Nigel Ashley

I have 19 years of leadership experience - first as headteacher of 2 schools achieving outstanding from Ofsted and more recently as CEO of Elevate MAT, which I set up in 2017. The Trust has grown to 12 schools with 2 more in the pipeline and an ambition to grow further. Elevate is a collection of town and rural, faith and non-faith primary schools. I am passionate about high-quality education with a relentless determination to improve outcomes for all. I believe the best way to achieve this is by advancing the academy agenda, in particular through growth in areas where there has been little take-up of academies to date. I am keen to explore ways to enable and empower smaller rural schools to achieve economies of scale whilst maintaining a focus on their particular needs. I have contributed strongly as a system-leader before, establishing North Star Teaching School (over 80 schools across North Yorkshire and beyond) and as an NLE for 7 years. I now want to use my experience to contribute more to key decisions at a regional level; as well as helping to shape the wider agenda on improving outcomes for all through a school-led system.