Andrew Morris - Chief Executive Officer

Andrew has 32 years experience in education having worked in large town primary schools. He began his teaching career at Harlescott Junior School in Shrewsbury, a large junior school with 384 children on roll at that time. He moved to Belvidere Primary School as Deputy Headteacher in 1996, before becoming Headteacher at Greenfields Primary School. During his eighteen years there he oversaw the development of its nursery school and an increase in pupils on roll from 283 to the 380 children on roll there now.

Andrew has worked closely with other local schools in his role as a Local Leader for Education. He co-created Severn Bridges Multi Academy Trust, which achieved academy trust status in March 2017, before becoming Executive Headteacher in September 2018. During this time he worked with the three new heads of school to support, mentor and coach them through their NPQH qualification. All three schools have now achieved a Good Ofsted rating under the new framework for inspection. He completed NPQEL in July 2020.

The MAT structure changed in September 2020 and Andrew became CEO. Andrew loves the opportunity to develop collaborative work both within the MAT and with neighbouring schools across the Local Authority, local trusts and independent schools. He is proud that MAT is an outward facing organisation always looking to improve its practice whilst working with others. He takes most pleasure from the Trust’s holistic approach to children's education, exemplified by the Darwin Values Award across the schools, ensuring the non-academic areas of school life are equally valued.

Steph Peters - Deputy Chief Executive Officer

Steph has over 25 years’ experience of working in a range of primary settings in Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire. Since 2011 she has had experience as a headteacher and executive headteacher, as well as wider experience leading school improvement beyond her own school. This has included working as a LA school improvement advisor and more recently as an advisor for schools in Telford. Steph also works as an Ofsted inspector and can bring her experience and the associated ongoing training from this role.

She is a highly motivated and experienced school leader who is looking forward to supporting the collaboration with all our academies and building on the excellent progress that Severn Bridges has made to date across our successful schools.

Steph is passionate about pupils all having opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills within all areas of life, as well as enhancing the inclusive practice within our schools to ensure all the needs of pupils are met to secure future success.

Clare Charlesworth-Jones -

Chief Finance Officer

Clare is a qualified accountant and member of the Chartered institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). She has over 25 years experience at a senior level in local government where she managed complex budgets, procurements and capital projects. Her career includes managing change, and providing and communicating expert financial information and advice to various stakeholders. 

Clare joined the Severn Bridges MAT in September 2019 as Trust Business Manager, before becoming Chief Finance Officer in September 2020. Clare is also a member of the Shropshire County Pension Fund Board.

Sara Thorpe - Trust Business Manager

After graduating from university in Birmingham with a Business Degree, Sara spent nearly twenty years working in public relations and marketing roles across both the private and public sector.

She moved into education in 2012 when she joined Sundorne Infant School and Nursery in Shrewsbury in the new post of School Business Manager. Sara gained a wealth of experience developing the role, working within finance, HR, operations and premises management and all aspects of school business management.

In 2020, Sara moved to Severn Bridges Multi Academy Trust as Trust Business Manager in the Central Team, working closely with the three schools within the Trust.

Rachel Etterley - HR and Governance Manager

Rachel graduated from Strathclyde University in Glasgow and joined the NHS as a HR Advisor in Dartford, Kent. She progressed her HR career working within a number of NHS Trusts within Kent and London, the largest of which employed over 8,000 staff. When she left the NHS in 2007 she was Deputy HR Director of Medway NHS Trust. Following a move to Shropshire and career break to bring up her children, Rachel joined Whitchurch Junior School as a School Business Manager, where she worked closely with the Headteacher, SLT and Site Manager to develop this new role within the school. Realising that SBMs were very isolated, Rachel, along with a colleague at nearby St. Peters School in Wem, set up a SBM Networking Group.

Shortly after Rachel joined Radbrook Primary School as SBM in 2016 it was announced that the school was developing a multi-academy trust with Greenfields and Mount Pleasant Primary Schools, so she worked closely with the then CEO and other SBMs to set up and develop Severn Bridges MAT. Since then, she has worked primarily for Radbrook but also in close contact with the other schools’ SBMs and the MAT central team.

Keen to return to her HR roots, Rachel started a new central team role as HR and Governance Manager in September 2023, following a restructure of the MAT’s operations and administrative services.

Janette Griffiths - Operations and Compliance Officer

Janette has more than 20 years’ experience of working in schools. She started her career in education working in a secondary school in Shrewsbury, during which time she gained the Certificate in School Business Management. Keen to develop her skills and knowledge, Janette moved to Mount Pleasant Primary School in 2011, to the post of School Business Manager. This was a new role within the school, which Janette fully developed during her 12 years there, gaining a wealth of knowledge and experience in the running of a primary school, from finance and HR to health and safety and safeguarding.

While at Mount Pleasant Primary School, Janette gained the IOSH Managing Safely qualification, which covers risk management health and safety and gives an understanding of the practical solutions required for a productive and safe workforce.

Following the MAT Central Team restructure, Janette jumped at the chance to put her skills and knowledge to use in the new role of Operations and Compliance Officer, where she now manages this important function across the three schools in the MAT.