Paul Walker has been the CEO of the Trust since his appointment in January 2018. Paul has been the headteacher of several schools in Devon, many in challenging circumstances.  Previously he was the CEO of the small Genesis Trust, which merged with the First Federation in September 2017. Paul is a Local Leader of Education and has recently qualified as a Lead Inspector for Ofsted.  He has also served on the Devon Association of Primary Headteachers for many years; chairing the group for several years.

Angela has worked for the First Federation Trust since 2004 and has taught across early years, key stage 1 and key stage 2, becoming Head and Teaching of Learning at Aveton Gifford in 2016. Angela is a designated Specialist Leader of Education and has completed the NPQH qualification. Angela has been involved with Primary Excellence Teaching School since it’s designation in 2013, and took on the role of Director of Teaching School in September 2016. Alongside this, in November 2018, Angela started working with the Central Hub schools as Executive Head of Teaching and Learning. Angela is passionate about School Improvement, developing Teachers and building leadership capacity in aspiring leaders.

Claire has a Bachelor of Science (Psychology) 2:1 Honours Degree and a PGCE in Primary Education (English specialism). She was a Deputy Head for a number of years in Bath and North East Somerset before becoming Head of School at Sidmouth Primary, First Federation Trust, in 2016. Claire is the Trust Strategic Lead for English and supports academies within the Trust to develop and implement their school improvement plans.

Katherine has a BSc Hons degree in Sport Studies and Associated Psychology, a PGCE in Physical Education, a MA in Education; Professional Development and the NPQH qualification. She has held a number of senior leadership roles in schools in challenging circumstances, served as one of Her Majesty’s Inspector’s with Ofsted, worked independently as a school improvement advisor and more recently worked as a School Leadership and Effectiveness advisor with the local authority across all phases of education. She is passionate about inclusive education and equality of opportunity for all pupils. She has a real interest in curriculum development and educational research, particularly the impact this can have on raising the quality of provision for all pupils.

Mike joined the Trust in May 2024 as Director of Finance bringing with him over 20 years of experience. After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, Mike moved into the Healthcare sector and gained valuable multi-site finance experience in a number of roles and companies within both the commercial and NHS sectors. Mike then moved into Education, working for a large multi-academy Trust in London before relocating with his family to Devon. Mike is passionate about working with colleagues to maximise the impact of available funding and helping all pupils flourish.

Sarah has over 22 years School Administration experience and has been a Trust Business Manager within the Trust since June 2017.  Sarah oversees the business management of several schools within the Trust and has completed a Certificate in School Business Management.

Janine joined The First Federation in 2011 as the Administrator for Lady Seaward’s Primary School and progressed to Finance Assistant at Blackpool Primary School in 2015, before becoming a Trust Business Manager for South Hams a year later. For the past 2 years Janine has been a Trust Business Manager covering several schools within the trust; managing the Admin Teams and working closely with the Heads of Teaching and Learning.

Cheryl is a Trust Business Manager, overseeing everything non-educational within several schools in the Trust. She has a Diploma in School Business Management and has 13 years business management experience ranging from a small village school to a large inner city school with 540 on roll.

Alex joined us in the summer of 2022 as a Trust Business Manager. Her role covers several schools within the trust, mainly in the South Hams. Prior to joining the trust, Alex worked in further and higher education for eight years in administrative and project roles.

Liz has worked in primary education for 22 years. She is a former primary school teacher and has held a range of educational roles. Liz joined First Federation Trust in 2019 and worked as a school administrator and senior administrator before joining our team in May 2023 as a business manager.

Sarah has extensive experience in people & office management, HR, marketing, PR & financial administration, and has worked in the education sector since 2015. She joined First Federation Trust as a Trust Business Manager in 2024, and has a Diploma in School Business Management.

Isabelle has been the governance professional for the First Federation Trust since April 2009. As the First Federation grew and became a multi academy trust, Isabelle’s role has developed to include the role of company secretary as well as advising staff around policies and compliance.

Sam oversees the marketing and communications at the Trust and supports our family of schools with their marketing plans. Sam has worked in marketing and communications for over 15 years, with 10 years experience in non-profit sectors. Her experience spans the entire marketing mix including strategic planning and implementation, internal and external communications, targeting a wide range of audiences. Sam helps our schools raise awareness in their local communities through designing and implementing multichannel communication campaigns.

Carla has taught across all year groups and was the headteacher of a Plymouth primary school in 2019. She is a designated Specialist Leader of Education and was awarded Science Teacher of the Year in 2017 and awarded a lifetime fellowship to the Primary Science Teaching Trust. Carla has led and coached schools through the Primary Science Quality Mark and has delivered many research projects across schools. More recently she has worked as part of Plymouth City Council as an Education Improvement Partner. Carla is passionate about improving teaching and learning and supporting leaders to ensure the best possible outcomes for all learners.

Catherine Willcocks began her current role as School Improvement officer at The First Federation Trust in April 2025. She has been a headteacher for eight years, in two contrasting communities, and has previously held several leadership roles which include EYFS/KS1 Lead and Assistant Headteacher. With substantial experience in Early Years teaching, including two years of EYFS county moderation, alongside a further 20 years of teaching across the full primary age range, Catherine promotes great importance on a strong start to a child’s learning journey that prepares them for a future of opportunity. In more recent years Catherine has valued the opportunities she has had to work at a Trust level through school and Trust improvement foci. This successful work has supported Catherine to achieve the NPQ in Executive Leadership in 2024 whilst enjoying the collaborative relationships she has formed with both primary and secondary leadership colleagues. Catherine is passionate about her engagement with educational research and her successes in developing strong pedagogical principles in classrooms and learning settings, achieved through high quality and incremental coaching, leading to good or better outcomes for children. This passion is underpinned by her achieving the STEPLab coaching certificated qualification in 2024 and has enabled her to develop and champion great teachers, coaches and leaders at school and Trust level.