis Donald

DIRECTOR OF SAFEGUARDING AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Louis joined Creative Education Trust in December 2021 as an Executive Director, responsible for Safeguarding and Personal Development, Louis is a member of the Trust executive leadership team.

Stacey Anderson

HEAD OF SAFEGUARDING

Stacey brings a wealth of experience as a Designated Safeguarding Lead, having worked in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Most recently, Stacey was the designated Safeguarding Lead at The Bulwell Academy, where she successfully led the rapid improvement of safeguarding, resulting in an 'effective' judgment within six months. Prior to her role at Bulwell Academy, Stacey led safeguarding at the Sutton Community Academy, where she also achieved an 'effective' judgment and played a vital role in the senior leadership team's efforts to transition the school from a 'Special Measures' judgment to a 'Good' rating.

As the National Safeguarding Advisor, Stacey's primary responsibility will be to lead the operational delivery of our CET safeguarding strategy. This will involve providing guidance, support, and advice to designated safeguarding leads and their teams; and supporting with the quality assurance of critical areas such as Alternative Provision and attendance coding. Stacey will also oversee the Safeguarding Assurance Board model, ensuring that designated safeguarding leads benefit from the Regional Advisory Boards and optimising the support provided.

Laura O'Shaughnessy

HEAD OF PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Laura is known for her unwavering passion and belief that education is about far more than academic success.

Laura is passionate about education beyond academics, focusing on self-belief, ambition, and strong values to help students shape their futures.

With 30+ years in education, she remains a PE teacher at heart and has held senior leadership roles, including Interim Headteacher, SENCO, and Assistant Principal, gaining deep insight into school communities.

In December 2024, she stepped into her "dream job" as Head of Personal Development for Creative Education Trust, leading a trust-wide effort to embed personal development at the core of CET schools. Her vision is to make CET a national leader in personal development, ensuring every student gains the skills, resilience, and opportunities to thrive.

Lee Davies

HEAD OF MARKETING & PUPIL RECRUITMENT STRATEGY

With a strong background in strategic communications and stakeholder engagement, Lee has held a variety of roles that have shaped his belief in the power of marketing as a driver of school development.

Lee worked for many years in a large secondary school, where his marketing efforts played a key role in transforming the school’s reputation—doubling student numbers and supporting its expansion at the request of the local authority. He worked within a large multi-academy trust, where he led marketing strategies for the successful launch of two free schools and helped boost enrolment across several schools facing under-subscription.

Lee is passionate about the role of marketing in shaping a school’s culture. He believes that effective marketing goes beyond promotion—it’s about building meaningful relationships, listening to the community, and celebrating the achievements of students and staff alike.

the human resources & GOVERNANCE team

Victoria Tricarico

DIRECTOR OF HR

Victoria is passionate about ensuring that the Trust continues to be a great place to work by providing a positive, productive and fulfilling work experience for employees.

Vanda Roy

HEAD OF HR BUSINESS PARTNERING

Vanda joined the Trust in October 2017 and works with our Academies in Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes, as well as providing support to Head Office. Vanda previously has had over 12 years experience of working in the NHS and Higher Education before joining the Trust. She completed her MA in HR Management in 2011.

Vanda provides operational support to Creative Education Trust schools as well as supporting the Director of HR in developing the trust-wide HR Strategies.

Sarah Catchpole

HEAD OF RECRUITMENT

Sarah Catchpole is the Head of Recruitment at Creative Education Trust. Sarah plays a crucial role in ensuring that the trust's network of schools are well-resourced with high-quality colleagues.

In her role, Sarah works in partnership with schools across the trust to attract top-quality education and head office staff. She is responsible for increasing brand awareness and building relationships with key external partners to ensure a steady pipeline of talented candidates. Sarah delivers expert advice on all aspects of attraction, selection, and onboarding, ensuring that the trust's schools are staffed with passionate and skilled educators and support staff.

Before joining Creative Education Trust, Sarah was the Head of Leadership Recruitment at Hourglass Education, where she supported schools, multi-academy trusts, and local authorities by placing top leadership talent. She offered a full executive search recruitment solution and interim leadership solutions for senior leadership requirements. Sarah has extensive experience in Education Recruitment, supporting schools in finding quality hires for the past decade.

Holly Crofts

HEAD OF GOVERNANCE

the estates and facilities team

Jon Ward

DIRECTOR OF ESTATES & FACILITIES