Meet our Team

Executive Team

• Maria Hamblin

  Chief Executive Officer

  Maria Hamblin is CEO of the Fierté Multi-Academy Trust. Maria is also a National Leader of Education, supporting school improvement nationwide. Following a career as a Sister in Intensive Care, she started teaching in 2009 and has held leadership roles for over five years including positions of Headteacher and Executive Headteacher. In leading a group of schools, Maria believes passionately in the power of working as one entity; advancing education for the public benefit with a shared moral and legal purpose. Maria continues to work with an external consultancy in supporting schools both at a primary and secondary level and is passionate that the Trust will continue to work with other Trusts in the region and beyond to ensure that Fierte remains an outward facing organisation, maximising every opportunity to collaborate and strengthen partnerships for the benefit of all.

• Tony Hand

  Vice-CEO

  Tony Hand is the Vice-CEO of the Fierté Multi-Academy Trust and a Trustee. He has spent over a quarter of a century in education and was formerly a Head Teacher of two schools including a large primary school for fifteen years. In addition, he has held two Executive Headships supporting schools during periods of turbulence and previously carried out the role of Local Leader of Education. Alongside colleagues, Tony set up the Tamworth Primary Consortium bringing Headteachers together to serve the best interests of children and families in the locality; he has also Chaired this organisation at various intervals. He fervently believes that school to school support and collaboration presents a unique opportunity to release and maximise the potential of all children whatever their needs or backgrounds. His desire to inspire all to excellence extends beyond children to include the staff, parents, governors and other stakeholders that form part of the extended Fierté family.

Central Support Team

• Linda Smith

  Trust Catering Manager

  Linda is the Catering Lead for the Fierté Multi-Academy Trust. Linda’s role plays various parts within our school families, but nothing gives her greater pleasure than seeing our children enjoying the food that our teams create in our social lunch hubs with a real friendly atmosphere, fresh local products and real crockery playing a big part of that. She is responsible for creating varied menus for our children complying to school nutritional standards and obesity plans whilst incorporating products to fit with allergy requirements, religious requirements and our children’s needs. As far as possible she looks to source local suppliers along with fresh local ingredients. Staff training is another key part of Linda’s role and she endeavours to ensure that we go above and beyond to cover all legal training required along with good staff development. Linda has worked within the school environment for twelve years and before that had several roles within the hospitality industry, this has given her a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge to which she now uses every day and the ability from that to be able to think outside the box when developing the catering experience.

• Sue Marriott

  Trust Finance Manager

  Sue Marriott works as part of the Central Support Team supporting all schools within the Fierté Multi-Academy Trust. Sue has 18 years’ experience of working in education having worked for the local education authority for a number of years supporting different schools across Staffordshire and more recently as Trust Business Manager at Dosthill Primary Academy in Tamworth. Sue has the CSBM and DSBM qualifications, which she attained as part of the National College development programme some years ago.

• Sharon Shilling

  Our Pride, Our Joy - Regional Manager

  Sharon Shilling is the Regional Manager for the Trust’s subsidiary company, Our Pride Our Joy Ltd. She manages the nurseries and care clubs associated with each of the Trust schools. Sharon worked at Dosthill Primary Academy teaching across both early years and Key Stage 1 classes for thirteen years but has worked in a wide range of early years settings throughout her career. She believes that early education should be child-led where, through provision that is safe, welcoming and inspiring, children can explore and discover following their own interests, making choices and developing the innate passion for learning that all children have.

• Ryan Byrne

  Technical & Data Compliance Manager

  Ryan's core responsibilities can be summarised as the development of IT and Data Protection policies, procedures and systems – underpinning these with clear rationales, ensuring alignment to relevant legislation and drawing upon industry best practice. With the important role technology plays in empowering educators, Ryan is tasked with delivering an effective, efficient and user-focused IT function. As part of this, he manages the IT support service provided by the Trust IT Technician alongside third-parties. Ryan entered the workforce in 2014 as a Teaching Assistant which instilled him with an understanding of and sympathy for learners' experiences. This allows Ryan to ensure technical proposals remain grounded by a learner-centric approach. For enquiries related to data protection, please contact Ryan via email (DPO@fierte.org).

• Emma Johnson

  HR Manager

  Emma Johnson is part of the Central Support Team, supporting all academies within the Fierté Multi-Academy Trust. Emma has twenty years’ experience of working within one of the academies, starting firstly as a volunteer and over the years to a full time school administrator. For the past seven years, the Central Support Team role has evolved and roles and responsibilities include Finance, HR, and Procurement negotiating best practice for the Trust.

• Samantha Middleton

  Finance Assistant

  Samantha Middleton works as part of the Central Support Team. Sam is our Finance Assistant, she assists our 9 school in the Trust and supports Our Pride Our Joy finance for Nursery's and Care Clubs. Liaising with Managers and Parents, Sam has had over 10 years experience in Administration and Customer Services.

• Ryan Gardner

  Trust IT Technician

  Ryan Gardner is the IT Technician for the Fierté Multi-Academy Trust. Ryan visits all schools across the Trust at least fortnightly to support with their IT queries, requirements and troubleshooting. Ryan began his career as a Teaching Assistant on a placement for 2 years before moving into Electrical Sales and Technical Support - gaining 5 years' experience in those roles. Ryan strives to provide the best possible experience of IT for learners and staff across our Trust.