Central leadership

Discovery has formed a highly skilled and talented team that works alongside our school leaders to support their decision making and future planning processes.

Central leadership

Discovery was formed to provide the crucial support schools so desperately needed, by allowing leaders to focus on their core task of improving the outcomes and opportunities for all pupils and staff. Education has become a complex network of support services, which when well-planned and organised can support leaders to reduce barriers towards learning. Discovery’s main purpose is to provide a structure of support and a framework for innovation, where leaders feel supported and most of all empowered to make the choices needed for their pupils to succeed.

Partnering success

The central team provides a range of support to our schools in specialist areas such as financial planning and probity, strategic HR management, estates management and educational support services.  The team supports schools where needed, reducing bureaucracy in schools whilst ensuring comprehensive organisational leadership.

Primary leadership team

Meet the team

Paul Stone
Trust Leader
Chris Bruce
Deputy Trust Leader
David Briggs
Director of Primary Education
Louise Barber
Director of Operations
Steve Orton
Chief Finance & Operations Officer
Marie Bannatyne
Head of Governance
Nathan Odom
Director of Estates & Place Planning
Nathan Thirlby
Director of IT
Paula Hopkins
Senior Educational Psychologist & EPIC Service Lead
Melanie Carte
Senior Speech & Language Therapist & EPIC Service Lead
Zack Minton
Head of Safeguarding