Our leadership team : Oak Learning Partnership

James Franklin-Smith

James is our Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He has extensive leadership experience within schools and trusts, leading schools of all types. He has directly led on the transformation of several schools and led schools to results in the top 10% nationally. Alongside his trust work, James also supports schools and trusts outside of the Oak family and he is also an Ofsted inspector.

James has led Oak Learning Partnership through a significant period of growth and is passionate about providing an exceptional education for all. He believes there is no limit to what young people can achieve with the right support. He is keen to cultivate a culture where everyone feels welcome and valued, whether that be pupils, staff or wider families.

Claire Ferguson

Claire is our Chief Financial Officer. After qualifying as a chartered accountant, Claire spent 15 years working in industry before moving into education. She served as Chief Financial Officer at three other multi academy trusts before joining Oak Learning Partnership in October 2023.

Claire has led teams at school and trust level and has extensive experience of managing finance, HR, IT, estates, catering and administration. With expertise across primary, secondary and sixth form phases, Claire has experience of developing people, systems and financial and operational processes to support school and trust development strategies.

Orienne Langley-Sadler

Orienne is our Executive Director of Education. She has 28 years of experience, during which time she has worked across all phases of education, fulfilling a range of teaching, leadership, and consulting roles.

Her dedication lies in enabling individuals to reach their full potential, regardless of any obstacles they may face. She is deeply committed to assisting the most vulnerable individuals and is resolute in her efforts to impact the lives of young people positively, firmly believing that education serves as the cornerstone for unlocking each person's unique contribution to the world.

Jo Grundy

Jo is our trust primary lead and a a highly experienced and passionate headteacher with over 17 years of school leadership experience. Since Easter 2023, she has been leading Unsworth Primary School, where she brings a deeply inclusive, child-centred and ambitious approach to education.

Previously, Jo led an outstanding school for six years, achieving excellent outcomes for its pupils. She has a profound understanding of what makes primary schools thrive and the system leadership required to sustain excellence. Her expertise extends across the sector, having worked as a specialist leader in education (SLE) for maths and assessment, supporting schools across Bolton.

Jo is a qualified SENDCo and a trained neuro-linguistic programming practitioner. She uses her coaching skills to empower staff teams, foster collaboration and drive continuous improvement. Her passion lies in high-quality teaching and learning. She is committed to delivering a broad and balanced curriculum that inspires curiosity, builds meaningful memories and prepares children for life in the 21st century.

Rebecca Carney

Rebecca is our Director of Safeguarding. Before entering education, she worked for the NHS in the Children’s Community Division. She holds a social work registration and has extensive experience of multi-disciplinary working. Rebecca is deeply committed to supporting our colleagues and extended partners in ensuring that we go beyond our statutory duties in keeping children safe, to build school communities where all staff are well informed and feel empowered to take action, and where children feel safe, supported and have the opportunity to thrive.

Jamie Cross

Jamie is our Director of Maths and is an experienced mathematics educator with nearly 25 years in the classroom. He has held a range of leadership roles within maths departments and served on the Senior Leadership Team at Blackburn Central High School. As a Specialist Leader of Education (SLE), Jamie focuses on curriculum development and teaching and learning. For the past decade, he has worked closely with the NCETM through various Maths Hub projects, supporting schools to improve maths education across the region.

Paul Kellet

Paul is our Director of English and a highly experienced English educator with over 20 years in the classroom. He has held a range of leadership roles, including Head of English and Assistant Headteacher at Philips High School, where he led on Quality of Education. Paul’s leadership experience spans curriculum development, teaching and learning, literacy and CPD. He is committed to building collaborative approaches across schools and supporting departments to raise achievement and strengthen subject expertise. Paul holds a Masters in Education, the NPQSL, and brings a research-informed, practical approach to trust-wide English improvement.

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