Staff department Central staff

Raheem Webber

Raheem joined BDMAT in October 2023 and is an IT Technician Apprentice for the BDMAT schools. He is enjoying working with and learning about all aspects of IT from the rest of the team. When not at work you will…

Kailesh Gadaria

Kailesh joined BDMAT in December 2023 as part of a Level 3 Apprenticeship for an IT Technician. He is enjoying learning and undertaking a variety of IT tasks. Before joining BDMAT he was involved in a range of different job…

Helen Howlings

Helen joined BDMAT in April 2021 working at Christ Church C of E Secondary Academy as PA to the Headteacher. Helen progressed in her role to School Business Manager in August 2022 whilst completing her diploma in School Business Management.…

Simon Bentley

Simon took up post as Deputy Chief Executive Officer in July 2022.  In his role Simon acts as the Trust’s Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer.  Prior to joining BDMAT he was Regional Operations Director at E-Act for 3…

Samantha Cosgrove

Sam took up the post as Director for Education in September 2018. Prior to this she was Executive Head Teacher of the Barchelai Multi Academy Trust which was based in the south of Birmingham. The majority of the schools that…

Linda Gregory

Linda has over 30 years’ experience working in the education sector and joins us with over 5 years’ experience from a similar role in another Multi Academy Trust. She was also previously CEO of the Birmingham based charity University of…

Damian Booth

Damian began as Deputy Director for Education in February 2023. He took up his first headship of a CofE VA primary school in 2003 and since then has held the position of headteacher and/or Executive headteacher for six schools, at…

Khushboo Longhurst

Khushboo joined BDMAT as the Head of Data and Business Intelligence in June 2023. Prior to this she has spent the last 10 years working in similar data and performance roles at housing associations. She’s keen to support organisations to…

Lee Davis

Lee is now Head of Finance at BDMAT.  Prior to this, Lee was a School Finance Partner at BDMAT and had acted as the Chief Finance and Operations Officer for a short time.  Lee also worked within the trust at…

Michele Fullwood

Michele is now Head of School Support for BDMAT.  She was previously one of our School Finance Partners, having been seconded to the BDMAT finance team in January 2019.  Prior to this, she was the full time School Business Manager…

Austen Puleston

Austen has been the Head of IT for BDMAT since May 2020. For the previous 7 years, he ran an IT company providing support and consultancy for schools and multi-academy trusts in the West Midlands. Before his time in IT,…

Mark Roberts

Mark joined BDMAT in June 2020 as Head of Operations.  Prior to joining BDMAT, Mark had over twelve years’ experience in the secondary education sector, ten of which were spent working as the Business Manager of an 11 – 16…

Cern Diston

Cern joined BDMAT as an IT Technician in November 2022. Before starting at BDMAT he worked for Romero MAC as a level 3 into level 4 network apprentice. After completing his apprenticeship, he worked as an IT Technician before being…

Dorothy Quartey

Dorothy has recently moved back to Birmingham after living in London for 23 years. Whilst in London she worked for the BBC for 13 years in various departments and also for a Pharmaceutical in rare and ultrarare diseases and most…

Sheila Benbow

Sheila works part time as clerk to the BDMAT Board as well as providing administrative support to the central team having recently retired from her full time position as PA to the CEO. Previously Sheila taught in primary schools in…

Louise Darby

Louise took up the post of Key Stage 2 School Improvement Partner in September 2019.  Prior to this she was a senior teacher at St Michael’s Primary School, Bartley Green, where she taught for 15 years. Over the course of…

Tammy Smith

Tammy took up post as EYFS and KS1 School Improvement Partner in September 2019.  Prior to this, for the past 15 years Tammy has worked in Early Years and Key Stage One in Sandwell and Birmingham schools. She was the…

Vicki Broad

Vicki joined BDMAT as a School Finance Partner for the North Warwickshire Hub. For the last 16 years she has worked in the maintained Primary Education Sector as a Business Manager in Staffordshire and Birmingham. She has just finished her…

Elizabeth Paterson

Elizabeth joined BDMAT as a School Finance Partner in February 2022. For the last 7 years, Elizabeth has worked in the finance team in two schools, based in North Worcestershire and is a qualified Chartered Accountant. Prior to working in education,…

Jonny Waterworth

Jonny joined BDMAT as an IT Technician in July 2021, having worked in IT for over five years, four of which were spent supporting primary schools across Birmingham under the WHMAT. He also has IT experience within the logistics industry.…

Amber Willetts

Amber joined BDMAT Central Team as a School Finance Partner in August 2022, prior to this she worked at Quinton Church Primary School as an Admin Assistant in 2016 and became Office Manager in 2018. In her spare time she…

Amy Kiely

Amy joined BDMAT Central Team in August 2020 as payroll officer, she had previously worked for 10 years in accountancy practices and more recently spent nearly 3 in the finance department of a steel manufacturing firm. Amy lives in Stourbridge…

Justin Leslie

Justin joined BDMAT as an IT Technician in February 2022. Before joining BDMAT he worked for Kennet Equipment Leasing as an IT Administrator for 2 years, where he supported the sales teams with their IT enquires. He then moved to…

David Benbow

David joined BDMAT as a part-time IT assistant in August 2020 and since February 2021, is now a full time member of the BDMAT IT team. Before joining BDMAT he attended Hull University where he combined his twin passions for…

Bhupinder Leer

Bhupinder joined BDMAT in December 2022. After a year of studying accounting and finance at university, Bhupinder decided that university was not the path he wanted to take and chose instead an apprenticeship in finance. He is now studying for…