Emma Cheetham: Trusting the process

As is our tradition, we end season 4 with a look back on our episode highlights from the people we were fortunate to interview this time. We discuss the role that the trust has played in supporting leadership development at all levels. Thank you for listening to season 4; join us in the Autumn for season 5 with a new line up of presenters.

In our final interview of the season, we reverse the roles and are joined by Alex Bottomley, our usual host, to talk us through his leadership journey and insights. Alex is Vice Principal for Teaching and Learning at Trinity Academy Halifax and has a wide range of experience in school-to-school support roles. We also see a podcast debut from Producer Tom and will we see a new winner on the end of season trophy?

Episode 7 sees us speak to Emma Cheetham who is Assistant Principal at Trinity Academy Grammar.She talks to us about her current role leading curriculum to drive achievement but also about the steps she took to get there. Emma gives great clarity on the important of process and following leaders who you trust.

For episode 6, we are joined by Caroline Hobson who is Curriculum Leader for Science and Associate Senior Leader: Curriculum in Alternative Provision at Trinity Academy Halifax.Caroline joined the profession after working in industry for more than a decade and is able to bring her insight of leadership between sectors to this highly informative conversation.

In this episode we are talking to Georgina Moore and Jennie Bickell who are both Senior Personal Progress Tutors at Trinity Sixth Form Academy in Halifax.This is really interesting to learn about the difference in motivating learners in the post-16 environment and how your leadership style has to change to deliver the same high standards. Our two guests are warm, passionate and driven about achieving the very best for their students - it is well worth a listen.

We were delighted to be joined by Louis Brown for episode four of this season. Louis is Curriculum Lead: Open at Trinity Academy Bradford and shares his insights into how to raise standards across multiple subjects whilst retaining disciplinary independence. It is fascinating to hear Louis describe his journey as a leader alongside the turnaround that has taken place at Trinity Academy Bradford.

Our third episode of season four sees the team interview Charlotte Gawthorp who is co-Head of School at Trinity Academy St Peter's.This is a brilliant insight into working together to lead a school and how alignment of vision makes collaboration successful.

For our second episode, we are joined by Emma O'Hanlon who is Key Stage Four Phase Leader at Trinity Academy Leeds. Emma is such an impressive communicator. She is deeply aligned with the mission that Trinity Academy Leeds was established to address and it shines through this podcast.It is fascinating to hear why it is so important to choose the right school for you at every stage of your career.

In our first episode of series 4 which was recorded live at Trinity Fest 2025, we were joined by Mark Allen who is the founding principal of Trinity Academy St Edwards.Mark shares his core values and describes how he put them into practice to build the first secondary school in Barnsley to be judged as 'outstanding' by Ofsted. It is a really powerful insight into how to build a successful school from scratch and how important it is to be guided by your w'hy'.

In our final episode of Series 3, the team reflect on the standout moments and lessons shared by our inspiring guests. Alex, Mike and Elaine explore the insights that stayed with them most, and what these conversations mean for leadership across our schools. It’s a powerful reminder of why the work we do matters - giving every child the very best chance to succeed. Thank you to all of our guests who joined us throughout the season. We’ve loved the conversations and the thinking they’ve sparked, and we’re already looking ahead to Season 4, which goes live May 2026!