As Subject Lead for History at Teach First, Cat’s day-to-day role involves ensuring the highest quality teacher development for trainees, ECTs and experienced staff across the country. She is responsible for the curriculum development and quality assurance of history content in Teach First’s PGDE, SCITT, ECF and NPQ programmes. Prior to this, Cat taught and held leadership posts in various secondary schools (including Sidney Stringer Academy). Cat is also a Member of the Chartered College of Teaching and holds a Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of Warwick.

Cat firmly believes that education should and can work for every child, regardless of background and disadvantage. She hopes to continue supporting Sidney Stringer Academy in this mission.

As a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers I have spent over 40 years in industry and business. Predominantly working in heavy duty, off highway product design and engineering, with senior leadership roles in numerous companies both in the UK and Europe, I have gained considerable experience in leading and motivating teams of people and of formulating business strategy.  It is this experience, along with my mentoring skills, that I wish to utilise and where appropriate share with others, and it is what prompted me to become a local school Governor.

I have worked in Higher Education for the past 15 years and prior to that worked in marketing, project, and event management. I am currently the Director of Operations at Coventry University Group bridging the gap between industry and academia. I lead a project management team looking after a portfolio of circa £50m worth of projects.

I struggled at school due to lack of interest, stimulus and receiving learning in the same way as everyone else. I therefore understand the importance of providing a safe, inclusive, and enjoyable environment for all learners, irrelevant of their starting point. Experiences at school can impact and shape the way you start in life; I didn’t feel I was capable of anything academic because of my experiences at school. I only came back to academia in later years completing my professional qualifications and then my masters in 2017. I am proud to be an example that you can succeed but believe it’s important to influence, support and nurture all types of talent from an early age, embracing difference.