Meet the Executive Team

Donna Coppack

Digital Marketing Specialist

I joined PACE Academy Trust in 2020 as the Digital Marketing Specialist. Prior to this I have held roles in a wide variety of sectors including education and investment banking. I developed my interest in social media whilst blogging during my extended maternity leave and later working for a social enterprise. I am a graduate of London Guildhall where I studied Communications and Audio Visual Production.

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Sally Dubben

English & Maths Lead

I joined Wattenden Primary School (now New Valley) as its Deputy Head Teacher, moving back into a school setting from a local authority role as a DfE consultant and maths advisory teacher. Since then, alongside class based teaching and leadership positions in my own school and on secondment, I have been an advanced skills teacher, NCETM specialist teacher of mathematics and TRG lead for Thames Maths Hub. These roles have enabled me to work across many diverse school settings and with a number of very talented and inspirational educationalists.

My passion is teaching and learning and I have a firm belief in every child’s right to a high quality, all-round education. I am committed to developing and strengthening the PACE Maths and English teams, and through curriculum development, CPD and collaborative working, to empowering all teaching staff to secure the best outcomes for the pupils of PACE Academy Trust.

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Jo Grinter

Head of Operations

As Head of Operations I lead operational functions across all five of our schools ranging from the management and development of our sites through to the HR policies for our staff- across all of our schools.

I joined the PACE Academy Trust in November 2018 following a varied career in the Civil Service working in leadership roles across policing, counter-terrorism and recruitment. I am motivated by the impact that high quality education can have on young lives and enjoy the tangible impact of working to deliver a public service. I am proud to be a governor at Stanford Primary School.

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Claire Murphy

Executive Head

I joined Keston Primary School as Head Teacher in 2009 having moved through a number of roles in a primary school in the north of the Croydon borough; these roles included; class teacher; maths and PHSE subject leader; Advanced Skilled Teacher supporting other schools in the borough; Deputy Head; and a secondment as acting head teacher to another Croydon School.

Over my time in teaching, I have recognised how collaborative working can be a catalyst for positive change; raising standards in teaching and learning and improving outcomes for the children. Therefore, having led Keston for nine years, I welcomed the opportunity to not only continue working with the children and staff Keston but also to extend my role to Chipstead Valley Primary and across the Trust as Executive Head.

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Mark Rosewell

Chief Executive

I have worked as Head Teacher since 1996, joining Chipstead Valley Primary School in 2000. During my time at the school, we achieved an Outstanding rating from Ofsted. We went on to build on this success by creating a multi-academy trust, of which I am immensely proud to be the Chief Executive.

I am passionate about our schools and the opportunity we have to provide an excellent education to all of the children in our care. Our schools serve communities across two London boroughs and we celebrate our diversity. Our approach across the Trust is characterised by collaboration rather than uniformity: I encourage our staff to be creative about how they think about and organise all aspects of school life and to share their successes.

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Linda Weight

Head of Finance

I am a qualified Chartered Accountant with over 30 years’ experience working in audit and SME companies. My career has extended across a number of sectors and has included leadership roles in finance and HR. I enjoy using my skills in the local community having been a treasurer of a local pre-school for a number of years and a governor of a local infant school for 8 years.

I joined PACE Academy Trust in 2015, one year after the Trust was formed. My role as Head of Finance and Chief Financial Officer is to support the Chief Executive and Headteachers and to lead the five schools in the Trust to ensure that the Trust’s finances comply with the requirements of the Academies Financial Handbook. I enjoy the challenges and variety that this role offers and am very proud to be working for PACE Academy Trust.

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