Our work in Greater Manchester

Sharon has more than two decades of experience in the education sector. A graduate of the Institute of Education at the University of London, she began her career by successfully coordinating the Effective Provision of Pre-school Education (EPPE) project in Inner London. This endeavour marked a significant milestone as the first major European longitudinal study of young children's development.

Early in her teaching journey, Sharon achieved the status of an Advanced Skills Teacher, opening doors to a role as a pedagogical mentor across schools in Bradford, Birmingham, and Manchester.

Sharon's leadership skillset led her to senior positions within Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) across the North of England. Here, she developed the effective use of the peer coaching model, with senior management teams across various educational settings.

During her tenure as a Link Tutor at Bradford College, Sharon nurtured and developed vital Initial Teacher Training school partnerships. Beyond this, she delivered presentations and training sessions on leadership to local education authorities. She joined us in July 2020 as the West Yorkshire Schools Partnership Manager and is now Strategic Partnerships Manager.

Sharon says: "I am proud to be part of an organisation that cares deeply about improving life chances for children and young people in our communities. Having the opportunity to build and nurture partnerships with local schools and educational institutions aimed at identifying and supporting students who might otherwise be left behind due to various barriers is incredibly rewarding. 

"My journey as a Schools Partnership Manager has solidified my belief in the power of education to transform lives and has given me a platform to contribute to a more equitable educational landscape."

Alex joined Tutor Trust as a tutor in 2017. After graduating from The University of Manchester in 2019, he joined the team full-time as School Coordinator, and became Manchester Primary Schools Manager in February 2021, before becoming Greater Manchester Partnerships Manager. Alex also serves as a governor at a local primary school which provides resourced provision for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Alex supports staff with wellbeing, literacy, and outreach within the community they serve.

Alex says: "During my time as a tutor, I worked with vulnerable learners who needed extra support to catch up on some lost learning. Being able to mentor them 1:1 was incredibly fulfilling and sparked my belief that Tutor Trust is an amazing agent for change within the city where I grew up. It’s this commitment to tackling educational inequality head-on that led me to join the team full-time. I enjoy belonging to a vibrant, inclusive, and passionate team of people, all connected by Tutor Trust’s mission. 

"Over the past four years, I’ve been able to play a part in Tutor Trust’s rapid growth and I’m excited to see how we continue to innovate and grow our presence within the communities we serve."

Jason first started working with us as a tutor in 2018 before working as a Tutoring Plus Full-Time Tutor, then as a Manchester Secondary Coordinator and most recently as Digital Communications Coordinator. He is also the editor of our very own podcast, Tutorcast.

Jason says: "Growing up in Greater Manchester, I was aware of the inequalities around me at school and was able to help counteract this when I took on a tuition assignment at my old primary school. Although I decided I didn’t want to teach in a classroom environment, I still enjoy working with young people and am glad to be able to help people from working-class backgrounds achieve their full potential. 

"Outside of work, I am a volunteer editor for a mediation charity. I also spend a lot of time in the studio practising guitar and am a bit of a photography enthusiast!"

Hannah joined Tutor Trust in May 2023 as a Manchester Primary Schools Coordinator. With a degree in Applied Performance (Community and Education) from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Hannah is passionate about equity and accessibility. Hannah has experience coordinating a team for a large charity and before working for Tutor Trust, worked in theatres and schools exploring creative arts with vulnerable adults and young people. 

Hannah says: "I enjoy bringing my knowledge, experience, and friendly Yorkshire accent into my role as Programme Coordinator. Outside of work, I love having little adventures every day, that usually involve good food and nature!"

Sammy joined Tutor Trust in the summer of 2021 as a Secondary English tutor whilst studying for her Master’s degree in Philosophy at the University of Manchester. A couple of weeks after she completed her degree, Sammy began working on a full-time tuition assignment at St Damian’s RC Science College, which was an incredibly fun and rewarding experience. She became a Primary Schools Coordinator in the Greater Manchester team. In February 2024, Sammy moved into the role of Project Lead within the Manchester Schools team, overseeing projects including Transition and Post-16. She is looking forward to playing an active role in diversifying our offer to reach even more children and young people in need of extra support. 

Sammy says: "I have always been passionate about playing a role in minimising educational inequalities. One of my favourite things about my role is the fact I am making a difference to the lives of many young people in my local community who otherwise wouldn’t have access to the extra support Tutor Trust provides. This makes the job extremely fulfilling, and I am proud to be a part of this amazing organisation. I also enjoy working alongside our tutors to help them settle into their roles and boost their engagement, through organising social events and facilitating drop-ins.

"When I’m not coordinating tuition, I enjoy watching football and I co-host my own FC Halifax Town podcast! I also love to read, and I’m currently on the Tutor Trust Book Club committee, where we organise monthly meetings with our fellow office bookworms."

Jessie joined The Tutor Trust as the Axiom Maths* lead and Programme Coordinator in December 2023, after working in education for five-plus years. Jessie studied Social Anthropology at the University of Manchester, learning about the socially embedded challenges people face globally. Following university she worked as a private tutor for primary students, a SEND support teacher and more recently spent three years at a Further Education Post-16 College as both a Safeguarding Practitioner and a School Liaison Coordinator.

Jessie’s focus throughout her career in education has been centred on removing the complex barriers to education young people may face, and providing a nurturing and patient environment to help young people thrive. She has a vested interest in supporting young people who are neurodiverse, as she has personally experienced the impact neurodiversity can have on one’s educational journey.

In her personal time, Jessie teaches Yoga, and loves outdoor activities like surfing, hiking and travelling.

She says: "I am excited to work with schools across Manchester to facilitate a person-centred, individualised approach to tutoring education and support vulnerable young people to thrive."

*Axiom Maths was originally MESME. A registered charity leading an exciting enrichment programme for high-attaining secondary school students to develop mathematical excellence, so they have a greater and richer range of future personal, employment and economic choices.​​​ You can read more about the programme here

After completing her BA in English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Manchester, Lola made the decision to move to South Korea to teach English. After two years working in local primary schools as the EAL teacher, Lola knew she wanted to further her career in education. She returned to the University of Manchester once again, to earn a PGCE in Primary Education. 

Her PGCE coincided with the height of the pandemic, an experience that made Lola realise that she wanted to focus her teaching on the pupils who needed it most, which led her to Tutor Trust. After working for a year as a part-time Primary tutor, Lola successfully applied for the position of Full-Time Tutor. Since then, she has been working in a range of Primary and Secondary schools across Greater Manchester.

Lola says: "Working for Tutor Trust has been a wonderful and rewarding experience! I was very nervous when I earnt my PGCE, as I knew, having worked in different classroom environments, that I wasn’t looking to become a teacher as such, but did want to continue to help young people to learn.

"Tutor Trust offered the perfect environment for me to work in my desired profession. It has been incredible working with so many different pupils to increase their knowledge and confidence!"