Meet our Executive & Central Team (ID 1026)

• James Passmore
  Chief Executive Officer
  James Passmore

  James has over 25 years education experience and 20 as a leader. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Pickwick Academy Trust, previously the Director of Pickwick Learning Teaching School Alliance and the sub-regional lead for the Teaching School Council for Swindon, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. He is passionate about teaching and learning, and bringing people together effectively to improve outcomes for pupils.

• Emma Oldale
  Chief Finance & Operating Officer
  Emma Oldale

  Emma is the Chief Finance and Operating Officer (CFOO) for Pickwick Academy Trust. Having had a successful career in Finance, holding various roles including Management Accountant for a large commercial organisation, Emma moved to a role in Education in 2007 and now has 18 years of experience in the sector, including several years as an Academy School Business Manager. Her role oversees the work of the following areas of the organisation - Finance, HR, Premises, Health and Safety, IT and GDPR. She is passionate about supporting our school leaders, through the work of the Trust's Business team and alongside other members of the Executive Team, to ensure that all schools are safe and compliant and that all available funding is obtained and utilised in the best way to provide well-resourced places to work, teach and learn, both now and in the future, in order to provide all pupils with the education they deserve.

• Amy Tapscott
  Professional Development Director
  Amy Tapscott

  Amy Tapscott has particular responsibility for oversight of professional development and learning across the trust, supporting schools with curriculum development, trainee teachers and early career teachers as well as leadership development. She has been working in education for over 25 years, teaching in classes across KS1 and KS2 and more recently training SCITT trainee teachers.

• Julia Fountain
  Director of Education (North Wiltshire Hub)
  Julia Fountain

  Julia Fountain has enjoyed over 34 years in the teaching profession and has taught the whole of the primary age range, in a variety of settings, ranging from a small village school to larger town schools. She has over 26 years of school leadership and improvement experience and has been a Headteacher for 9 years. Her qualifications include the National Professional Qualification for Headship and Local Leader of Education. Her particular areas of expertise include teaching and learning, curriculum and assessment, including data analysis. She has had the role of Executive Headteacher since the Trust formed in September 2017, and became Director of Education for the North Wiltshire Hub in January 2024.

• Rebecca Bone
  Director of Education (South Wiltshire Hub)
  Rebecca Bone

  Rebecca Bone is the Director of Education for our South Wiltshire Hub of schools, and has overall responsibility for church school flourishing and our partnership with the Salisbury Diocesan Board of Education. Rebecca has enjoyed over 22 years in the teaching profession and has taught, and been part of the senior leadership team, in a variety of settings, ranging from small village schools to a large town school. Rebecca is passionate about teaching, learning and leadership.

  Rebecca has three children and enjoys spending her summer holidays backpacking and travelling together as a family.

• Ray Picton
  Director of Education (North Dorset Hub)
  Ray Picton

  Ray has been in the teaching profession for over 35 years. He has been a Nursery, FS2, KS1 and KS2 teacher, deputy headteacher, head teacher and now the Director of Education for Pickwick's North Dorset Hub. Ray also taught in a Special School for two years with an ASD focus. He has also been an early years adviser for Wiltshire for two years. Ray believes a collaborative approach to education is the only way to achieve lasting change in schools. He also believes that having an international dimension to the curriculum is vital in this globally connected world. He has taught in America and Japan and has also built lasting partnerships with schools in France, Belgium, China and Zambia.

• Mike Jones
  Head of Facilities
  Mike Jones

  Mike spent 32 years as a Police Officer with Wiltshire Police before retiring in 2012. Upon leaving the Police Service he started work with a maintenance company working in primary schools within North and West Wiltshire. This work involved all aspects of property maintenance and health and safety compliance. In 2017 he joined Queen's Crescent Primary School, supporting the Business Manager with premises and Health and Safety management. As Pickwick Academy Trust grew, Mike took on the role of Trust Facilities Manager working with the Business Director building a premises management and health and safety regime to ensure our schools are safe and secure for the delivery of education. He was appointed Head of Facilities in September 2023.

• Victoria Ladd
  Head of Finance
  Victoria Ladd

  Victoria is a qualified chartered accountant, with over 20 years of finance experience. She has worked as an auditor in practice and in various finance roles in the retail and telecommunications sectors. In 2020 she joined Pickwick Academy Trust as Finance Manager for Corsham Primary School and was subsequently appointed as the Trust's Head of Finance in September 2022. Victoria leads the schools finance teams in the work to provide financial stability and ensure best use of funds to improve outcomes for pupils.

• Alii McAloon
  Head of HR
  Alii McAloon

  Alii is the Head of HR at Pickwick Academy Trust, with 15 years' experience working in the public and education sector. Alii is responsible for developing, and overseeing, the delivery of a compliant and efficient HR service across Pickwick schools. She supports the Trust by working in partnership with leadership, managers and staff to embed best practice through HR policies and procedures.

• Sian Reed
  Head of Governance & Compliance
  Sian Reed

  Sian has responsibility for leading Governance and supporting the COO with GDPR compliance across the Trust, joining Pickwick in December 2024.

  Sian has been involved in Governance for over 20 years, firstly as a parent Governor in church school, then parent Governor in a specialist SEN School, taking the school through a successful Ofsted during her tenure as Chair. With a previous professional career in retail and private banking, Sian started working as a Governance Professional in 2012, with significant experience of change management within Governance, including change of status from VC to VA and federating two school boards.

  Sian also has 20 years experience of SEN education as a parent, thanks to her adult daughter who has significant physical and intellectual disabilities but who embraces the world with open arms.

• Louise Pitman-Jones
  Professional Development ITT & ECF Lead
  Louise Pitman-Jones

  Louise joined Pickwick Academy Trust in September 2024 and has been working in education for the last twenty years. She has taught across KS1 and KS2 and has held a wide range of middle and senior leadership positions during that time. In recent years, she has become involved in initial teacher training and early career teacher training.

  Louise works in the Professional Development Team with Amy and Sam, leading on our Initial Teacher Training partnership with OTT SCITT and supporting the Early Career Professional Development Programme.

• Samantha Rogers
  Professional Development & Executive Officer
  Samantha Rogers

  Sam joined the Pickwick Academy Trust team in November 2022 and has over 14 years administrative and project management experience, having worked as a Senior Account Manager at a trade, retail and brand communication design agency.

  Sam works with our Professional Development Director, Amy, across all aspects of the Early Career Professional Development Programme and supports with other professional development learning opportunities. Sam also provides our Executive team with administrative support.

• Sylwia Hulbert
  HR Recruitment Officer
  Sylwia Hulbert

  Sylwia is the HR Recruitment Officer at Pickwick Academy Trust, with 13 years' experience working in both the public and education sector. She is responsible for the day-to-day management of the recruitment process, which includes being the lead point of contact for applicants and recruiting managers. Sylwia supports the Trust by working in partnership with the schools, ensuring their recruitment needs are managed effectively and that the candidate journey is seamless.

Meet our Executive & Central Team (ID 1026)