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Meet our Leadership Team

Scott Jacques  –  Executive Principal

Scott has experience of teaching and senior leadership in Primary, Secondary and Special education as well as ten years work in school improvement with Leeds City Council. He was seconded to work as a Primary Teacher Adviser for the LA and later as a Secondary Consultant within the National Strategies team, working with a wide range of schools on securing improvement and developing and implementing strategy. Scott worked for five years  as an Adviser with the Local Authority in Leeds, creating, developing and implementing eLearning strategy and supporting school improvement. Scott also worked with DFE, QCA and National Strategies on the development of training and materials at a national level.

Scott was Head of School at an outstanding special school in Leeds, before joining the Wellspring Trust as an executive leader working at the Forest Academy in Barnsley. He spent two years as Executive Principal of Phoenix Park and Sevenhills Academies in Grimsby before joining Springwell Leeds Academy shortly before it opened in 2016. Scott is also Executive Principal of Springwell Harrogate, a secondary alternative provision which is also part of the Wellspring Trust. Scott is also a governor at Bramley Park Academy.

 

Steve Tighe – Executive Vice Principal

Steve started his career as a PE teacher in Barnsley before moving into pastoral leadership roles in a range of secondary environments in Barnsley, Leeds, Knaresborough and most recently in a successful Academy in Bradford as a Senior Vice Principal. In his last role he led the Academy to an outstanding judgement in Behaviour and Safety. Whilst a senior leader he has taken on a range of differing responsibilities such as CPD, training school, teaching and learning. However, he has always felt most passionate about student care, welfare and aspiring students to achieve which it is always that role to which he has returned. Steve is currently working at other Academies in the Trust providing support for leaders in Leeds.

 

Mary Ruggles – Associate Principal
Springwell Leeds North

Mary trained and started her career as a teacher of special education needs in Boston, Massachusetts before moving to England in 2005. Since then, she has spent 13 years working in inclusive inner-city schools and pupil referral units in Leeds. Throughout her career she has specialised in developing provision of the highest quality for young people with complex additional needs both in specialised settings as well as in mainstream high schools.

Mary is inspired by seeing the impact of unconditional positive regard as a vehicle for developing relationships that transform young people and their engagement in education.

She is driven by a passion and understanding that all students, particularly those that are most vulnerable, deserve education experiences of the highest quality in highly nurturing learning environments to develop them into resilient and successful adults.

 

Shona Crichton – Associate Principal
Springwell Leeds East and Springwell Leeds South

Shona Crichton has worked within inclusive inner-city schools for 16 years in many different roles. She has a keen interest in developing teaching and learning for all students and had developed strategies to turn failing schools around.

Shona works with Leeds Beckett university on a research associate scheme on investigation parent engagement and the impact this has on student outcomes. This work has developed whole school strategies to inform how we work with families and the community. She has recently contributed to a book called “The working class” which is due to be published by independent thinking in November 2017.

 

Ann-Marie Oliver – Associate Principal (working within the Trust)

Ann- Marie started her career as a performer with a dance theatre company. She moved into education to pursue her passion of making a difference to the most vulnerable young people and because she loves a challenge! Ann-Marie is an experienced headteacher in SEMH settings. She chairs Springwell Leeds behaviour strategy group and is very passionate about developing staff’s understanding of  trauma and the impact that adverse childhood experiences has had on our children and families.

Ann-Marie is currently on secondment supporting leaders in two schools in Sheffield.

 

Our Extended Leadership Team

Click on the image below to see the extended leadership team