Our vision is to enable all to flourish
SCHOOL EFFECTIVENESS TEAM
Aisling Stranack
Aisling is a qualified teacher with the National Professional Qualification for Headteachers (NPQH) and a proven track record across the primary phase in both small and large Church schools. Her extensive senior leadership experience includes successfully leading a school on the journey out of special measures. A passionate advocate for all pupils, Aisling thrives in fostering collaborative settings. She cultivates a positive environment where both colleagues and pupils can flourish. A committed collaborator, she actively works with educational partners to drive improvements and create opportunities for all, as evidenced by her role as Pupil Premium Champion for the Trust since 2016 and her membership in the SW Disadvantaged Network. Since 2021, she has served as a local Primary ECF Facilitator, further exemplifying this dedication to collaboration.
Regional Effectiveness Lead
Richard joined DGAT in 2019 as an executive headteacher, before moving into the role of Regional Effectiveness Lead within the central team at the start of 2024. He loves working for DGAT and supporting all schools, teachers and leaders to flourish. He is a qualified teacher and experienced headteacher and executive headteacher of over 15 years who has successfully led three schools; one from good to outstanding and two from special measures back to good. He has a wide range of experience of school leadership at primary level, including 9-years as SENCo, as well as a wealth of teaching experience from Reception to Year 6. Previously, he led teacher training through a teaching school, focusing on developing leadership capacity, primary and secondary teacher training, initial teacher training and supporting excellence in teaching and learning across both primary and secondary settings. He has been a lead inspector for Ofsted for eight years. He recently passed the NPQEL and is currently an NPQEL coach. In his spare time, he plays the drums in lots of bands and attempts to play football.
Richard Lucas
Regional Effectiveness Lead
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Tonwen Empson
Quality Assurance Lead
Tonwen joined the trust in September 2024. She is a qualified teacher with over 30 years' experience including primary headship of both small Church rural schools and large schools in areas of deprivation. She currently coaches headteachers through the NPQEL. She is also a governor of a Church school. Previously, she has provided executive leadership to support schools in special measures across the country, and was lead for schools causing concern in a local authority.
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Tonwen was one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors for seven years and continues to lead inspections as an Ofsted Inspector. She has considerable experience and proven track record of school improvement and inspection work in primary schools, special schools, independent schools, maintained Nursery schools and alternative providers.