The Inspire Learning Partnership

Transforming lives. Building Futures.

Our Team

Trust Leadership Team

  • Claire Lowe
    Chief Executive Officer

    Claire Lowe

    With experience as Headteacher and Executive Headteacher of school federation and partnership models and now as CEO of a successful MAT, Claire Lowe offers both experience of excellence and empathy for the many changes and challenges facing school and system leaders today.

    Claire has a reputation for embedding a culture of deep reflection within and across schools and trusts and she is known for growing senior leaders across the region - extending far beyond her direct work supporting school and system improvement.

    Through extensive partnership work, Claire has been a pioneering force in championing women in leadership (including through WomenEd), research informed practice, evidence led decision making, mentoring new CEOs, demonstrating ethical leadership, innovating regional and national professional development networks and as a leadership coach and advisor. She also holds an MA(Ed) in Education Leadership and was recognised for her significant contribution to education through appointment as a Founding Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching. Claire has a deeply held passion for ensuring that every child is immersed in excellent education, and an infectious positive warmth that energises all those that she works with.

    Claire adores being a mum to two teenagers and has a sense of adventure and a passion for fitness, food and nutrition. She loves travelling in the UK and beyond, her favourite places being the Lake District and the Middle East after time spent living and teaching in Riyadh in the late 90s.

  • Phil Andrews
    Director of Finance

    Phil Andrews

    Phil joined ILP as Director of Finance in February 2020. His role is to manage the finance function across the Trust, ensuring that we have efficient processes and procedures in place. This includes advising staff and Trustees on all financial matters, completing various statutory financial returns and preparing and reporting on the Trust budget. Ultimately the aim is to maximise the resource that we have available to spend on raising the education outcomes for children.

    Phil is a CIMA qualified accountant and has spent nearly 30 years working in Education including roles at the University of Portsmouth and Highbury FE College. He spent a number of years working for Hampshire County Council (HCC) supporting schools in HCC and on the Isle of Wight with strategic financial management and more recently 3 years at the Access Group implementing financial software in a wide range of schools and Trusts across the southern half of the country.

    Phil loves being outdoors and enjoys long walks as well as playing golf, umpiring local league cricket or spending time with his family cheering on Portsmouth FC.

  • Amanda Johnston
    Director of Primary Education and Trust DSL

    Amanda Johnston

    With extensive school leadership experience as a Headteacher, Executive Headteacher, Director of Education and as the CEO of a small MAT, Amanda joined the Trust team in June 2022. She has worked across a range of primary and secondary schools in Hampshire, Surrey, Dorset and on the Isle of Wight. This has included planning and opening a brand-new primary school and leading it to its first successful Ofsted inspection, as well as transforming schools in challenging circumstances.
    Amanda is committed to ensuring that all pupils feel safe and secure to enable them to flourish in every respect. She has a passion for safeguarding and has delivered safeguarding training and undertaken safeguarding reviews and investigations in multiple schools, in addition to a national children's charity. She is a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching and a member of the National Association of Academy Safeguarding Advisors (NAASA) group.
    Amanda's leadership style is grounded in walking alongside others to mentor and develop them. She warmly encourages the selfless sharing of best practice and creating improvements that are outward facing and truly sustainable. Amanda is a coach on the National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership (NPQEL) programme, where her role is to develop participants to be able to lead change and improvement across a group of schools or within a multi-academy trust.
    In her free time, you might find Amanda walking through a forest or along a beach, whilst listening to 90's music or a podcast. She is also a keen swimmer and likes spending time playing board games with her family or sharing experiences with friends.

  • Tariq Sasso
    Executive Principal - Blackfield Primary School and Fawley Infant School

    Tariq Sasso

    Tariq has been part of the Trust since it began in 2014, initially as Deputy Head Teacher of Blackfield Primary School, before becoming the Principal of the School in 2018.

    Tariq leads a school which has capacity for over 540 children and has helped develop Blackfield's approach to 'Flipped and Blended Learning', through use of digital technology. Not only this, but he has also supported other schools with several other digital platforms which are currently being used across the Trust. Tariq is also a firm believer in staff development having seen numerous NQTs grow into leadership positions and sees the strength of the Trust in developing future leaders too,

    Tariq was himself an NQT at Blackfield Primary School, where he soon became Leader of New Technologies before becoming Year Leader and Deputy Head Teacher, then eventually becoming the Principal. With a background in sport, having studied Sports Science at Brunel University, Tariq is a champion for extra-curricular activities and has been a main figurehead for the Children's University initiative, which he aims to get all the schools in the Trust involved in in the future.

    When not at school, Tariq is with his young family, often jumping in muddy puddles or visiting the beach. He enjoys science-fiction stories, playing golf and he absolutely loves a game-of anything!

  • Hayley Clark
    Principal - St Monica Primary School

    Hayley Clark

    Hayley is a committed and reflective teacher who strongly believes that all children deserve the best education. She has a passion for Early Years and Key Stage One education and believes that they are the most important and fundamental years for instilling effective learning behaviours and equipping children with the essential foundational skills for all future learning. Hayley is particularly keen on developing early reading, phonics and writing skills. She also loves Art.

    Having started at Blackfield Primary School as an NQT, Hayley has worked across both key stages and has taken on various roles including Phase Leader before moving to Fawley Infant School in 2012 as Head of School. Whilst Hayley was Principal at Fawley Infant School she successfully created a culture of high expectation and challenge at the school where children 'learn to fly high'. She sees responsive teaching as key to improving outcomes for all. Hayley loves working with others and creating organised and simple systems of work. Hayley is currently the Principal of Hightown Primary School.

    Hayley was recently appointed as a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching for her contribution to the teaching profession and has also completed the National Award for SEN co-ordination.

    Outside of school, Hayley has a busy family life with two adorable young children. She loves every moment with her children, watching them play, learn and develop their own unique personalities.

Finance Team

Operations Team

HR and Governance Team

         

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