MAT Executive Leaderships Team (ID 1231)

• Debra Rutley
  Chief Executive Officer
  Debra Rutley

  Debra admits that she didn’t have a positive experience at school and that this has influenced the teacher and leader that she is today working within Alternative Provision. After graduating in Theology from Leeds University, Debra went into teaching, moving to Alternative Provision in 2002 as Deputy Head of The Wycombe Grange Pupil Referral Unit. Debra became Head Teacher of Aspire in 2012 when The Wycombe Grange merged with another Buckinghamshire PRU. In 2015, Debra was appointed Executive Head Teacher of Aspire Schools, a Multi Academy Trust with, at that time, 4 sites, before taking on the role of CEO in 2021.

  Today, Debra is a part-time CEO and an advocate for Flexible Working, as well as a champion of Leading with Love in order to get the best out of children and staff.

• Brian Lewis
  Chief Finance and Operations Officer
  Brian Lewis

  Brian Lewis is a qualified ACMA accountant with 25 years of solid experience in Management Accounting and he holds an MBA. Throughout his career, he held senior roles in NYSE 100 companies within the Financial Services sector, leading European Management Accounting teams through international Mergers & Acquisitions and strategic finance projects.

  Brian has lived in Buckinghamshire all his life. He organises and leads community projects, raises funds for charity, sits on the panel with the local police and other community leaders to implement strategies and initiatives to reduce crime in the local area; raises funds to improve education for under privileged youth and fosters engagement with the elderly. To that end, he is the Chairman of the Wycombe Multi-cultural Organisation (WMCO) and is the secretary of Beaconsfield Town Youth Football Club.

• Andrew Burton
  Executive Headteacher of Aspire
  Andrew Burton

  Andrew joined Aspire in February 2023, having served for over 20 years in mainstream and PRU/Alternative Provision (AP) settings in the UK. He began teaching in 2002 as a Modern Foreign Language teacher and gained experience as a Head of Year. In 2008, he moved to London and held positions of Key Stage 4 Phase Leader and Assistant Head in two mainstream secondary schools. Andrew moved into AP in 2014 and worked for a large multi academy trust in inner London, taking up the post of Head of School from 2015, before taking his first Headteacher role at a Local Authority maintained PRU in Staffordshire in 2018. His last role was as Executive Headteacher of the City of Manchester Learning Partnership, a federation of the primary and secondary PRUs in Manchester. This strategic role involved the redesign of the PRU/AP offer in the city and his work has meant there is now a refreshed and sustainable model for the area.

  Andrew has completed an MA in Educational Change Management and has achieved his NPQH with Ambition Institute. He is an Intermediate Team Teach tutor and has delivered support to mainstream Schools and PRU/APs on managing and understanding behaviour.

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Schools Executive Leadership Team (ID 1235)

• Jake Brindley
  Head of Alternative Provision
  Jake Brindley

• Polly Kempson
  Head of SEMH Provision
  Polly Kempson