Our Team

Sue Bailey

Safeguarding Lead

Sue Bailey has dedicated more than 40 years of service to education and is a respected and well-known figure in the community, supporting families and children from birth to 19. She has been awarded an MBE for her services. In addition to her role as Assistant Head Teacher at Arthur Terry School and Strategic Lead of the Four Oaks Children’s Centres, Sue is the Safeguarding Lead across all ATLP schools. She works closely with schools, community groups, education authorities and other organisations, using her expertise across a range of areas including safeguarding, child protection, internet safety and the Prevent agenda, to ensure the care and protection of all young people in our schools.

Anna Balson

Director of Education (Primary)

A National Leader of Education (NLE) Under her dedicated and inspirational leadership, Anna took Mere Green Primary school from a struggling one-form entry, undersubscribed ‘requires improvement’ primary school to an ‘outstanding’ Ofsted outcome in just two years and is now a very popular, oversubscribed two-form entry community primary school.

She maintains strategic responsibility for Mere Green but her wider role now sees her responsible for school improvement and performance management across all primary schools within the group. Anna delivers training, leadership support and challenge to head teachers and leadership teams, as well as developing partnership-wide systems for assessment and portfolios of evidence.
Anna has an outstanding record of accomplishment as a school leader.

Neil Warner

Director of Education (Secondary)

Neil Warner is a National Leader of Education (NLE) who has made a significant contribution to the development of the ATLP. Under his dynamic leadership, the outstanding Arthur Terry School has improved year on year to maintain its enviable reputation as an excellent provider of education. Arthur Terry is consistently ranked the highest performing non-selective secondary school in Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham. As Executive Head Teacher, Neil maintains strategic responsibility for Arthur Terry School and now leads on school improvement and performance management across the ATLP secondary schools. Neil provides mentoring, support and challenge to head teachers and leadership teams, as well as developing partnership-wide systems for assessment and portfolios of evidence. Having co-led Arthur Terry with Richard Gill, Neil is able to provide expert support to ATLP’s CEO and other leaders to ensure that the partnership’s improvement strategy is both impactful and wide reaching.

Ria Farrell

Finance Manager

Ria has worked in finance for the education sector for 12 years and is a qualified member of the Association of Accounting (AAT). She was a Finance Assistant and Temporary Finance Manager at the University of Birmingham, before joining Arthur Terry School in 2013 as a Finance Assistant. Ria became ATLP Finance Manager in 2015 and supports ATLP schools with all aspects of finance, including training, troubleshooting, budget monitoring, audit and ensuring compliance. Current tasks include processing monthly VAT returns and salary journals, Sage support and ESFA Budget forecast and Budget Outturn returns.

Sue Pountney

Director of HR

A qualified Member of the CIPD, working in both strategic and operational HR for 27 years, Sue’s extensive career includes 18 years working as Operational HR Officer and Manager, then Employee Relations Adviser for Birmingham City Council. Experience includes all aspects of HR from structural re-organisations, TUPE transfers, and disciplinary cases to employment tribunal level, staff absence and well-being, employee relations, payroll and pensions administration. With a solution focused, pragmatic approach, Sue is now responsible for supporting leaders and staff with both strategic and operational HR and business associated matters, across all schools in the ATLP.

Sandra Martin

Director of HR

Sandra brings a vast amount of experience in business and education and has previously worked at Birmingham City Council and Stockland Green School as School Business Manager. Sandra leads on a number of operational business functions across the ATLP, working closely with school leaders and incorporating HR and payroll.

Michelle Doughty

Director of Operations and Estates

Michelle has worked for the ATLP since 2012 and has over a decade of experience in education and industry, in project management and procurement. Her specialisms include business strategy, project management, procurement and all aspects of estates, facilities and operations. Her diverse skills and knowledge, include experience in exams, data and cover management and as a Clerk to Governors. As a member of ATLP’s leadership team in the last five years, Michelle has led in key business areas and now leads the ATLP Operations and Estates teams across all schools.

Claire Swann

CEO PA

Claire is an experienced business professional who has successfully progressed her career through the ATLP. Her employment journey began with 13 years working at Lloyds Bank, London, in accounts and staff training new systems, followed by positions at Birmingham City Council. She has worked at Arthur Terry for over 10 years as a Lunchtime Supervisor, Receptionist and Personal Assistant, to interim CEO Sally Taylor and CEO Richard Gill. Her duties include managing the CEO’s diary and arranging meetings and appointments, organising events and conferences and handling all correspondence and calls.

Anna Newson

Head of PR & Communications

An NCTJ trained journalist, qualified to CIPR Member status, Anna brings 20 years of experience in press & PR to the ATLP team, including 15 years in education communications. Her career history includes working for newspapers, PR agencies and large organisations, including the press offices of two leading Midlands universities. Anna has worked with all major international news outlets and is responsible for managing all ATLP communications, including news and media relations; internal communications & newsletters; digital communications and social media; marketing; media monitoring and crisis and issues management.