Louise graduated with a degree in law and the LPC from Hull University and York College of Law in 1994.

After undertaking a PGCE at Sheffield University she has worked in the educational sector for over 30 years. She worked as a Deputy Headteacher in North London and has worked as an Ofsted inspector. She was a secondary educational lead for a high profile national Multi-Academy Trust. She has held the role of Principal and Executive Principal at large secondary schools in Bedfordshire and has overseen educational success and improvements across both the primary and the secondary sectors. She has experience of working as a CEO in East Anglia, ensuring all Trust schools improved to Good or better under her leadership.

Louise is a passionate advocate of the importance of education and safeguarding for all young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and has experience of working as a Trustee for an educational MAT in Hertfordshire.

Michelle Allbones is the Chief Finance and Operations Officer at Mowbray Education Trust, where she leads the strategic and operational functions that underpin the success of the Trust’s schools. With a focus on sustainable growth, financial integrity, and operational excellence, Michelle works closely with the CEO, Trustees, and school leaders to ensure that the Trust delivers outstanding educational outcomes through sound governance and efficient resource management.

Bringing 20+ years of senior leadership experience in finance and operations, 7 of which are in the Education sector, Michelle is responsible for overseeing strategic financial planning and reporting, estates and facilities management, procurement, and compliance across the Trust. Her leadership ensures that public funds are used effectively and transparently to support teaching and learning.

Prior to joining MET, Michelle held leadership roles in two previous multi academy trusts, as well as working as a finance professional in industry and public practice, where she developed a strong track record in strategic planning, change management, and cross-organisational collaboration.

Michelle is a qualified Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, and is passionate about using her skills and experience for supporting schools to thrive through strong operational foundations and values-driven leadership.

Michelle believes that strong back-office operations are vital to enabling teachers and school staff to focus on what matters most – putting children first and delivering excellent outcomes for children and young people.

Anna studied at Liverpool University before completing her teacher training in 2002.  She spent the first half of her career teaching in Manchester, progressing from secondary maths teacher to subject leadership before moving into senior leadership. With a passion for working in urban settings, Anna completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Urban Education.  Anna then relocated to Leicestershire and was Vice Principal at a school in Nottingham before leading secondary maths for a Multi-Academy Trust.  

Anna moved to Mowbray Education Trust as Maths Lead across the primary and secondary schools over five years ago and secured SLE status and became a PD Lead with the NCETM.  Her role has evolved in response to Trust priorities and now, as Executive Lead for People and Development, she oversees the professional development offer across the Trust from ITT and ECTs through to leadership and leads on recruitment and retention.  Anna has recently completed an MEd in School Based Leadership and Management and a Senior Leader Level 7 Apprenticeship. 

Anna is also a Visiting Fellow for Ambition Institute, facilitating on the NPQSL and ECF and is Chair of Governors for two local primary schools. 

Prior to becoming Governance and Compliance Director at Mowbray Education Trust, Chris ran Forrest Governance Ltd, which offered governor and trustee training and consultancy services to schools, trusts, and councils across the country. He has also chaired 2 Interim Executive Boards for special schools in the north-west of England, has been chair of trustees for a multi-academy trust, and chair of governors at 2 primary schools. He has also conducted numerous external reviews of governance for schools and trusts across the country, having served as a National Leader of Governance for the DfE for 7 years.

Chris brings a wealth of wider leadership experience to the role, having previously been a senior manager and head of workforce at large NHS trusts. He originally qualified as a chartered management accountant and worked for many years across a range of government departments in both management accounting and project management roles.

Chris leads and develops governance at all levels across the Trust and is company secretary. His role is to provide support, advice and guidance to Trustees and Governors and ensure there is clarity of roles, strong strategic leadership, and oversight of all schools, supporting trustees and governors to hold the trust to account. He is also responsible for ensuring the trust is compliant with DfE requirements, charity and company law, overseeing the review and approval of all trust policies.

Steph Cooke is the Deputy Chief Financial Officer at Mowbray Education Trust, where she works with Michelle and the finance team to manage the finance function to ensure the accuracy and compliance of the financial records. Steph and the finance team work with the school based teams to ensure they have an understanding of their budgets and are able to make the best financial decisions for the school.

Steph has worked in finance within the Education sector for 11 years and previous to this has several years finance and admin leadership experience within the logistics and manufacturing sectors.

Steph is a qualified Chartered Management Accountant.

Andrew Needham is the Estates Director for Mowbray Education Trust, leading in the strategic management, compliance, and development of the Trust’s estate across all schools. With a 22-year career in the British Army, Andrew brings a strong background in leadership, discipline, and operational planning to his role.

Following his military service, Andrew worked as Premises Officer at Brownlow Primary School, where he developed a solid foundation in school facilities management. He is also a committed On-Call Firefighter, further demonstrating his dedication to public service and community safety.

Andrew is passionate about creating safe, compliant, and well-maintained learning environments that support both staff and pupils, and is focused on driving continuous improvement across the Trust’s estate.

Bobby is our Trust IT Lead, bringing 20 years of IT experience to our schools. He joined us 13 years ago as a secondary school IT Technician after a five-year stint in the private sector. Since then, he has progressed to IT Manager and now leads the Trust’s IT strategy.

Bobby is passionate about keeping our environments cyber-secure and driving digital innovation to make learning engaging.

Off-duty, he is a die-hard Liverpool FC supporter – a fact his neighbours can readily attest to on match days!

Ella is the HR Manager for the Trust and leads the HR function across multiple sites, working closely with the Director of People and Partnerships to deliver HR strategies aligned with the Trust’s People Strategy. 

Ella is an experienced HR professional, with a background in school operations and a CIPD Level 5 qualification in Human Resources Management, Ella understands the unique needs of educational environments and is passionate about building supportive, collaborative workplaces where staff feel valued and empowered to thrive.