Meet the team

Sarah joined the Trust as Assistant Chief Finance Officer, bringing over 17 years of finance experience and a strong track record in financial leadership. She is a fully qualified accountant and a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

Sarah has extensive experience in financial planning, management reporting, cashflow forecasting, and audit management. She has supported all academies within the trust, producing management accounts, overseeing group cashflow, and playing a key role in the successful delivery of year-end audits.

As a member of the Central Executive Team, Sarah works closely with the Chief Executive, Chief Operating Officer, and central services colleagues to support the Trust’s strategic priorities. Her focus is on ensuring financial sustainability through robust budgeting, forecasting, and risk management, enabling schools to thrive in an increasingly complex educational landscape.

A collaborative and highly effective communicator, Sarah builds strong relationships with stakeholders at all levels and is committed to fostering professional, high-performing teams. She is passionate about ensuring that every financial decision supports the Trust’s core purpose: delivering the best possible outcomes for children and young people.

Amit Yadev serves as Chair of the Local Governing Board at Lady Jane Grey Academy, where he provides strategic leadership, support and constructive challenge to help ensure the best possible outcomes for pupils. Working closely with school leaders, governors and Raleigh Education Trust, he is committed to supporting the academy’s continued development and success.

Prior to becoming Chair, Amit led the Strategic Committee that oversaw the academy’s successful transition into Raleigh Education Trust and was an active member of both the Finance Committee and the Full Governing Board. He brings extensive experience in accounting, finance and banking, with expertise in financial management, governance, strategy and leadership.

Amit is passionate about ensuring that every child feels safe, valued and supported to achieve their full potential. He believes that education should not only deliver academic success but also nurture confidence, resilience, curiosity and a lifelong love of learning.

Prior to her role in the Central team, Jane was Principal of one of our mainstream academies: leading the school from Special Measures to a judgement of Outstanding for Leadership and Management within her six years in post. Jane has a skill for spotting and nurturing talent. She has demonstrated the importance of building a great team ethos, and an ability to motivate staff to work tirelessly for the benefit of the children in their care. This culture transformed standards and pupil outcomes sustainably, and Ambleside academy continues to go from strength to strength.

Jane has absolute belief in our Trust’s pupil cohort, and recognises that with the right provision and support, and excellent teaching, they can achieve well regardless of starting points.

Jane taught across the primary age range for 15 years before moving into a Local Authority consultancy role in the City of Nottingham. She was then recruited by the Primary National Strategies to be a regional consultant for literacy. She worked across the East and East Midlands, monitoring standards, and training and developing consultants and school leaders; before returning to school leadership herself in 2012. She has a strong knowledge of the primary curriculum, and is a literacy specialist.

Jane devises and leads staff development with clarity and pace, so teachers and support staff feel knowledgeable and confident in their delivery. Her current focus within our alternative academies is the development and improvement of curriculum provision, which enables pupils to connect and engage with independence and aspiration.

Although now semi-retired, Jane maintains her passion for ensuring our pupils receive an excellent quality of education. She brings valued experience and knowledge to our school improvement team.

Natalia joined Raleigh Education Trust in August as Finance Administrator, taking on a newly created role that strengthens the Trust’s growing finance team. Her responsibilities include processing invoices and BACS reports, while also reviewing processes to identify efficiencies and support the Trust as it continues to grow and welcome new schools.

Highly organised and proactive, Natalia enjoys bringing structure to her work and has quickly embraced learning new systems. She is excited about the opportunities ahead and looks forward to taking on additional responsibilities as part of the Trust’s journey.

Joining the education sector marks a complete career change for Natalia. Her background spans administration, finance, quality assurance and laboratory work, and she is largely self-taught in finance systems. She brings a wealth of experience, a strong eye for detail and a practical, can-do approach to her role. What she enjoys most about Raleigh is being part of a larger team and working alongside supportive colleagues who share a common purpose.

Natalia works part-time, which allows her to spend time caring for her many animals. A lifelong animal lover, she has a horse, four goats, two sheep and a dog, and previously raced huskies across the UK and Europe. Outside work, she enjoys walking, horse riding, socialising with friends and family, and taking spontaneous weekend breaks whenever the opportunity arises.

Her positivity, enthusiasm for learning and commitment to continuous improvement make her a valued member of the Raleigh team.