Learning is everything

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Mike Foley - Chief Executive Officer of the Wessex Multi Academy Trust

Mike Foley

Chief Executive Officer

Chief Executive Officer of the Wessex Academy Trust – Mike Foley

Welcome to the Wessex Multi-Academy Trust.

You are probably interested in finding out about what we do and how we set about providing the best possible education for all young people attending one of our schools. Therefore, we have tried to give you a feel for what it means to be a learner in the Wessex MAT and to explain what is important to us.

Learning is at the heart of what we do – it is everything. We want to encourage a love of learning for life, and everyone involved in Wessex will play a part in making that happen. We want young people to learn from each other together a rich diversity of experiences; we provide a breadth of opportunities so they can find their own special skill or talent; we talk to them about ‘unlocking potential’ rather than ‘reaching potential’ because we don’t want young people to set any limit on what they can achieve.

We like the concept of working within a family of schools. We believe schools achieve most when they work together, sharing expertise and best practice. Everyone benefits – those that are receiving support and those providing it. Schools working together can achieve savings and efficiencies and maximise the use of specialist services. Staff have more opportunities for progression and development and the security of knowing that help is readily available. School improvement happens when you work as part of a larger team with the same values and ambition.

Thank you for your interest.


Our Values

We believe in the power of learning as a means to transform lives

We believe that every young person has a talent that can be nurtured through relentless optimism and striving for success

We believe that mutual respect is the foundation for good relationships and that we should act with care, concern and generosity towards each other

We believe learning for life is best provided in an inclusive environment where young people come together regardless of ability, background, culture, faith or beliefs

We believe that learners, families and communities are crucial partners in the quest for successful learning


Our Philosophy

To provide all our schools with the freedom to succeed whilst ensuring that each is fully accountable for its outcomes.

To prove that system-wide improvement is best achieved through collaboration, not competition.

To train, develop, recruit and retain the most outstanding staff in the belief that this is the way to achieve world-class standards in education.

To identify and develop outstanding governors and leaders and ensure succession planning in all our schools.

To make the best use of resources and provide high-quality support services that are personalized and tailored to each school’s needs.


Our Aims

Develop the concept of school-to-school support to bring about system-wide improvement

Provide opportunities for outstanding professional development which enable us to recruit and retain the best staff.

Deliver excellent support services that provide value for money

Continually search out and learn from good practice elsewhere.

Provide representation for our whole community.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion - Partnership Pledge


In our schools

We hold up a mirror in order to see the diverse faces and families before us, to think about where equity for each person is and to achieve their inclusion in all aspects of school life. We are aware of privilege and disadvantage throughout our schools.


In our partnership communities

We look through a window to grasp the potential for working together, to embrace each other's students, staff and ideas, and create the possibilities that lie therein.


In our world

We open the door to receive the real world in and to welcome the present. We listen, learn and observe hard; we send out diverse school life to inspire, to change, to model.

Our Team

Mike Foley, CEO

Mike Foley

Chief Executive Officer

Debbie Shutts, CFO

Debbie Shutts

Chief Financial Officer

Laura Cheney, Director of School Improvement

Laura Cheney

Exec Lead - School Improvement

Karen Weir, Company Secretary

Karen Weir

Exec Assistant

Saira Sawtell

Saira Sawtell

Exec Lead - Middle Schools/KS2 & KS3

Dave Diaz

Dave Diaz

Estates Manager

Mark Fenwick

Mark Fenwick

Director of IT

Robyn Symes, HR Manager

Robyn Symes

HR Manager

Kate Carter, Finance Manager

Kate Carter

Finance Manager

Ali Goff, Finance Officer

Ali Goff

Finance Officer

Sarah Jelly, Senior Finance Officer

Sarah Jelly

Senior Finance Officer

Nathan Sedgwick, Finance Assistant

Nathan Sedgwick

Finance Officer

Lisa Trim, Senior Finance Officer

Lisa Trim

Senior Finance Officer

Vicky Smyth, Governance Manager / MAT Clerk

Vicky Smyth

Governance Manager / Mat Clerk

Fiona Clulee, Business Support Officer

Fiona Clulee

Business Support Officer

Michelle Every, Business Support Officer

Michelle Every

Business Support Officer

Documents and Reports