Meet our Central Team
Simon Taylor
CEO of the Three Rivers Learning Trust & Trustee
I am privileged to lead the Three Rivers Learning Trust, through a period of growth and development, since its formation in 2011. I have worked in education since 1985, initially as a history teacher, and then in senior leadership positions across three very different secondary schools. In 2007 I was appointed Headteacher at The King Edward VI School, Morpeth, one of the founding schools of the trust, and became Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in September 2018. As a National Leader of Education (NLE) I also work with a number of schools across the region, to support school improvement.
Mark Tait
Chief Operating Officer
I have been involved in education for the past 15 years although the first 20 years of my working life was in retail banking, managing teams and service delivery. My education experience has included administration in a secure children's home, marketing in a local authority early years team, business management at Abbeyfields First School, change management in the early life of Three Rivers and now the Chief Operating Officer of the Trust. I very much enjoy working with the great people we employ to continually improve the services the Trust provides to free up our educators to educate.
Dominique Flint
HR Manager
I have worked in the education sector for over 16 years across a range of schools. For the last 10 years, I have held the position of School Business Manager (SBM). The day to day duties of an SBM are varied, and no two days are the same. The SBM role is both challenging and demanding but extremely rewarding when I have been able to improve efficiencies through the effective management of the school's finances and resources.
I have recently been appointed to a new role within The Three Rivers Learning Trust as the Trust HR Manager and I am very much looking forward to this new challenge!
Mairi Gibson
School Business Manager
After initially working in administration for the Magistrates' Courts Service then progressing to a career in Recruitment and Customer Service Management and a spell living and working in Australia, I joined Abbeyfields First School in 2005.
Having begun on a temporary administration contract I progressed to School Business Management in 2010 and have never looked back. I relish the wide variety of experiences this role offers as part of a vibrant Trust with collaboration and teamwork central to everything I do. I feel extremely fortunate to work in such forward looking organisation which continually strives to improve alongside high calibre colleagues who challenge and innovate on a daily basis.
Sarah Charlton
School Business Manager
I have worked within an education environment for the past 28 years. Starting out in the Education Department of Northumberland County Council on a Youth Training Scheme, moving to the Northumberland Youth Service followed by working for a cluster of Children's Centres across south east Northumberland.
I have always worked in an office based role and have developed my skills over the years as a business professional, managing diverse teams and supporting service delivery. I have worked at The King Edward VI School for the past 4 years as the School Business Manager and I enjoy playing a part in supporting the education of young people. I also take pride in supporting the Trust's visions and values and enjoy my role within the Senior Leadership team.
Kate Simpson
Data Analyst
I have worked in education for over 20 years. For the last 8 years I have worked as Data Analyst for the Three Rivers Learning Trust. Prior to that I worked as Senior Performance Analyst for Northumberland County Council's Education department. I really enjoy working for the Trust and supporting our schools to use their data in the most efficient and effective way. My role also allows me to indulge in my love of spreadsheets!
Sharon Mungall
School Business Manager
I have worked in administration for the majority of my working life. I joined Abbeyfields First School in September 2009 as a Clerk, then progressed to School Business Support Officer in 2012. Following the joining of the Three Rivers, I became more involved in processes across the Trust.
I have recently been appointed School Business Manager at Stobhillgate First School, and I look forward to the challenges that my new role will bring and to making a positive contribution to the school and the Trust as a whole.
Maureen Donkin
School Business Manager
I am a fun, active person who lives life to the full and believes all children should be given opportunities to do the same. Having a background in logistics, procurement and finance, I started working in school as a casual administrator in 2002 and quickly developed a passion for supporting the education of young people.
Whilst working full time I continued my own education, completing a degree in business management and developing the SBM role as it evolved. I am proud to be part of an academy of schools who believe in supporting and encouraging the whole child. My passion for ensuring children have the right to be and feel safe has never diminished and I work hard every day knowing this is for the benefit of the children in my care.
Fiona Ewart
Governance Manager
I have worked within the education sector for the past 26 years, across all phases of education. My experience has included finance and business admin support within a university and high school, business management and academy conversion at a local middle school and for the past 8 years, school business management at Stobhillgate First School. I have also gained experience within governance over the past 16 years both as part of my work within schools and as Vice Chair of Governors at Bedlingtonshire Community High School.
I joined the Trust in 2020 as Governance Manager and am very much enjoying working with not only a great team of colleagues, but also a fantastic group of governance volunteers.
Danielle Armstrong
School Business Manager
I have always had a passion for working with children and am committed to ensuring they have the best possible opportunities, experiences and outcomes. I have demonstrated this within a variety of roles from running adventurous activities on school trips, teaching English as a foreign language in China to eventually finding my way into the education sector.
I began working in schools in 2014 as an administration apprentice and have been fortunate enough to develop my skills and knowledge through a number of school support and managerial roles, and now as the School Business Manager for Newminster and Chantry Middle School. I thoroughly enjoy the buzz of working in a school and the variety that comes with being in a fast-paced environment.
I take pride in working as part of The Three Rivers Learning Trust positively contributing to a greater vision; by supporting learning and educational performance we can encourage learners to believe there is no boundary to their achievements.
Karen Hirst
Management Accountant
A qualified accountant, with over 30 years experience both within Practice for Baker Tilly and working with small charities. In Practice, I specialised in audit, small business, VAT, payroll, management accounts, small limited companies and charities. In the last fifteen years, I have been working with small charities enabling them with accurate and timely financial information.
I believe that education is for life. I am very excited to be joining the Trust as one of its Management Accountants. The work at Three Rivers is both challenging and interesting and I look forward to working with the Finance Team and all Trust members.
