Executive Team

Chiquita has been Trust Lead (CEO) since 2018, initially combining this post with her substantive role as Headteacher of Cirencester Deer Park School until September 2022 when she moved into the executive position fulltime. With over 30 years of experience as a school leader, including 19 years as a Headteacher, Chiquita remains deeply committed to education and working collaboratively in the best interests of children, young people and school staff. She has a strong understanding of education developments and wealth of expertise relevant to trust development and school improvement. She is currently a member of the Schools’ Forum and the Gloucestershire Education Forum. She is also involved in regional academy trust networks. Until July 2023, Chiquita was the long serving Chair of the Partnership Board of the Gloucestershire Initial Teacher Education Partnership (GITEP) which secured a second ‘outstanding’ judgement from Ofsted in May 2023. Chiquita has been recognised as a National Leader in Education and trained as an Ofsted inspector. Since the early 2000s Chiquita has been a member of national steering groups, including Applied Learning (Specialist Schools and Academies Trust) and the DFE’s Leading Edge programme.

Claire Graham became Chief Executive Officer of Corinium Education Trust in January 2026, bringing a wealth of experience across primary, secondary, and special education. Over her distinguished career, Claire has held senior leadership roles including Headteacher, Executive Headteacher, and Director of School Improvement within a large multi-academy trust.

A locally recognised leader in education, Claire has driven significant school improvement, securing ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted inspection ratings across multiple settings. She also collaborates with the Department for Education as lead for the Southwest Sustainability Network, championing innovative approaches to environmental responsibility in schools.

Her commitment to partnership and system leadership has been evident throughout her career – from her early work as a Leading Teacher for the local authority to her role as a Local Leader of Education – reflecting a deep belief in collaboration as a catalyst for educational excellence.

Emma is a very experienced primary school headteacher. She currently supports other headteachers across the Trust and is committed to sharing good practice and working in partnership to find solutions to the challenges faced by all schools. Emma was appointed to the post of Headteacher at Kemble Primary School in September 2020, having previously joined the school as a part time teacher. Before relocating to the Cotswolds in 2016, Emma held the position of Headteacher at a large primary school located in London which under her leadership moved from ‘Requires Improvement’ to ‘Good’. Her teaching experience has been throughout the primary age range, but the Early Years Foundation Stage is her particular area of expertise. Emma believes passionately in preparing children for the next stage of their education, using a strong knowledge-rich curriculum, and in developing confident and responsible citizens for the future. She actively keeps up to date with current educational research and developments, as well as the Ofsted framework.

Libby initially took up her post for 2 days a week in April 2022 to ease the transition, before assuming the substantive role in September 2022. Libby previously worked in Worcestershire as Head of School and most recently held a senior post responsible for the Quality of Education at an Alternative Provision School where they recently moved from Requires Improvement’ and ‘Good’ in 2022. A specific area of expertise and interest is in improving teaching and learning and curriculum development and she holds the National SENCo Award having been a SENCo in a previous primary school. She also has extensive experience supporting schools across the region by providing additional leadership capacity and support in school improvement. In 2020, Libby wrote a research paper and recommendations for the local authority to further improve its high needs provision across the county. Libby is passionate about improving outcomes for all children by increasing life chances, opportunities and aspiration through educational excellence.

Esther is a highly experienced and strategic educational leader, appointed Headteacher at Deer Park Secondary School in September 2025. She brings over 20 years of experience in senior leadership, inclusive education, and school improvement, with a proven track record of raising attainment and building high-performing teams.

In her previous role as a senior school and trust leader in inner city Bristol, Esther has driven measurable improvements in curriculum, teaching and learning, inclusion and SEND provision – achieving well above average Progress 8 scores and securing Outstanding recognition from Ofsted and SIAMS. She has also made a significant impact across a Multi-Academy Trust, where she led trust-wide SEND strategy, secured substantial local authority funding, and worked in partnership with national leaders to embed inclusive practices across multiple schools.

Esther teaches Religious Studies and holds a Master’s degree in Islamic Studies. She has also completed the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH). She is particularly committed to embedding equity in every aspect of school life—from curriculum and culture to leadership and outcomes. A regular speaker at national SEND education conferences, she has contributed to professional curriculum networks and publications focused on inclusive and equitable practice.

Rebecca was appointed Headteacher of Down Ampney School in 2020, bringing with her a wealth of experience accrued from over two decades of teaching in Gloucestershire primary schools since 1997. Her dedication to education is evident through her impressive qualifications, which include the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH), the National SENCo qualification, a Post-graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership, a Level 5 Diploma in Trauma-Informed Practice, and certification as a Primary Computing Teacher.

Before stepping into her role as Headteacher, Rebecca worked across a dozen small schools as a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo), ensuring that the specific needs of the most vulnerable students were met effectively. Her passion for addressing the challenges faced by small schools is unwavering, and she is actively involved in the local small schools cluster group.

Working collaboratively within a trust to raise standards and support staff is a key aim for Rebecca. She has also taught in two other schools within the trust and served as a governor at Cirencester Deer Park School, focusing particularly on inclusion.

Rebecca genuinely embodies Down Ampney School’s vision of belonging, empowering and succeeding together, along with its core values of respect, trust, and courage.

Mike is an experienced accountant. He qualified in October 1995 and became a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants in April 2004.

Mike joined the Corinium Education Trust as Director of Finance in February 2025. He is responsible for all financial aspects of the Trust, including financial management and control, reporting, and compliance. He supports the Trust Leadership and management in all strategic matters and leads the central finance team.

Before joining the Trust, Mike worked in wide variety of industry sectors gaining valuable commercial experience as a Finance Director. He has worked closely with CEO’s and business owners in Gloucestershire helping companies understand and control their finances and assisting them with their strategy. He really enjoys working with different teams, understanding how their organisations and systems operate and looking for ways to improve them.

In his spare time, Mike is a Trustee, Treasurer, and Blood Biker for a local Blood Bike Charity which provides a free out of hours service to the NHS.

Helen has been a highly effective member of the leadership team at Cirencester Deer Park School since 2012. Helen is a very experienced Designated Safeguarding Lead, a role she continues at Cirencester Deer Park School. She ensures that the school places safeguarding central in all that they do and liaises closely with other DSLs across the Trust. As a result of her experience and expertise as a Safeguarding Lead, Helen has delivered training to other Safeguarding Leads as part of a course run by Gloucestershire Local Authority. Helen holds a Masters’ degree in Inclusive Education and a diploma in Anger Management. As an Advanced Skills Teacher, Helen previously worked with schools both in and outside of Gloucestershire. She was also a course leader for the Adfecto ‘Practise Matters’ course that ran for several years in Gloucestershire and supported the further professional development of several cohorts of teachers.

Liz is a dedicated and experienced strategic leader in education, with a proven track record in driving school improvement, managing change and raising pupil attainment. Since joining the leadership team at Cirencester Deer Park School in 2012, she has held various pivotal roles including Deputy Headteacher and, most recently, was seconded to the Corinium Education Trust’s School Improvement Lead (Secondary). Throughout her career, Liz has demonstrated a deep commitment to enhancing educational outcomes across a wide range of pupil groups. Her expertise lies in identifying and addressing gaps in attainment, implementing evidence-based strategies, and fostering an inclusive learning environment that supports all pupils in reaching their full potential. Liz is known for her collaborative leadership style, ability to inspire teams, and relentless focus on pupil success. She has contributed to training and research programmes locally and with the Education Endowment Foundation.