Trust Central Team

Shameem Hussain
Trust Chief Executive Officer and Headteacher at Beech Hill School

B.Ed. Science, MSC, NPQH, (Previously NLE), OFSTED Inspector

 Shameem has significant headship experience and is the Headteacher of Beech Hill School, a large multicultural school in one of the most-deprived areas of Calderdale.

In 2016 Beech Hill School achieved Ofsted ‘Outstanding ‘and in 2017 Shameem led the Academy through to gaining Multi Academy Trust status as ‘The Family of Learning Trust’. In addition, Shameem carried out School Improvement work as an NLE in Calderdale supporting other schools with improving achievement. She continues to support schools across Calderdale through the DFE School Improvement Framework and is currently undertaking training as an Ofsted Inspector.

The Family of Learning Trust sponsored Dean Field School after they were judged as ‘Inadequate’ in January 2018 by Ofsted. This gave Shameem, as CEO, the opportunity to strategically lead the development across both schools in the MAT with particular focus on Dean Field’s school improvement. In February 2022, Dean Field was judged as ‘Good’ by Ofsted, proving the Trust had the twofold ability to improve both the financial position of the school, make improvement to pupil outcomes and create opportunities that had a measurable difference to pupils’ lives in a highly deprived area.

Darren Senior
Trust Finance Director

BA Hons (Business Studies) AAT, MAAT, ACCA (Int), HND

Darren is an experienced Finance Director with over 30 years’ experience as an accountant with over 20 years in the education sector. He trained as a Senior Auditor at a Chartered Accountants in Huddersfield, then moved to be an Office Manager for a firm of solicitors before moving to Headingley to be the Assistant Club Secretary for both Leeds Rhinos and Yorkshire County Cricket Club where he organised match days and the subsequent financial reporting for various bodies.

During his time in Education Darren has worked in over 60 schools in Calderdale, Bradford and Leeds. He has significant experience of all areas of finance including financial reporting, budgets, and processing and training new school bursars. He has also supported 5 academies with conversion to Academy status and working for The Family of Learning Trust he drives forward all strategic areas within the trust including growth.

Backed by a knowledgeable finance team, Darren works closely with the CEO, Governors, Trustees and members of The Senior Leadership Team to support strategic decision making, set sustainable budgets, monitor and prioritise spending, oversee procurement, and implement rigorous financial processes to ensure compliance with external and internal regulations. He is currently working with the Trustees to help expand the MAT, develop staff and current systems to support MAT growth. Darren is also an active member on the School Forum at Calderdale.

Darren is supported in the finance team by Greg Armitage (Management Accountant), Dawn Edwards (School Business Manager), Jane Varley (Finance Administrator), Lucy Mead (Payroll Officer and Senior Administrator).

‘I am committed to delivering strong financial leadership underpinned by a systemic approach to ensure the Trust achieves value for money and financial resources are maximised, to provide the best possible education and outcomes for the students across all our schools in the Trust. I strongly believe in the relentless pursuit of excellence across the Trust, building and delivering the shared vision of the aims, values and culture of the Trust and ensuring that every student achieves positive life changing outcomes.’

He is currently working with the Trustees to help expand the MAT, develop staff and current systems as the MAT hopes to grow to five schools within a couple of years. Darren is also a Governor at Dean Field school and is on the School Forum at Calderdale.

Joanne Lawless
The Family of Learning Trust – HR Director

PG (Dip) Human Resources Management

Joanne joined Beech Hill Academy in October 2013 having previously been contracted to supply HR services to the school when she worked at Educate HR Ltd. During her time at Education HR Ltd Joanne was responsible for delivering bespoke HR administration and consultancy services to academies and schools across West Yorkshire. Previously Joanne spent ten years working for Calderdale Council’s Children and young Peoples Services’, with management responsibility for the provision of competitive and responsive HR and payroll services to schools across the Calderdale region.

Over 20 years of working in education HR Joanne has gained extensive experience of the management of change, culture transformation, strategic and operational HR management and the development.  She is a respected member of the management team at the Family of Learning Trust and has been integral to its development, specifically delivering many key initiatives, including changing the payroll from an external provider to in-house management, resulting in a financial savings for the school, as well as streamlining HR processes through the use of technology. Joanne is passionate about mental health and employee wellbeing implementing staff wellbeing initiatives and introduced an employee assistance programme as well as comprehensive cost efficient occupational health service.  Joanne works with finance colleagues to support health and safety and facilities, improving compliance management processes and IT systems.

Joanne is highly qualified with a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management and continually keeps updated on latest employment law, practice and policies through CPD and being a graduate member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Joanne is also well versed on employment law; school teachers’ pay and conditions and local government pay and terms of employment. She has a wealth of experience in all aspects of employee relations, providing up to date advice and guidance to managers on all aspects of employee management issues and engagement in the education sector.

Greg Armitage
Trust Management Accountant

ACCA

Greg is a qualified accountant (ACCA) with 20 years’ experience. He started at a local manufacturing company as a fitter before working his way up to a British Standard welder then through Huddersfield University qualified as an accountant. In 2019 he aided in the due diligence and sale of the manufacturing company to a large multinational and spent the next year introducing new systems and hitting targets for the final transfer of ownership.

In 2020 Greg joined the Family of Learning Trust to expand his knowledge and face a new challenge. His aim was to bring in monthly reporting for governors and trustees plus to oversee a review of all finance systems. He has already introduced a central budgeting system to track budgets and spend across the trust. In 2021 he rolled out a new financial system to help with the centralisation of procedures and allow the ability to access information from various school.

He is now looking at the linking and modernisation of systems to enable the trust to smoothly integrate new schools as they join. He is planning to have a solid structure in place that will benefit an expanding trust.

Richard Hodgson
IT Manager

Richard has vast knowledge and experience of IT and a real interest and passion in this area.

He is responsible for managing the IT infrastructure and network across the Trust. He is responsible for planning IT developments across the Trust and setting up and maintaining the network, monitoring and filtering systems and equipment and works with our providers to maintain cyber security of the systems and software being used within the Trust. In addition, Richard creates and maintains the school websites ensuring they are up to date and providing key information about the school. Richard has worked very closely with the Finance, HR and Payroll, Admin teams to implement the new systems to support the Trust as it grows.