Our Trustees

Introducing Steve Williams, Chair of Trustees

Steve is chairperson of our trustee board and was previously Chair of Governors at Marland Fold School before it amalgamated with Park Dean and Hilltop School to form New Bridge School.

Steve has a wealth of experience with the Fire Service and is the spokesperson for Oldham on the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Board.

Steve is in full time employment working the early shift at YODEL in Shaw, part of the Littlewoods Shop Direct Group in Oldham.

Steve is also an active Labour Party Ward Councillor and very much enjoys his work in the Hollins and Limeside area, making a difference to the lives of local people through supporting community work, training and development and family days out.

“Being chair of trustees for the New Bridge Multi-Academy Trust is by far the greatest and most fulfilling part of my professional life.

At New Bridge, we have a can-do attitude to everything that we do and work at a fast and exciting pace to ensure that our children and young people have the very best opportunities.

None of what we do is about egos or a need for recognition. Our passion drives our ambition. Our driving principle of ensuring the very, very best educational offer for every one of our children and young people remains at the heart of what we do”

Steve Williams

The Trustees have established an overall framework for the governance of the Trust and they determine membership, terms of reference and procedures. Our Trustees play a vital role in holding all our schools to account and are responsible for:

establishing and steering the Trust’s clarity of purpose
overseeing effective governance and decision-making
scrutinising plans for growth or consolidation
ensuring the Trust is financially competent and has a sustainable budget
ensuring young people are making progress and gaining the best educational experience possible
putting effective leadership in place and holding the executive leadership to account
managing risk and ensuring the Trust is meeting all its statutory and legal responsibilities

The Trustees have a number of committees that are empowered to make decisions:

Pay Committee
Performance Committee
Finance Committee
Audit Committee
Complaints Committee
Appeals Committee

The Trustees meet twice every term and all internal management boards, committees and local governing bodies are required to report to them.

Our Trustees are:

Please click on the highlighted names below to find out more about our Trustees:

Steve Williams

Steve is chairperson of our trustee board and was previously Chair of Governors at Marland Fold School before it amalgamated with Park Dean and Hilltop School to form New Bridge School.

Steve has a wealth of experience with the Fire Service and is the spokesperson for Oldham on the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Board. Steve is in full time employment working the early shift at YODEL in Shaw, part of the Littlewoods Shop Direct Group in Oldham.

Clare John

Clare John is the CEO of the New Bridge Group & Multi Academy Trust.

"My journey in the field of education has been both rewarding and enlightening. Witnessing the transformative power of education first hand has strengthened my resolve to create an environment where each and every student can thrive, regardless of their abilities or challenges.

I am full of energy and enthusiasm for this role, fully aware of the responsibility that comes with it.

Together with our remarkable team across our many sites, I am committed to a continuation of the exceptional standards set by Graham and working collaboratively to Create Meaningful Futures for All.

It is my strong belief that every individual, regardless of their circumstances, deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential and I will strive to foster an inclusive and supportive environment where all students are empowered to develop academically, socially and emotionally."

Alison Nield

"I grew up in Chadderton, attending first Yew Tree Primary School and then the Hulme Grammar School for Girls. I worked for the NHS for many years before taking the decision to give up work to focus on my family. This also gave me the time to become a school governor, initially as a parent governor at New Bridge School, where my son was a student from 2007 to 2015.

During my time as a New Bridge governor I was involved in many exciting changes, including its conversion to an academy and subsequently a multi-academy trust, the development of Hollinwood Academy and the evolution of the New Bridge Group.

I am now delighted to be a member of the board of trustees of New Bridge Group. Being able to be involved at this level to help to enable all of our amazing young people achieve the very best they can is a genuine privilege. I am the Personnel Trustee and I sit on the Appeals Committee.

In my spare time I enjoy reading, cooking, walking and spending time with my family and our dog. I live in Chadderton with my husband and two children."

Margaret Ramsbottom

"I became a governor at New Bridge School following the amalgamation of Park Dean, Hilltop, and Marland Fold Schools. I was also Chair of Governors at Spring Brook School for over 15 years. I am now a Trustee of the MAT, a Safeguarding Trustee and I sit on the Pay Committee and the Disciplinary Committee.

For most of my working life I have been in Adult Education in Oldham where I taught young people with additional needs from time to time. I was Curriculum Manager for the Food, Fashion, Arts and Crafts curriculum. I also have been an assessor and moderator for an Awarding Body and in that capacity visited many schools, colleges and training centres.

Since retirement I have many hobbies, most of which are craft based and I love to learn new skills. I think I am a perpetual student!

My aim is that children are given every opportunity to reach their full potential whilst at school and at college, no matter what their starting point is and that they become valued citizens. I love to see the achievements of the young people from New Bridge Multi Academy Trust and take great pride in them."

Valerie Shaw

"I first became a governor over 20 years ago when my grandson’s teacher encouraged me to apply. I have worked with children and young people with severe behavioural problems and also fostered children, including one young lady who was with me for 12 years from being a little girl.

I ran my own catering business, ‘Something Special’, for 15 years and used to take in students to train them and assess them. After selling my business I was then asked to join Oldham College to continue this work, and I have qualifications in catering, business management, and teaching and assessing adults.

I am a leader in governance and was previously Vice Chair and then Chair of Governors at Hardman Fold School before it later became Spring Brook School. In 2016 the school joined the New Bridge MAT where I am now a Safeguarding Trustee.

I enjoy my role as Trustee; I have a lot of time for young people with more challenging needs after my personal experiences and I believe that they can reach their potential with the right support and understanding."

Toby Colbourne

Add text for Toby Colbourne.

Graham Quinn (Resigned September 2023)

Graham was the CEO of the New Bridge Group until September 2023.

Graham fervently believes that our young people should be given the skills and attributes to enable them to contribute and participate in their communities and society as a whole, and we work together to create appropriate and high quality individual pathways for all our young people.

Graham has spent over 25 years in the SEN field – he has previously been a headteacher, deputy and senior teacher in five other schools and this is his third headship. Graham is the chair of the Special Schools Academies Trust (SSAT) SEN headteachers’ steering group, a network representing the views of 450 special schools across the country. He is a National Leader of Education and plays a key role as chair of Special Schools’ Voice, a national organisation representing the views of special schools and working to influence educational thinking and policy at national level. He also advocated for young people with disabilities on the 2012 Olympic group.

Graham has experience of presenting at local, regional and national levels, particularly on raising aspirations, electronic solutions and 21st century schools. He has a passion that all young people should be able to progress and achieve within excellent, 21st century schools. From opening New Bridge School in 2005, Graham has been the driving force behind our vision to improve the outcomes and life chances for young people with additional needs in Oldham and beyond.

Graham has also previously held the position of the Accounting Officer for our Trust and a Business Trustee. Full details of our governance structure are available here.

Dr Janet Lord

Dr Janet Lord is Director of Education for the faculty of Health and Education at Manchester Metropolitan University.

After starting her career in finance and consultancy, she worked as a social sciences teacher and a lecturer in higher education for many years, specialising in education studies, teacher education and social sciences.

In 2016 she completed her doctorate in education at the University of Manchester. also has considerable experience in school governance and educational consultancy.

She sits on the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Education and Employment Board and she chairs the Halton Priority Education Investment Area Board.

Janet’s research and writing concern educational disadvantage, teacher identity and agency, communities of practice, digital pedagogies and initial teacher education.

There is one local governing body committee for each school within the Trust and each committee meets three times a year. Each local governing body committee is responsible for:

ensuring that all young people within their school have access to a high quality education provision in line with the shared mission and vision
monitoring the implementation of their school’s annual Development Plan, ensuring that it is delivering against agreed strategic and local objectives and moving the school and the Trust as a whole towards achieving and sustaining a regulatory judgement of outstanding in all areas
ensuring that the academic and well-being needs of their young people are being met effectively through the design and delivery of a broad and balanced curriculum which, through the use of personalised, developmental support, helps to maximise each individual’s success and enjoyment
ensuring all young people are safeguarded
working towards the Trust’s collective published admission number (PAN) being full.