Community First Academy Trust

Sue Darbyshire was the founding CEO of Community First Academy Trust. She began her teaching career in 1992 and has held leadership roles for over 20 years, including 17 years as a Headteacher or Executive Headteacher.

Sue was also the founder of the Westbridge Teaching School Alliance and Kingsbridge EIP SCITT, a provider of initial teacher training for both primary and secondary graduates across the North West. Sue is deeply committed to raising standards and ensuring that all pupils, staff, and trainee teachers have opportunities to excel.

Previously Sue successfully amalgamated two failing schools into a new primary school, leading it to achieve a ‘Good’ rating within 12 months and ‘Outstanding’ in its subsequent inspection. Her expertise lies in working with schools in disadvantaged areas and talent management at all levels.

Sue delivers middle and senior leadership training to primary and secondary colleagues at local, national, and international levels. She is a qualified coach and an NLP practitioner, with additional qualifications including the UCL MAT Leaders Programme and The Future Leaders Trust’s Executive Educators Programme. Sue also holds a Master’s degree in Educational Studies.

She continues to contribute strategically at a local authority level, serving on the Wigan Education Partnership Board, the System Leadership Group, and as a School Improvement Lead on the School Improvement Board.

Sue takes a strategic role in leading the Trust’s Initial Teacher Training (ITT) model following the DfE’s national re-accreditation process. She oversees all Kingsbridge EIP SCITT programmes, including the design and delivery of ITT and apprenticeship courses across multiple HUBs and sites. Sue works closely with partnership schools and leads a team of programme and subject tutors to offer a comprehensive range of courses, covering ITT curriculum, recruitment, training, and trainee assessment.

Craig Holden

Martin Haskayne 

Director of Behaviour Attendance Safeguarding and Inclusion 

Martin qualified as a teacher in 1990 and worked for 10 years in a school for children with Severe Learning Difficulties aged 2-19 years, where he was the coordinator for Design Technology and Information Technology across the school. In 1997, he became an instructor in the Team-Teach Physical Intervention system, introducing and implementing it within the school. Martin continues to be an instructor to this day.

In 2000, Martin was appointed to the newly formed Behaviour Support Team in Wigan. In 2005, he took up the post of National Training Manager for the Nurture Group Network, where he developed the ‘Theory and Practice of Nurture Groups’ training and the ‘Marjorie Boxall Quality Mark Award.’

Returning to Wigan in 2010 as a coordinator within the Targeted Education Support Service (TESS), Martin completed a Chartered Management Institute: Management Development Programme and the National Programme for Specialist Leaders of Education (NPSLBA) in 2011.

Martin joined Platt Bridge Community School in 2013, where he has held roles as Deputy Head, SENCo, Designated Safeguarding Lead, and Designated Teacher for Looked After Children. In addition to his school-based work, he supports training delivered within the SCITT and Teaching School and serves on the LA EHCP and ASC panels.

Martin successfully completed a Postgraduate Certificate in SEN at Edge Hill University in 2015. He is a Specialist Leader of Education for SEN and Inclusion.

Charlotte qualified as a teacher in 2010, at Edge Hill University and later completed an MA in Education whilst working at Platt Bridge Community School, enabling her to investigate and research pedagogical strategies within her own classroom that had the most impact on pupils’ progress. Charlotte's teaching career spans over 10 years: she has experience of teaching in all classes from EYFS to Y6, and has a passion for providing engaging, stimulating experiences for pupils across the curriculum to encourage them to develop a passion for learning whilst making effective progress. In addition, she has also led departments in KS1, LKS2 and UKS2 which has resulted in her having an excellent understanding of the different statutory assessment requirements at the end of each respective key stage and also the transition between curricula and children’s different start points. In her former role as Assistant Head, she has supported other members of staff through coaching, to reflect upon and develop their practice to become outstanding practitioners. She has also provided guidance for teaching staff from other settings through school to school support and in her role as an SLE. She has also facilitated a range of CPD both in the UK and internationally.

Charlotte's role as Director of Research and Development linked, allows her to explore new initiatives and innovative practices in order to maintain high expectations and maintain the school's strive for relentless improvement. She believes that it is essential that decisions in school are evidence informed and based upon research. Charlotte has engaged with National research projects as part of the ‘Closing the Gap’ study and the Wellcome Trust’s Neuroscience in Education studies and has developed, implemented and ran Randomised Control Trials (RCTs) with a focus on identifying best practice in retrieval practice, vocabulary and spelling. She works collaboratively with Blackpool Research School and multiple Teaching Scholl Hubs and partnerships.