
Abigail is the CEO of The Children First Learning Partnership. She has over 30 years of experience in education, with 20 of those years being at a senior leadership level. As a National Leader in Education with expertise in System Leadership, she has overseen the improvement of many schools on their journey to Good and Outstanding.
She initiated the development of the Learning First Federation in 2016 and in 2019, the creation of the Children First Learning Partnership Trust and the successful onboarding of new member schools.

Jonathan is the Chief Financial Officer at the Children First Learning Partnership with responsibility for ensuring the financial accountability and long-term viability of the academy trust. Jonathan has a wealth of experience from working 30 years across a range of local authority services and schools and has built a very high-standard finance and administration team at the Children First Learning Partnership.
Jonathan has experience in financial accounting, business administration, HR, audit, premises management and service delivery. Jonathan’s qualifications include a BA (Hons) degree in Business Studies, AAT, CSBM, DSBM and Certificate in financial reporting for academies.
As Chief Financial Officer, Jonathan ensures the financial health of the Children First Learning Partnership, implementing the financial actions and strategic moves to attain the vision of being one of the highest performing and constantly improving Trusts in the country. A challenge that Jonathan thrives on.

Lorraine Jukes is Executive Headteacher of Oxhey, Knypersley & Reginald Mitchell Primary and joined CFLP in 2020. Her experience includes Head of School in a two-form entry primary school in Stoke on Trent and was an Early Years Ofsted Inspector for several years as well as a local authority moderator and support partner.
Lorraine has led Oxhey from Good to Outstanding in their most recent Ofsted inspection. Lorraine is strategic lead for Safeguarding across our Trust and has led the development of a Trust-wide safeguarding audit tool and the creation of highly effective link safeguarding roles across our schools and Safeguarding Champion. She works closely with the LA safeguarding team providing feedback on policy and the impact of key agency work.

Lucy Siddorn is a seasoned and dynamic Operations Manager with a proven track record of excellence in the financial and educational industry.
With a solid foundation in project management working for Barclays Bank for 14 years, Lucy has honed her skills in financial analysis, risk management, and strategic planning. Having worked in schools for the past 15 years, the previous skillset has been utilised to ensure the smooth running of the business administration, HR and Finance aspects of the school offices.
Lucy adeptly communicates processes and procedures in a clear and concise manner, fostering trust and transparency. Her attention to detail, effective communication skills and ability to build good relationships with all stakeholders means she thrives in challenging environments, excelling in problem-solving and decision-making. The Service Level Agreements for all CFLP schools are managed by Lucy to ensure that maximum cost savings are achieved whilst still providing the best service.
Lucy holds a foundation degree in Project Management, a certificate in ITIL principles and a Diploma in School Business Management.

Carolyn’s 20 years in primary education have provided her with a wealth of experience in teaching and leadership. She is a Specialist Leader in Education for Maths, and qualified as a Maths Specialist Teacher.
Carolyn previously taught at Knypersley First School for five years, which means she understands the dynamics and strategic workings of the Children First Learning Partnership. She was previously the Assistant Headteacher and then became the Head of School, which gave her both a taste of the challenges and the joys that leading a school can bring.
Carolyn is very much looking forward to working in partnership with the staff, children, governors and parents to help Team Kingsfield to be the best that they can be.

She has a keen interest and passion for Early Identification of SEND within the Early Years. She has worked across the Trust supporting with procedures and resources to ensure the right support is given at the earliest opportunity for all.

Claire is the recently appointed Headteacher at Marlfields Primary School from December 2024.
Her journey into school leadership started in The Halliard Trust in Macclesfield, where she has experience as a Deputy Headteacher, Head Teacher and Trust-wide Literacy Specialist. Within her role as English lead, she facilitated improvements in reading and writing across a group of nine schools. For two years, Claire has facilitated NPQ qualifications to school leaders, using research-based evidence to improve their leadership.
Claire’s passion for children’s literature has meant some of her CPD has been published online. She has worked alongside the National Literacy Trust to co-write a scheme to promote reading for pleasure, and her work on school libraries has been nominated for a national award.
As Marlfields has recently joined the CFLP, Claire is excited to work in partnership with the other schools to collaborate and continue Marlfield’s journey to excellence.

Kate is the newly appointed Head of School at Oxhey First School from April 2025.
During her career in education, and over the last nine years as a Deputy Headteacher, Kate has developed a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Kate is always keen to embrace educational research in the pursuit of excellence and passionate about developing a buzz for learning, whether that’s in the classroom or the staffroom. Having successfully taught for over twenty years in two very different First Schools in Staffordshire, Kate knows first-hand the importance and value in ensuring all pupils benefit from an exciting, purposeful and rich curriculum.
Kate is really excited to be embarking on the next chapter of her leadership journey at Oxhey and the opportunity to work collaboratively within the CFLP trust.

Lee is the newly appointed headteacher at Castlechurch Primary School.
Prior to this, Lee was the Head of School at The Reginald Mitchell Primary School and has been part of the CFLP since its formation.
The school is located within the Staffordshire Local Authority and caters for the community of Stafford and surrounding areas. Children are welcomed from the ages of 3-11 and our aim is to provide the finest educational experience in a caring, safe, bright and stimulating environment.

Ash was appointed as headteacher at Springhead Primary School from September 2025.
He started his teaching career in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, before moving to Milton Primary Academy in Stoke-on-Trent and later assuming senior leadership positions as Assistant Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher and latterly as Head of School.
With a passion for curriculum design, Ash has extensive experience providing support to primary schools in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, and across the West Midlands, focusing specifically on primary science, curriculum, and assessment. He was previously designated as a Specialist Leader of Education (SLE) for science, mathematics, and assessment.
Ash completed an MA in Educational Leadership at the University of Chester in 2022, as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Development and Educational Leadership at the University of Derby in 2021. He serves as Chair of Governors at a middle school in Staffordshire.
Ash is delighted to have joined the CFLP and is excited to work alongside children, staff, parents and governors, as well as colleagues from across the Trust, to provide the very best quality of education for the children at Springhead.

Nicki is the Office and Financial Services Manager for Knypersley First School. Responsibilities cover a wide range of finance and HR areas.
She has worked in Education since 2011 previously being based at Reginald Mitchell Primary School as Office Manager. Before moving into education, Nicki worked in the banking sector for 24 years in many varied roles.
Over the years, Nicki has developed many transferable skills that she implements successfully within the Trust and still loves a spreadsheet!

Sarah joined the Trust in June 2022 as Castlechurch’s Office, Finance & Service Manager. She is a dedicated and focussed finance and human resources professional with over 10 years of experience in managing financial operations and providing strategic guidance.
Sarah has proven expertise in streamlining office procedures, implementing financial solutions, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. She oversees the invoicing processes within the trust as well as auditing, the PTFA accounts for all schools.
Sarah’s attention to detail allows her to conduct financial analysis to support decision-making processes, identifying areas for improvement and efficiency.

April plays a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth operation of the school’s administrative machinery and leads the functionality of the schools MIS systems for the CFLP trust.
April ensures compatibility and seamless integration of the MIS across multiple schools and end users. This involves working with all schools to ensure that complex data sets are transformed into clear and actionable reports that provide valuable insights and key information to all stakeholders within the CFLP.

Kelly joined CFLP in September 2024 as Office & Financial Services Manager at Oxhey First School. She is passionate about using technology to increase efficiency and shape our business processes.
Before joining the team, she spent seven years teaching in the local area with a specialty in computing. Kelly has returned to her administrative roots, drawing on vast experience in HR, finance and auditing. She has proven success in developing and reviewing business policies and procedures, and she especially enjoys formatting documents and graphic design.

Lynsey joined CFLP in September 2025 as Office & Financial Services Manager at Marlfields Primary School. Before joining the team, Lynsey spent four years working in a local special school specialising in finance administration, grant applications and digital marketing.
Prior roles mean that Lynsey has extensive experience in delivering training in Assistive Technology and Document Accessibility within the Governement sector. She has proven success in marketing, fundraising and developing documents in an accessible format. Lynsey is keen to add value to the trust using her skills and experience.

Claire joined CFLP in September 2025 as Office & Financial Services Manager as part of the central team. Claire is a highly motivated, results driven professional with over 20 years leadership experience in the retail sector, now bringing a proven track record of strategic management, operational excellence and financial oversight to the education sector.
Claire is passionate about driving continuous improvement and balancing strategic vision with operational detail whilst fostering a culture of colloboration, accountability and innovation. Currently working towards her level 7 apprenticship in Leadership, Claire is excitied to support the success of the Childrens First Learning Partnership.

Louise is the Office Manager at Springhead Primary School.
Louise has worked at Springhead Primary since April 2018

Rebecca became part of the Children First Learning Partnership in September 2025 as the Attendance Officer. This is an exciting new role for the trust. In this role, Rebecca will work with families across the local community to help children to attend school regulary and make the most of their learning.
Before joining the Children First Learning Partnership, Rebecca spend two years as an Educaiton Welfare Officer, supporting both primary and secondary schools. Rebecca also worked in a special education school, where she supported pupils with complex needs on a one-to -one basis .
Rebecca is passionate about supporting children and families , and looks forward to helping every pupil feel able to attend school and thrive.