Academy Leadership
Andrew Whitaker
CEO - The White Rose Academies Trust
Andrew joined the White Rose Academies Trust in September 2016 as Executive Principal, securing the role of Chief Executive Officer in December 2019. From the outset, his ambitions have been made clear to his staff: ensure that our academies provide high quality education throughout the incredible communities they serve. Andrew is also a member of the Executive Leadership Team for Luminate Education Group, a Fellow of the Institute of School Business Leadership, and acts as a Trustee for the community charity Hamara. In 2018, he was awarded with a Churchill Fellowship which he will use to fund a fact-finding mission and research Charter Schools in America.
Sarah Carrie
Executive Principal
Sarah Carrie’s ambition from a young age was to become a professional dancer. She achieved this ambition after training at the highly acclaimed Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds, graduating with a Bachelor of Performing Arts Degree in Dance. During her career as a dancer she was fortunate enough to work with ...
Principals
Richard Chattoe
Principal - Leeds City Academy
Prior to commencing his role as Principal at Leeds City Academy in March 2019, Richard worked as Vice Principal at Leeds West Academy, with responsibility for the improvement in the quality of Teaching, Learning and Assessment across the school. Richard was delighted to have played such a significant role in establishing a range of innovative and highly impactful strategies...
Dan Whieldon
Principal - Leeds West Academy
Dan has been Principal at Leeds West Academy since September 2020 after initially joining the academy as a Vice Principal in 2018 before promotion to Head of School and subsequently to Principal. Leeds West has undergone a transformative period..
Danny Bullock
Principal - Leeds East Academy
Danny started at the Trust in 2013 as a Computer Science Teacher at Leeds West Academy through the Teach First programme. Danny joined the Teach First programme because of his relentless passion to improve the life chances of young people. This passion and mission for working with young people began when...
Kate Burton
Principal - Alder Tree Primary
Kate Burton began teaching in Manchester at Old Trafford Primary in 2003 and as her career progressed she moved across to Bradford. She has worked at Bowling Park Primary School since 2008 as an Assistant Head for EYFS, Deputy Head and more recently Head of School...
Vice Principals
Rachel Sharples
Vice Principal - White Rose Academies Trust
Rachel Sharples is delighted to join the White Rose Academies Trust as Vice Principal focusing on Academy improvement. Prior to her appointment, Rachel was Assistant Principal with responsibility for driving the quality of Teaching and Learning at Darton Academy, part of the Delta Academies Trust...
Nicola Widnall
Vice Principal - White Rose Academies Trust
Hailing originally from the Brecon Beacons, Nicola graduated from the University of Leeds in 2005 with a degree in Spanish Language and Literature, before continuing her studies there and completing her PGCE in Secondary Modern Foreign Languages...