Our Area School Improvement Partners
Area School Improvement Partners:
Our Area School Improvement Partners (ASIPs) are a skilled, knowledgeable, and highly experienced team; each is responsible for leading school improvement for a specific area of schools within the Trust.
Our ASIPs work together as a team to secure the educational vision of the Trust by ensuring high standards of teaching & learning and improvements in each of our schools, together with a strong safeguarding culture.
Our ASIPs also realise and contribute to the overall educational direction of the Trust, each has a responsibility for a particular aspect of the Trust's work, such as Pupil Premium, coaching and mentoring, and equality & diversity.
Through inspirational leadership and strategic oversight of the performance of the schools in their area, our ASIPs aim to:
- Create a culture of high levels of professional standards
- Ensure a broad and balanced curriculum offer which reflects the Trust vision
- Enable appropriate assessment practice, monitoring and improvements, and direction to secure the highest possible achievements for all of our pupils
Our team of ASIPs is detailed below:
Patrina Begley
Area School Improvement Partner (Primary)
Area schools:
Our Lady of Hartley Catholic Primary School, Hartley
St John's Catholic Primary School, Gravesend
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Northfleet
Niall Fox
Area School Improvement Partner (Primary)
Area schools:
The Holy Catholic Primary School, Maidstone
More Park Catholic Primary School, West Malling
Niall worked as a deputy head in two London primary schools before joining the Trust as a Headteacher in 2015. He became an Executive Principal in 2018, working across two primary schools and then joined the school improvement team in 2023. Niall has over 17 years’ experience in senior leadership roles.
Lisa Huotari
Area School Improvement Partner (Primary)
Area schools:
Stella Maris Catholic Primary School, Folkestone
St Richard's Catholic Primary School, Ashford
St Simon of England Catholic Primary School, Ashford
St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, Ashford
Lisa was a teacher for many years, initially in London, before moving to Kent, teaching predominantly in the Early Years. Lisa gained experience across all the primary years and was an English Leader throughout her teaching time in Kent. Lisa has experience of a variety of leadership roles including being a Headteacher and Executive Principal across two KCSP primary schools. Both these schools have recently been graded as ‘Good’ by Ofsted and one has achieved an ‘Outstanding’ Catholic School Inspection judgement.
Lisa is married with four children of her own, and is passionate about every child receiving the best possible education - an education based on love and high aspirations for all. Lisa believes that working with children is a privilege and is proud to work for KCSP.
Vicki O'Halloran
Area School Improvement Partner (Primary)
Area schools:
St Gregory's Catholic Primary School, Margate
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Broadstairs
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Whitstable
After graduating in Law and German and spending five years working as a ESL instructor in Tokyo Japan, Vicki completed her PGCE at Canterbury Christ Church University in 2001. Vicki has worked in both primary and infant settings in east Kent. A secondment to work across two schools as SENCo in 2014 then inspired Vicki to begin her senior leadership journey. As a committed Catholic active in her home parish, Vicki was keen to move back into Catholic education and has not looked back since. After headship at a two-form primary in Whitstable, Vicki became an Executive Principal across three primary schools and then recently moved into the role of Area School Improvement Partner.
Vicki is passionate and uncompromising about the right of every single one of God’s children to have the very best start in life that we can provide them with, irrespective of their starting points or circumstances. Vicki lives in the seaside town of Margate with her husband and three teenage children.
Karen Riddell
Area School Improvement Partner (Primary)
Area schools:
St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, Hythe
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Aylesham
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Deal
Karen graduated with BA QTS degree from St Mary’s University, Twickenham, London in 1997. She was Headteacher of St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Deal, Kent, where she led the school for almost 6 years. In that time she led the school through an Ofsted and a Section 48 Inspection achieving a ‘Good and an ‘Outstanding’ judgement. Karen became Executive Headteacher in 2019 and began working at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Aylesham. She has previous experience in providing training for NQT’s and delivering the Every Lesson Counts Training in South East Kent.
Katharine Sexton
Area School Improvement Partner (Primary)
Area schools:
St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, Tunbridge Wells
St Benedict's Catholic Primary School, Chatham
St Margaret Clitherow Catholic Primary School, Tonbridge
St Thomas' Catholic Primary School, Sevenoaks
Kathy has been a Headteacher for 20 years across two primary schools in the Medway Local Authority. Kathy joined KCSP in November 2021 as an Executive Principal across the three Trust primary schools in the West Kent area before then becoming an ASIP in 2023. Whilst in Medway, Kathy was a Local Leader in Education. Kathy holds the NPQH, and is currently working towards her NPQEL and is an accredited coach with LLSE.
Sara Wakefield
Area School Improvement Partner (Primary)
Area schools:
St Edward's Catholic Primary School, Sheerness
St Peter's Catholic Primary School, Sittingbourne
Sara Wakefield is an experienced teacher, senior leader, Headteacher and Executive Headteacher. In 2020, Sara achieved the National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership (NPQEL). Sara has mentored several Headteachers in Kent who are new to their role.
Sara also worked for two London authorities in their school improvement teams. Sara is currently a serving Ofsted inspector.
