Staff department Directors

Sarah Smith

Sarah came to the Diocese in February 2015 from her post as Executive Headteacher of St John’s CE Primary School in Sparkbrook, rated ‘outstanding‘ by Ofsted, which she led successfully for eleven years. A National Leader of Education, she has…

Sharon Bell

Sharon Bell joined Birmingham-based education and training charity Services For Education as Chief Executive in October 2019. Employing circa 220 staff, each year they teach music and provide performance opportunities to 32,000 children across Birmingham. In addition to music tuition,…

Laura Hackett

Laura is currently working as a HR Business Partner at Definitely HR Ltd where she provides specialist employee relations advice to schools and academies mainly across Birmingham and the surrounding areas. As part of her role, Laura provides support and…

Geoff Harley-Mason

Geoff brings to BDMAT experience in both the world of youth work and that of school governance. He works both as a mentor to church youth workers supporting them in their ministry to young people and as a learning mentor…

Olivia Jenkins

Olivia is a solicitor in the dispute and resolution team (DART) at Trowers and Hamlins LLP currently specialising in litigious construction matters. She is well versed in providing advice to corporate bodies / exec boards on the commercial running of…

Heidi Leung

Heidi currently works as a Senior Education Advisor for FFT Education Ltd, a leading non-profit independent provider of education data for schools in the UK.  In this nationwide role, she supports local authorities, Dioceses and Multi-Academy Trusts in the use…

Nigel Oram

Nigel is happily married and father of two young children. He is currently the head teacher of Harper Bell Seventh day-Adventist Primary, a unique one form entry school, serving children and the community in the heart on Birmingham. He was…

Nick Pilditch

Nick joined the BDMAT director team in June 2017 and comes from a business background; his expertise in that world is in business transformation and culture change. Nick is commercial trained and gained his MBA from Edinburgh Napier University in 2016.…

Revd Canon Barrie Scott

Barrie is the Deputy Director of Education for the Diocese of Birmingham.  He was previously Vicar of St John the Evangelist, Perry Barr between January 2015 and January 2023 (during which he had a part time secondment for two years…

Stuart Sewell

Stuart is a Chartered Accountant by training and a senior M&A adviser at one of the “Big 4” global accountancy firms.  He has an eMBA from Ecole Nationale de Ponts Et Chausees. He typically works with shareholders and corporate boards…