Our work in West Yorkshire

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."

Simon is an experienced Primary teacher and senior leader, joining Tutor Trust in August 2022 to continue his passion for enhancing the educational opportunities of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

After completing his teacher training, Simon took a teaching role in a Leeds school facing some of the biggest barriers to learning in the country. He stayed in this position for eight years, developed as Head of Maths, and went on to join the school's senior leadership team. This gave him valuable experience helping pupils and schools within the Trust to close the attainment gap and improve progress for the most disadvantaged pupils.

He further developed as an educational leader by completing the Teaching Leaders fellow programme (at what is now the Ambition Institute) for talented educational leaders. Simon is excited to be a part of the Tutor Trust team and is determined to use his skills to help young people overcome barriers to learning and reach their maximum potential.

Becky first discovered Tutor Trust while at university and spent two years during her Linguistics degree as a part-time Secondary English tutor with us, working in many of our partner schools across Greater Manchester.

Becky re-joined our team as West Yorkshire Schools Coordinator in February 2023. She is thrilled to once again be working with Tutor Trust to help make a difference in the lives of young people in her hometown of Leeds.

Becky says: "Having the opportunity to support pupils with additional barriers to learning fuelled my passion for a more equitable, accessible, and holistic approach to education. I saw first-hand the impact that pupil-centred tuition can have on the confidence and attainment of pupils through tailored, individual support. As someone who is neurodivergent, this is incredibly important to me – every pupil learns differently, and it’s important for us to celebrate these differences and find new ways of doing things to make learning work for every child.

"It’s been wonderful to work full-time for a charity whose values so strongly align with my own. In September 2023, I became Chair of Tutor Trust’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Staff Group. As part of the group, I hope to develop my continuous learning about ED&I, and help make changes which place equity at the heart of everything we do."

Janet joined us in August 2023. Her background is in the education sector, where she worked for over 20 years as a teacher and teaching assistant. She has also worked in the charitable sector in various voluntary roles including wellbeing and admin.

Janet says: “I am excited to be able to support and enable the West Yorkshire team in delivering programmes which transcend socio-economic barriers and realise young people’s true potential. Tutor Trust is a warm and welcoming place to be, where we hold in common a desire to transform the futures of young people.”

Aaron worked as a part-time tutor for Tutor Trust whilst studying Geology at the University of Leeds. He fell in love with the style of work and, following completion of his degree in 2022, gave up his pursuit of all things crystallographic to dedicate himself to tutoring maths and science. In March 2023, Aaron joined our West Yorkshire Team as a Full-Time Tutor. Aaron has a keen eye for producing maths lessons focused on engaging and out-of-the-box teaching styles. He brings to the table an enthusiastic persona and deep subject knowledge, which he combines with a love of puzzles.

Aaron says: "I find that working for Tutor Trust allows me to access the fun side of the education industry: that is, working with all sorts of brilliant young people on a level where they have as much an impact on me, as I do (hopefully positively) on them. The work sits in this lovely vacuum sheltered from the drain of actual teaching and I can’t think of a job where I would have more fun."

Jo started tutoring with Tutor Trust in 2021, during her first year at the University of Manchester where she studied Linguistics and Social Anthropology. While tutoring in both Primary and Secondary schools across Greater Manchester, Jo’s love for tutoring and passion for educational equity continued to grow. In October 2023, Jo joined the West Yorkshire team as a Full-Time Tutor and is excited to be a part of the enrichment of young people’s lives through education.

Jo says: "I first started working for Tutor Trust as its mission is so close to my heart. Being able to give back to families and young people now is a huge full-circle moment for me. It’s rare that you get to work with so many like-minded people towards a mission that you truly believe in. I feel lucky and grateful to be a part of this journey with Tutor Trust."