Our People

As Chief Executive Officer of Canonium Learning Trust, Martin leads and oversees the educational performance of the Trust and all of its academies, providing strong strategic leadership towards the Trust’s vision and goals.

Martin previously served as Executive Headteacher of Stisted, Finchingfield, St Andrew’s and Ardleigh primary academies, bringing extensive experience of leading small Church of England schools. He was formerly the Accounting Officer for Stisted Primary Academy Trust, where he oversaw its successful incorporation into Canonium in 2021. This experience not only showcased his financial acumen but also reflected his commitment to securing the best possible outcomes for children.

Martin is a qualified Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) and has particular expertise in curriculum development, pedagogy, and the leadership of small church schools. His leadership is rooted in a strong belief that all children deserve the very best opportunities to learn and flourish.

As Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Canonium Learning Trust, Lesley supports the CEO in leading and overseeing the educational performance of the Trust and its academies, providing strong strategic leadership towards the Trust’s vision and goals.

Lesley also serves as Executive Headteacher of Stourview Primary Academy. As the Trust's lead for Religious Education, she is passionate about cultivating a rich and broad curriculum. She believes in nurturing the whole child, fostering academic excellence, emotional well-being, and spiritual development.

A strong advocate for evidence-informed practice, Lesley integrates educational research into all aspects of her work, ensuring that children across the Trust receive the highest quality education and achieve the best possible outcomes.

As the Chief Financial & Operating Officer at Canonium, Kevin takes pride in overseeing trust-wide finance and business operations. In the Central Services office, he leads a dedicated team committed to delivering expert support in finance, HR, and other operational aspects to the family of schools. His status as a Fellow of the Institute of School Business Leaders (ISBL) underscores his commitment to driving excellence in school business leadership. With a background as a qualified teacher and previous leadership roles in the FE sector, he possesses a solid understanding of the needs of teachers and leaders. This firsthand insight has played a pivotal role in shaping the strategic approach to school business support, ensuring it aligns seamlessly with the dynamic requirements of the educational community.

As our Trust Development Lead, Nicola is an experienced and accomplished practitioner with extensive experience across the primary phase. She heads up the Trust Development Team and leads professional development across Canonium Learning Trust, supporting school leaders and teachers to develop high-quality teaching, implement effective curriculum practices, and improve outcomes for all pupils. Using instructional coaching, lesson feedback, and targeted professional development, Nicola guides educators at all stages of their careers, fostering consistent, evidence-informed practice across the Trust. 

Steve takes a lead on Assessment across the trust in addition to his role as Headteacher of St Michael’s Primary Academy. Steve is an effective practitioner with a keen ability to track and respond to data, ultimately driving outstanding outcomes for all pupils. Within his role as Trust Assessment Leader, Steve supports and advises school leaders on the implementation of a purposeful assessment strategy, ensuring that every pupil benefits from a tailored and effective approach. 

As well as being the Headteacher of Stisted Primary Academy, Mrs Welsman brings over 15 years of experience as an exceptional Key Stage 1 teacher. She plays a key role in leading the Trust’s Phonics schemes and provides targeted support across Canonium Learning Trust, with a focus on KS1. Having taught across the primary phase, she draws on her broad expertise to support instructional practice and teacher development at all stages of their careers, supporting excellent outcomes for all pupils across the Trust.

In her role as Trust SEND lead, Victoria works closely with school leaders, SENCOs and wider teams to promote inclusive practice, strong provision and high aspirations for all pupils with SEND. With a focus on consistency, collaboration and professional development, Victoria offers guidance and support to SENCOs and schools to meet individual needs effectively and ensure every child is supported to succeed. Victoria also holds the role of SENDCo at St Andrew’s Marks Tey, Finchingfield and Stisted Academy. 

As our Trust EYFS lead, Emma brings extensive experience and outstanding practice as an early years teacher, which underpins her work in supporting schools to deliver high-quality, inclusive provision. In addition to her role as EYFS and KS1 lead at Kelvedon St Mary’s Emma has a key role in the Trust Development Team working closely with school leaders and early years practitioners to develop a consistent, play-based and knowledge-rich EYFS curriculum aligned with the Trust’s values. 

Lisa is a long-serving Montessori educator whose passion and dedication to making Montessori learning accessible to all has positioned her as a key member of the Trust Development Team. She played a central role in co-developing and delivering the Pink Tower programme at Stisted Academy, which has since been successfully implemented across many schools within the Trust. Lisa is also a specialist in training and supporting Learning Support Assistants, with particular expertise in language development, behaviour strategies, and embedding Trauma Perspective Practice.  

Emma has over 15 years’ experience in schools and is a passionate advocate for inclusive practice. She works strategically across the Trust to develop creative, adaptive approaches that enable pupils with additional and complex needs to thrive within mainstream settings, while maintaining high expectations for all. Emma believes inclusion is everyone’s responsibility and is committed to building supportive, pupil-centred environments where every child can succeed academically and personally.   

As Art Lead at Kelvedon Academy, Selena loves teaching Art to all children in the primary phase. She is passionate about fostering curiosity and embracing life in its fullness through the medium of Art. Selena also designs and produces whole school collaborative events to promote Courageous Advocacy across Canonium Learning Trust. Engaging in creative activities, tailored to each individual school, the children explore and connect with local and global issues and are encouraged to look beyond themselves to the world around them.

Lauren brings a wealth of expertise and passion to her role as the Trust Nursery Lead. With her extensive experience in early childhood education, she plays a vital role in shaping the foundation of learning across schools within our trust.  As the Nursery Lead, Lauren is dedicated to providing exceptional care and education to our youngest learners. Her commitment to nurturing a supportive and stimulating environment ensures that every child receives the best possible start to their educational journey.