Stephen Carey
Chief Executive Officer

Steve has been the founding Chief Executive Officer of Aletheia Academies Trust since December 2014. After many years of teaching in a variety of schools, he progressed to Headteacher of St George’s Secondary School in Gravesend, before he continued his professional journey to Executive Headteacher and CEO of Aletheia Academies Trust. He has overseen the growth of the Trust from a single academy trust to a multi-academy trust of 10 primary schools, 1 all-through school and another all-through school opening in 2024.

Steve served as an RSC-appointed member of the South East and South London Regional Headteacher Board from 2017 to 2022 and is a Governor of Canterbury Christ Church University, as an appointee of Rochester and Canterbury Diocesan Boards of Education. He is also the University Governor Champion for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

Steve has completed extensive Executive Leadership training with the Institute of Education and Deloitte Touche. He is committed to developing learning communities and believes passionately in the importance of collaboration. He has mentored a number of headteachers and executive leaders from trusts elsewhere and has established an extensive and collaborative peer network. 

Tony Seath
Chief Finance Officer

Tony has vast experience in educational finance. Having worked in the City of London in banking, he joined Kent County Council in the Education Finance Team as a Senior Accountant.

Tony also earned a certificate in school business management. Having been the administrative lead in the conversion of Saint George’s to academy status in 2011, Tony then became Chief Finance Officer. Tony is proud to serve the Multi-Academy Trust as it continues to evolve and grow from strength to strength.

Jo Barker-Platt
HR Director

Jo joined Aletheia in 2022, having come from a large academy trust where she held the role of Chief Operations Officer. She brings with her over 6 years of executive trust leadership and school HR experience. Jo has also led wellbeing initiatives both recently and in her previous corporate roles.

Jo will be developing our people strategy and is passionate about the fact that people are our most important asset.  Jo is responsible for HR within the trust and is keen to ensure Aletheia is an employer of choice that consistently invests in its people.

Adrian Oldershaw
Director of Education

Adrian has over 30 years' worth of experience in the education sector. He began his first senior role as deputy head of a primary school in Essex, later graded as one of the country's top 10 most improved schools.

Adrian was appointed as the Senior Trust Improvement Officer in February 2021 to help drive forward the Aletheia family of schools, aiming to provide strategies that raise aspirations and maximise opportunities for facilitating learning and enhancing pupil and staff progress.

Tim Muggridge
Director of Education

Tim has vast primary leadership experience, working in schools across Medway for over twenty years. Tim started as a lead mathematics teacher and has worked with Sports England to develop PE teaching.

He has an NPQH and is an active Local Leader of Education. Tim serves as Executive Headteacher of three primary schools, one of which has been judged by OFSTED as outstanding. Tim is passionate about curriculum planning and ensuring that every child is given the right opportunities to succeed.

Nick Thomas
Operations Officer

Nick joined Aletheia as Trust Operations Officer in 2019. He began his career in Local Government. Using this wealth of knowledge, he moved to the education sector and has over 10 years of experience working with schools across Kent.

Having obtained a Level 5 Diploma in School Business Management and a NEBOSH General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety, Nick oversees all the Trust's projects and is responsible for procurement, risk management, health & safety and compliance.

Claire James
Trust Governance and Trust Clerk

Claire joined Aletheia in November 2022 as Head of Governance.  Claire has a background in the legal profession, having been a clerk to a barristers’ chambers for the last 24 years, she brings with her a deep understanding of regulation and compliance including leadership and management. 

Having served as a School Governor in a primary school, Claire has embraced the change of direction in the education sector. 

Sam Crinnion 
Senior Trust Improvement Officer

Sam has a wide range of experience within the education sector, with the start of her career focusing largely on SEND through teaching and leading school improvement.

Sam’s first Primary School headship began in 2006 in Lewisham. In 2009, Sam became a headteacher of a new Primary School in Dartford and led the strategy for the successful opening and running of the school. In 2014, Sam extended her leadership role to Executive Headteacher in the Dartford, Gravesham area before continuing this role in South Kent. Sam was appointed as Trust Improvement Officer in 2022. Sam is passionate about inclusion and the best outcomes for all pupils in our schools.

Beth McKenzie
Senior Trust Improvement Officer 

Beth has over 25 years of experience in education and over 15 years held in various school and trust leadership positions. Her focus on school improvement, teaching and learning, SEND and safeguarding has enabled her to lead and develop several successful teams, providing professional development at all levels and leadership coaching. 

In 2020, Beth became the CEO / Executive Head of a small multi-academy Trust. Followed by In 2022, Beth developed her leadership experience further, as Deputy CEO for medium-sized MAT, alongside her role as an inspector for Ofsted. 

Beth is passionate about ensuring that all pupils, not only achieve the very best academic outcomes, but are also equipped with the essential skills for life and personal attributes to be successful in whatever the future might hold for them.  

Sarah Prest
Trust Improvement Officer (Curriculum & Pedagogy)

Sarah gained leadership experience as an Interim Headteacher and is now a Trust Improvement Officer for Curriculum and Pedagogy. She has supported colleagues across Gravesham schools as a Specialist Leader of Education, delivering CPD and developing local projects to improve reading and writing across schools. 

Having led a school through challenging circumstances, Sarah has gained significant skills and experience, including attaining an NPQH. She is passionate about driving improvement, helping provide the best education possible for all local children. Sarah is the Trust’s Kagan Ambassador and regularly designs and delivers training around our Trust Curriculum Principles.

Justine Roddan
Trust Improvement Officer (CPD & Safeguarding)

Justine has been in education for the past 30 years, and has a B.Ed Hons degree, as well as the CofE PQH leadership qualification.

Justine is passionate about developing the teachers and leaders of the future and facilitates the NPQ on behalf of the Trust and the Best Practice Network. In addition, she also leads both the Trust English and Pupil Premium Best Practice Groups.

Justine's role in CPD and Safeguarding for the Trust allows her to bring her wealth of experience to facilitate and lead training for all staff, including the next teachers and leaders within Aletheia.

Natasha Armstrong
Trust Improvement Officer (CPD & Safeguarding)

Natasha has worked for Saint George’s CofE All-Through, a member of Aletheia Academies Trust, since 2007, starting her career in education in a pastoral role within the sixth form.

Natasha has taught English since 2009 and has gained leadership qualifications, including the NPQML, NPQLTD, and NPQSL. For the last three years, Natasha has acted as Staff Lead Mentor, overseeing Initial Teacher Training, Early Career Teachers, and support for new staff at Saint George’s.

Natasha’s experience in recruiting teachers and developing those new to the profession has given her the passion to work across the Trust and develop a golden thread of CPD for all staff, whatever their job role or stage of their career. Natasha is now supporting the launch of our SCITT and Apprenticeships, as well as facilitating the NPQ on behalf of Best Practice Network.

Heather Whitmore
Strategic Development Lead

Heather’s career in education has spanned over twenty years to date; during that time, she has worked in various senior leadership and consultancy roles for schools and multi-academy trusts across four local authorities in the south-east. Heather’s school work has been driven by a passion for exploring and implementing the most up-to-date and innovative research-driven pedagogies; she believes strongly that evidence-based practice is one of the cornerstones of effective teaching, curriculum design and school improvement.  

Heather believes in lifelong learning; she has an MBA in Education Management and is an ILM7-qualified executive coach and mentor. Having led school improvement and leadership development across several schools, she joined Aletheia Academy Trust in September 2024 as Strategic Development Lead.  

Sue Tunnicliffe
School Improvement Consultant

Sue has been Executive Headteacher of Shorne Church of England Primary School and Rosherville Church of England Primary Academy, having previously been Headteacher of Kings Hill Primary School and Robert Browning Primary School. She gained long experience as a Senior Improvement Advisor for the Local Authority

Chris Foreman
Consultant Headteacher

Chris is an experienced Senior Leader with over 37 years of experience. He joined Aletheia Academies Trust in September 2023, following a successful headship in Kent. He worked with students, staff and parents to transform a failing school into a popular, over-subscribed school of first choice.

Chris is a science specialist and maintained his role as a science teacher throughout his career. He has a passion for raising student engagement, particularly through innovative pedagogy, curriculum design and technology integration.