Trinity Sparke Sounds; An educational leadership podcast

As is our tradition, we end season 4 with a look back on our episode highlights from the people we were fortunate to interview this time.

We discuss the role that the trust has played in supporting leadership development at all levels.

Thank you for listening to season 4; join us in the Autumn for season 5 with a new line up of presenters.

In our final interview of the season, we reverse the roles and are joined by Alex Bottomley, our usual host, to talk us through his leadership journey and insights.

Alex is Vice Principal for Teaching and Learning at Trinity Academy Halifax and has a wide range of experience in school-to-school support roles.

We also see a podcast debut from Producer Tom and will we see a new winner on the end of season trophy?

Episode 7 sees us speak to Emma Cheetham who is Assistant Principal at Trinity Academy Grammar.

She talks to us about her current role leading curriculum to drive achievement but also about the steps she took to get there.

Emma gives great clarity on the important of process and following leaders who you trust.

For episode 6, we are joined by Caroline Hobson who is Curriculum Leader for Science and Associate Senior Leader: Curriculum in Alternative Provision at Trinity Academy Halifax.

Caroline joined the profession after working in industry for more than a decade and is able to bring her insight of leadership between sectors to this highly informative conversation.

In this episode we are talking to Georgina Moore and Jennie Bickell who are both Senior Personal Progress Tutors at Trinity Sixth Form Academy in Halifax.

This is really interesting to learn about the difference in motivating learners in the post-16 environment and how your leadership style has to change to deliver the same high standards.

Our two guests are warm, passionate and driven about achieving the very best for their students - it is well worth a listen.

We were delighted to be joined by Louis Brown for episode four of this season.

Louis is Curriculum Lead: Open at Trinity Academy Bradford and shares his insights into how to raise standards across multiple subjects whilst retaining disciplinary independence.

It is fascinating to hear Louis describe his journey as a leader alongside the turnaround that has taken place at Trinity Academy Bradford.

Our third episode of season four sees the team interview Charlotte Gawthorp who is co-Head of School at Trinity Academy St Peter's.

This is a brilliant insight into working together to lead a school and how alignment of vision makes collaboration successful.

For our second episode, we are joined by Emma O'Hanlon who is Key Stage Four Phase Leader at Trinity Academy Leeds.

Emma is such an impressive communicator. She is deeply aligned with the mission that Trinity Academy Leeds was established to address and it shines through this podcast.

It is fascinating to hear why it is so important to choose the right school for you at every stage of your career.

In our first episode of series 4 which was recorded live at Trinity Fest 2025, we were joined by Mark Allen who is the founding principal of Trinity Academy St Edwards.

Mark shares his core values and describes how he put them into practice to build the first secondary school in Barnsley to be judged as 'outstanding' by Ofsted.

It is a really powerful insight into how to build a successful school from scratch and how important it is to be guided by your w'hy'.

In our final episode of Series 3, the team reflect on the standout moments and lessons shared by our inspiring guests. Alex, Mike and Elaine explore the insights that stayed with them most, and what these conversations mean for leadership across our schools. It’s a powerful reminder of why the work we do matters - giving every child the very best chance to succeed.

Thank you to all of our guests who joined us throughout the season. We’ve loved the conversations and the thinking they’ve sparked, and we’re already looking ahead to Season 4...

Our young people are at the heart of it all

In the final interview of the season, we are interviewing Becky Stothers. Becky is the Head of Service at Trinity Academy Carlton Mill, a Tier 2 Alternative Provision. This is a heartwarming and inspiring discussion about the sector and how we can all support some of the most vulnerable children in the education system.

It truly is a fascinating insight into how alternative provision works and is sure to be of interest to anyone interested in working to end educational disadvantage.

This week's guest is Hannah Tufnell. Hannah is Vice Principal at Trinity Academy Halifax and has had a truly impressive career as a leader and teacher.

She tells the team about her journey in education from teaching out of specialism as a Teach First ambassador to moving to Trinity Academy Halifax to teach her specialist subject before joining the senior leadership team in the year of the pandemic.

Hannah's reflections are sure to interest all those who are looking to develop their leadership in different settings and to understand the importance of commitment and care.<...

This week, the team interview Chris Kimberley, the Principal of Trinity Academy Whitehill.

Chris tells us his journey as someone who joined education later in his career. You will find it really useful to hear from how he approached building up his knowledge and experience to enable him to progress in his career.

This week's episode is slightly different as our very own Mike Fitzsimons swaps his interviewers chair for the hot seat.

Mike tells us about his leadership journey that has led him to being the founding principal of Trinity Academy Sixth Form. His story is sure to resonate with leaders from all sectors and levels as he talks about the importance of integrity and humility to support leading successful organisations.

Shona Vallance is a founding member of staff at Trinity Academy St Edward’s. Hailing from Barnsley,

Shona shares her journey of helping to build an outstanding school in her hometown, reflecting on the leadership lessons she’s learned along the way and the passion that drives her professional curiosity.

We’re joined by Gemma Mitchell, Director of HR at Trinity Multi-Academy Trust. Gemma offers a fascinating look into the world of human resources, exploring how the profession supports leaders at every level of education and how to progress within HR.

She’s a fantastic guest, and you’ll hear her explain why becoming an expert in your role is essential before taking the next step.

Welcome to this week's episode. Today, we hear from Tom Taylor, principal at Trinity Academy Bradford, who takes on a journey through his career from being an early career teacher to leading a turnaround school.

We hear his advice on the importance of character and meaning what you say. He also shares insights into how he has managed different steps in his career and the importance of having a strong network.

To open season three, we were delighted to be joined by Lisa McIntosh. Lisa has an incredible story of leadership in many different contexts.

As an athlete, she was the last person to lead a Great Britain rugby league team to a series win over Australia; whilst in education, Lisa has worked with some of Wakefield's most vulnerable young people for more than 20 years.

Lisa has seen so much over her career and is the very deserving winner of a Pearson Teaching Award.

Welcome to the final episode of season 2. In this week's special season review our presenters reflect on their favorite interview, We explore some of the key themes to emerge from this season including; building a successful team, the importance of mission alignment and celebrating longevity within teaching and education.

A special thank you to all who have taken the time to share their journeys and take part in this season.

Join us as we look back on some of these key moments from season 2

Welcome to this week's episode. Today, we hear from Rob Marsh as he shares his career progression - from senior leadership to becoming an executive principal.

We explore the importance of teamwork, the value of culture, and the need to truly understand and support young people with the daily challenges they face.

Rob also shares his three key pieces of career advice and highlights the importance of becoming an expert in your field.

In the final round of the book title challenge, we have our final scores for this season.

In this episode, we sit down with Nikki as she unpacks her inspiring journey as an assistant principal. Nikki shares advice for new teachers and emphasizes the importance of knowing who you are—and equally, who you're not.

Nikki talks about her passion for continual improvement within the classroom and emphasizes the importance in the culture of supporting each other within the Trust.

With the book title challenge nearing completion can Elaine or Mike stop Alex this week from securing another win?

In this week's episode, Sue takes us through her early career journey as a curriculum leader and head of year. We hear about her time in pastoral support and her belief in the importance of pastoral support within education. We also hear about her passion for training the next generation of teachers and the importance of supporting trainee teachers.

In the book title challenge this week, after Mike's victory last week will Elaine stop Alex from making it 5 wins? Join us this week as we find out.

This week, we hear from Miranda Saville, who shares her career highlights and her path into teaching.

We explore the value of integrity, how going above and beyond makes a difference and why embracing change can be a good thing.

Miranda also reveals her three leadership lessons and explains the power of listening.

With Alex securing four wins, can Elaine or Mike win a round this week? Tune in to find out.

In this week's episode, we chat with Hannah Collins, Vice Principal at Trinity Academy Leeds.

Hannah talks about the privileges and challenges of building a new free school in Leeds.

Hannah also shares her insights on how dreaming big can transform students' lives for the better, her deep love of reading, and her belief in the power of words and stories to shape the future.

In other news, can Elaine or Mike stop Alex from making it 4 in a row this week?

Welcome back to week 3 of Sparke Sounds. This week we are joined by Oliver Alcock, Director of IT for Trinity MAT.

In this episode, we discuss Oliver's journey into IT and then into leadership.

Oliver shares his insights on the power of technology within education, the importance of building a strong team, and why being passionate about your work matters.

In round 3 of the book title challenge, can Alex make it 3 in a row?

This week, we're joined by Caroline Hamilton, who shares her fascinating career path.

From starting in finance to making the bold move into teaching, then returning full circle to the private sector, Caroline shares insights into leadership and the lessons learned along the way.

We'll also uncover her ultimate biscuit, explore the pride she feels in her work, and discover how White Rose Maths is changing the world with education outreach programmes.

And after last week's victory in the book title challenge, the big question remains: can Alex make it two wins in...

In a season-first live recording, we sit down with Charlie Johnson, Executive Principal who works across primary and secondary, discussing the early career choices he made and how they shaped his journey into his current role.

The panel grills Charlie on his love of ultra running and chocolate biscuits.

Following on from last season, we have the return of the book title challenge. Who will start season 2 with an early lead?

The Season One Special gives us a chance to hear from the panel about what they have taken from the interviews and the key threads of successful leadership.

The panel discuss what brought Anna into teaching after a career change and her journey from the classroom to headship at Trinity Academy Cathedral.

The panel discuss what leadership looks like in a Primary setting with the Principal of Trinity Academy St Peters.

Published author and English Curriculum Leader, Donal discusses his leadership ethos and the career choices that led him to the free school Trinity Academy Leeds.

Executive Principal Nick Robinson discusses his journey into the Trust, the career steps he took and the lessons he learnt along the way.

This week our panel meet a key middle leader at Trinity Academy Cathedral and published author about her role and her career choices she has made.

Michael Gosling, CEO, Trinity Multi-Academy Trust, shares his insights into leadership and his own career pathway.

Our panel interview a key member of the MAT Central team to find out how his career journey got him here.

Our panel interview a key member of the central MAT team to find out how his career journey got him here.

Our panel interview the Kate Wilson, Vice Principal at Trinity Academy Halifax about her career and the unexpected turn into SEND