Trust Board
The Trust board is responsible for the operation of the trust.
It sets vision and strategy and is directly accountable for finance and standards and Trust-wide policy. The role of the Trust Board is reflected in the ’21 questions that every Multi-academy Trust should ask itself’ and ‘The Characteristics of Successful MATs’.
The MAT board will approve the Scheme of Delegation. The level of delegation will be proportionate to strength of the school in our ‘earned autonomy’ model.
The Trust Board manages the business of the academy trust and is the employer of staff who work in the trust.
Trustees
Helen Brown, Chair of Trustees
Helen has enjoyed a career of 36 years in Human Resources, including working in a large QUANGO regulatory body, local authority, NHS, charity status organisation and private industry. She is a former local business owner and now Head of Human Resources for a nationwide group of care homes in health and social care. She has worked in education for both a private school and local authority.
As a result she brings a significant amount of management and leadership experience, managing staff, finances and resources. Helen has been a school Governor since 2002, taking on a variety of roles and responsibilities during that time. She has been instrumental in the strategic governance and development of the schools within the Multi Academy Trust as a Non-Executive Director on a voluntary basis.
Ploughing her skills, knowledge and expertise back into the community (and her former school) has benefited not only the schools but her own continuous professional development.
Andy Wiles
Andy has worked as a manager of several large firms. He has travelled widely in his career, working overseas in China for large parts of his time with Electrium.
Andy has been a governor at Albany Academy for several years, chairing our finance committee. He has excellent staff management, HR, finance and strategic planning skills and experience. Since moving to Dublin to work for Facebook, Andy has become a member of the trust board, where he contributes a wealth of business experience.
Michelle Billington
Michelle Billington is a passionate, values-driven education professional with more than 25 years’ experience dedicated to improving outcomes for young people and strengthening the connection between education, employment, and community. A lifelong advocate for teaching and learning, Michelle is a qualified teacher, trained coach, published author, and active member of the Deeper Learning UK network, reflecting her commitment to innovative, evidence-based education practice.
Michelle spent 13 years as a member of a senior leadership team, holding responsibility for a broad range of strategic priorities, including personal development, entrepreneurship, and community engagement. She has held leadership and management roles across her career, including Head of Faculty for Business, IT, and Enterprise. Michelle also served as Chair of Governors for four years at a secondary school, gaining hands-on experience of strategic oversight, accountability, and governance. Throughout her leadership journey, she has focused on creating inclusive learning environments, embedding opportunities for personal growth, and preparing young people for successful futures beyond school.
In her current role with the Lancashire Careers Hub, Michelle works closely with schools, employers, and system leaders to drive whole-school improvement through high-quality careers education. As part of the wider Lancashire Skills and Employment Hub, she contributes to the region’s skills and economic regeneration agenda by aligning education provision with labour market needs and supporting schools to build meaningful employer engagement and clear pathways into further education, training, and employment.
Michelle is widely recognised for her strategic insight, collaborative leadership, and unwavering commitment to educational equity and opportunity. She brings a deep understanding of governance, policy, and partnership working, underpinned by extensive experience in delivering impactful programmes that connect education with the wider community and economy.
Michelle is excited to bring her expertise, energy, and passion to support the Trust’s strategic vision. She looks forward to working alongside fellow Trustees to champion high standards, inclusive practice, and transformative opportunities for all children and young people across the Trust, drawing on her experience as a coach, published author, former Chair of Governors, and member of national networks such as Deeper Learning UK.
Warren Ramsden
Warren’s career began with an apprenticeship with a local architects’ practice in Bolton in 1989. This was the first stepping stone to develop his career in design and construction management.
Warren studied part time to obtain a Bsc Hons Degree in Building Surveying in 1997 and secured a job at Bolton Council. He wrote building reports, managed budgets and produced procurement documentation and contract administrate on many complex and large refurbishment schemes over a large portfolio of different building and asset types including libraries, schools, shops, offices, housing and leisure, which led to further his career into project management.
Having gained over 35 years’ of experience in the construction industry, he currently works for Bolton at Home to deliver planned maintenance and refurbishment projects, supporting a wide range of housing and building service assets.
Andy Purcell
Andy is Executive Headteacher of St George’s Primary school, Chorley. Andy is an experienced primary school headteacher, Executive Headteacher of two schools and National Leader of Education. Andy has led St George’s for several years, and the school was judged outstanding in all areas in 2012.
Since then Andy has established Yarrow Valley Teaching School Alliance and built a strong community of local schools. He is vastly experienced in education and especially primary phase.
Paul Dyson-Knight
A former pupil at St Alban’s, Paul spent 16 years as a secondary science teacher and senior leader in two large split-site schools in East Lancashire. Paul joined the Lancashire School Improvement Service in 2001, successfully supporting the full range of secondary schools over a 20 year period in this role; working alongside teachers, school leaders and governors to achieve rapid improvement in schools causing concern through to those moving from good to outstanding, including maintained schools and academies (and including Albany Academy).
A member of cross-phase advisory teams specialising in Able Pupils and Assessment Support, Paul spent the last 12 years at LCC as the senior adviser responsible for over 80 secondary schools, and most recently also as the Head of Lancashire Governor Services. Paul retired from LCC in autumn 2021 and currently works as a school adviser for Athena Education Ltd.
Matthew Barr
Matthew has been working in the FE sector for over 20 years in a variety of roles. He has wealth of experience across a range of different subjects and functions, having managed curriculum areas covering many subjects and qualifications as well as cross college departments such as Student Services, Careers and Additional Learning Support.
In his current role as Assistant Principal for Vocational and Technical Education, he has strategic responsibility for the vocational curriculum including an oversight of the quality of teaching and learning, the student experience and outcomes, the pastoral and wider curriculum as well as implementation of new courses such as T Levels.
Philip Jones
Philip spent more than 35 years in the Ambulance Service, followed by the private sector and with local government.
He joined the Ambulance Service as a Cadet, then advanced through the service to become an instructor; one of the first paramedics; and progressed to be a senior ambulance officer.
He later set up his own company covering emergency planning, risk management, business continuity and first aid, then joined a private company and was involved in the development of new inflatable decontamination units and equipment designed for the emergency services and hospitals.
He has also worked at Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council and Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council as Head of Risk Management.
Now retired, Philip continues to give back to the community through his role as a Rotarian, which he has been doing for more than 40 years. Rotary gives him the opportunity to assist those in need, both locally and internationally, following the Rotary motto of ‘service above self’.
Alison Rothwell
A former Albany student, Alison has served as a Governor at Albany Academy for almost nine years and has chaired the Local Governing Committee since the formation of Albany Academy Trust. Her understanding of the school’s culture, values, and community ensures continuity and informed decision-making at a strategic level.
Alison also brings broader governance expertise, having served as a Trustee for a national youth organisation. Her current role as an elected Councillor for Adlington, where she is Deputy Mayor, and her previous tenure as a Councillor in a London borough have equipped her with skills in strategic planning, public accountability, and community engagement.
Professionally, Alison owns a digital strategy and communications agency, and has a background in national campaigns and stakeholder management through her work in Government communications at the Cabinet Office, the Home Office, HMRC and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority where she was head of Policy and Communications..