Meet the Catalyst Team

Sarah’s specialist experience gained in her previous roles as Bursar and Company Secretary gives her the knowledge to fulfil the Operations Director role. Sarah is a qualified Company Secretary, was a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, and also holds a Certificate in Management through Henley College. She has worked in schools since 2009. The Operations Director role is to ensure the smooth transition of primary schools to Academy status and to assist with the overall governance and operation of each academy within Catalyst Academies Trust.

Sarah’s role as PA to CEO is to ensure excellent governance throughout the Trust and provide support to Trust schools. Sarah brings a wealth of experience and knowledge from her background in Business Administration within the private sector, which will complement her role within Catalyst Academies Trust. 

Rebecca came into the role of Governance Manager at the beginning of 2026. With her prior experience working as a Senior Account Executive in Digital Marketing, she brings a vast array of management and organisational skills to accompany her new position. Rebecca's role as a Governance Manager consists of governance and operational support, in addition to ensuring Statutory and Regulatory Compliance.

Tony became CEO of Catalyst Academies Trust CEO, after 2 years as Headteacher at Quarry Hill Academy. During his time as Headteacher, Quarry Hill made great leaps in terms of pupil attainment and teaching quality. Under his leadership the school moved from Requires Improvement to Outstanding in just 2 years.

Tony started his teaching career in 1999 specialising in EYFS and KS1. During this time, he focused his attention on the quality of teaching in KS2, where he has over 14 years of experience to draw from. His work on the improvement of teaching through action research to raise attainment and progress, was applied to rapidly improve standards at Quarry Hill Academy and the outstanding practices developed are being shared throughout the Trust by mentoring and supporting of others to achieve the same successes.

Under his leadership the Catalyst has successfully transformed its Academies three of whom have moved from inadequate and requires improvement to Good and Outstanding in their first inspection as part of the trust. Catalyst has been in the top 5% of trusts nationally since the performance measures were published and he strives to ensure that teachers and leaders in schools and academies develop outstanding teaching and improve outcomes for all, regardless of subject or individual starting point. He is an advocate of sharing best practice and is keen to improve the opportunities and provision both within and beyond our trust.

Tony was appointed as a National Leader for Education, acknowledging the impact he has had not only in our Trust schools but also in schools and academies outside the partnership.

Rhys is the Deputy Executive Headteacher for Catalyst Academies Trust and Headteacher of Dilkes Academy. He’s been part of the organisation since 2005 and has played a key role in shaping its direction. Over the years, he’s shown consistently strong leadership, especially in improving the quality of Science education both within the Trust and in the wider education community. His work with the National Science Learning Centre also highlights his long-standing commitment to helping teachers develop their expertise and raising aspirations in Science for both staff and pupils.

Rhys has completed a Master’s in Education as well as the NPQEL (National Professional Qualification for Executive Leaders), showing his dedication to ongoing professional growth and continually improving his leadership skills. These qualifications support his strategic approach to school improvement and his ability to bring about meaningful, evidence-informed change.

Rhys has contributed widely to system leadership, helping to develop and share high-quality practice across a wide range of schools. His leadership style is rooted in clear strategic thinking, collaboration, and a strong focus on securing the best possible educational outcomes for all learners.

Sam is Executive Headteacher for Catalyst Academies Trust and Headteacher at Quarry Hill Academy. Sam's areas of expertise are in English and KS2. Sam has been an English leader and SLE for many years and has a Master’s degree in Education Management, an NPQH and an NPQEL. Sam is the Headteacher at Quarry Hill Academy and plays an active role in supporting other trust schools. As a leader, Sam has implemented many new successful initiatives, leading training sessions for teachers, students, NQTS, support staff and parents. Sam is an experienced practitioner who is passionate and dedicated in her work. Sam strives to inspire and enthuse children, to motivate them to become independent learners, to develop a life-long love of learning.

Tony became CEO of Catalyst Academies Trust CEO, after 2 years as Headteacher at Quarry Hill Academy. During his time as Headteacher, Quarry Hill made great leaps in terms of pupil attainment and teaching quality. Under his leadership the school moved from Requires Improvement to Outstanding in just 2 years.

Tony started his teaching career in 1999 specialising in EYFS and KS1. During this time, he focused his attention on the quality of teaching in KS2, where he has over 14 years of experience to draw from. His work on the improvement of teaching through action research to raise attainment and progress, was applied to rapidly improve standards at Quarry Hill Academy and the outstanding practices developed are being shared throughout the Trust by mentoring and supporting of others to achieve the same successes.

Under his leadership the Catalyst has successfully transformed its Academies three of whom have moved from inadequate and requires improvement to Good and Outstanding in their first inspection as part of the trust. Catalyst has been in the top 5% of trusts nationally since the performance measures were published and he strives to ensure that teachers and leaders in schools and academies develop outstanding teaching and improve outcomes for all, regardless of subject or individual starting point. He is an advocate of sharing best practice and is keen to improve the opportunities and provision both within and beyond our trust.

Tony was appointed as a National Leader for Education, acknowledging the impact he has had not only in our Trust schools but also in schools and academies outside the partnership.

Lea previously worked as Deputy Head in an Essex based school, with many years of experience in education. With a background of over 25 years’ experience as a Local Authority Governor, including Chair Governor of an outstanding school and Chair of a Shadow Governing Body. Lea is particularly interested in the development and aims of Catalyst Academies Trust.

Tim has a background in the financial sector, holding numerous finance qualifications, including currently studying in his final year for a Law and Business with Accounting degree. His qualifications combined with his many years of experience in the legal field, bring a wealth of knowledge to Catalyst Academies Trust. Tim has a passion for voluntary work, with almost 10 years of practice in different communities, as well as being a Dilkes Academy Governor.

Keith has been a school governor for over 29 years, serving on various committees, including chair of finance committee and vice chair of the governing body of an outstanding school, dedicating his time and expertise to ensuring that staff receive the training and coaching they require. Keith brings many years of knowledge in project management and strategy planning to the Catalyst Board.

Darren has extensive experience in business planning and strategy organisation and, in addition, has served as a school governor for over 18 years including the role of Chair of Governors of an outstanding school. Darren has gained a Master’s degree in Automotive Systems Engineering, and used his experience and knowledge to assist with the creation of Multi Academy Trust. Darren has a close eye for detail, and is passionate about the role of professional development in maintaining outstanding leadership across the Trust.

Kevin has been in teaching since 1986 and has taught at a wide variety of schools in Inner London, Outer London, Essex, Southend and Thurrock. These have been a mixture of Roman Catholic, Church of England and community schools. Kevin has experience as a class teacher in all year groups from Y1 to Y6 and held responsibilities for most subjects at one time or another.Kevin has been at Somers Heath Primary School as Headteacher since 2010 during which time it has doubled in size. Kevin is passionate about raising aspirations in Thurrock and believes that the best education is one which enriches the whole child.

Mark has worked across a number of industries including IT, Technology, Agriculture and Education. He has held numerous senior HR roles covering the UK, Europe and Globally. He specialises in Strategic HR and business, across all HR areas of operational HR and specialist areas such as Learning and Development, Talent and Organisational Development. In addition, Mark has also worked across Facilities management in a number of organisations.

Dan has been a governor within Thurrock/ Essex for 14 years. He has been a board member at CATALYST since 2019. 

Professionally Dan is a senior project management consultant working nationally supporting retail construction projects. Requiring strong communication skills, excellent time management and robust financial management - strengths he brings to the Board of Catalyst Academies Trust.