Meet colleagues who have developed with us
We believe that career development is not just about progression, but about unlocking potential. Many of our staff have grown, advanced, and achieved new milestones with the support, training, and opportunities we provide. In this section, we are proud to share inspiring stories from colleagues whose journeys reflect how the trust invests in its people, helping them to thrive and shape brighter futures for themselves and our community.
Sabaa Hussain
ITT to Lead Coach
Sabaa started at Astrea Woodfields in 2022 as a Teach First trainee teacher, fresh faced out of university. In her own words; ‘I have developed as a teacher over the last 3 years, growing in confidence due to the supportive feedback and opportunities I have had.’ She got a role as Teach First mentor, supporting and leading the 8 Teach First trainees at our school. The success of her mentoring has led to Sabaa being appointed as a Lead Coach for the whole school.
Kirsten Middleton
ITT to Principal
Kirsten was a pupil at The Hill Primary Academy, before returning to complete her Nursery Nurse qualification and teacher training. She then taught across almost every year group, with much of her classroom career spent in Year 6. Alongside this, Kirsten has led a range of subjects, achieved her SENCO qualification, and progressing into leadership as Assistant Principal and Principal.
Ben Daly
NQT to Vice Principal
Ben began his career at St Ivo Academy, as an NQT in 2006. In 2010 he became Assistant Head of Year, moving to Head of Year in 2012. In 2019, Ben progressed into leadership as Assistant Principal. Ben became Vice Principal, overseeing behaviour and culture in 2023. He’s proud to have worked at St Ivo for so long, and to have been a part of the continued journey of improvement.
Louise Stanton
EYFS Lead to Principal
Louise began her career at Astrea as an EYFS Lead, quickly progressing to Assistant Head and then Head of School, before becoming Principal at Waverley Academy. Louise credits her career progression with the support she has received via the trust’s CPD programme, which she describes as having nurtured her leadership potential and deepened her educational expertise.
Jelena Chodnicka
ECT to Head of Department
Jelena started at Astrea Academy Netherwood as an ECT in July 2017, became KS3 Lead in January 2019. She moved to Astrea Dearne in June 2022 as Second in Dept, and became Head of Department in January 2024. She is very proud of the developments and achievements of the maths team and looks forward to driving continued improvement.
Learn about our application process here, or see our list of current vacancies.