Introducing our Executive Team
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Chief Executive Officer
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Dr Nic Crossley has over 25 years’ experience in education which spans primary, secondary, mainstream and specialist provision and her research interests are in the factors which contribute to educational underachievement. She is committed to working with schools to enhance the learning experience for all vulnerable learners; however, her specialist interest areas are Autism and Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH). She has previous experience as a Consultant Principal to two Special Academies, as a School Inspector, and has written and led leadership development training for middle and senior leaders in Primary, Secondary and Special education in England, Wales and Jersey. She is the co-author of Inclusion: A Principled Guide for School Leaders, and Inclusion: A Principled Guide for Early Career Teachers, both published by Routledge, as part of the NASEN Spotlight series. She is currently a Council member for ASCL (Association of School and College Leaders), Vice Chair of the Ethics, Inclusion and Equalities Committee, and the national SEND representative. She is also a member of the Confederation of School Trusts (CST) Policy Advisory Group and co-founder of the MAT SEND Leaders Group. With a Masters in Educational Leadership and Management (MA), and a Masters in Practice-Based Educational Research (MEd), Nic is also an Honorary Teaching fellow at the Centre for Teacher Education at the University of Warwick, which was awarded in recognition of the contributions made to teacher education. She is currently a member of the Advisory Committee for the ERSC project 'Conceptualisations of Neurodiversity and barriers to Inclusive Pedagogy for Early Career Teachers (ConNECT)'. Nic is also nearing completion of an MBA, further strengthening her strategic and commercial understanding of organisations. This has enhanced her ability to apply evidence-based thinking and sound business decision-making to support sustainable growth and organisational success “Nic is one of a very small number of leaders whose impressive career provides a unique insight into the way schools manage and deliver SEND provision, which she leverages for the benefit of some of the most disadvantaged young people in our schools”. (Wiltshire Virtual Conference, December 2023) Recent Publications Articles
Crossley, N (2024) Ofsted Inspections: 8 Tips for Making Complaints (London, Times Educational Supplement) available at: https://shorturl.at/VrckJ Crossley, N (2024) Ten Questions with Nic Crossley (London, Times Educational Supplement) available at: https://shorturl.at/HuJ1Z Crossley, N (2023) National Careers Week: Six Ideas to Support Students with SEND into Work (London, Schools Week) available at: https://bit.ly/4046Qqo Crossley, N (2023) Why Wait until 2025 to Tackle the SEND Postcode Lottery (London, Times Educational Supplement) available at: https://bit.ly/3KvVmWV Crossley, N (2022) Children with SEND are Vulnerable – and the most exposed (London, Times Educational Supplement) available at: https://bit.ly/3YZyUuO Crossley, N (2021) Voices for Change (London, Association of School and College Leaders) available at: https://bit.ly/3at2Sk3 Crossley, N (2020) Closing the Opportunity Gap for Learners with SEND Beyond the Pandemic (London, Queen Street Group) Available at: https://rb.gy/2odeiu
Books:
Crossley, N and Hewitt, D (2025) Inclusion: A Principled Guide for Early Career Teachers (London, Routledge) available at: https://tinyurl.com/479nskz8 Crossley, N and Hewitt, D (2021) Inclusion: A Principled Guide for School Leaders (London, Routledge) available at: https://bit.ly/3oeqbbe Doctoral Research:
Crossley, N (2017) The Impact of Government Reform on Conceptualisations of Professionalism in Compulsory Education in England; Considering the National Standards of Excellence for Headteachers and the Teachers' Standards, through the Lens of Critical Discourse Analysis (University of Exeter) available at: https://tinyurl.com/mkck6y97 Contributions to Educational Inquiry: UK Parliament: House of Lords (May 2025) The Impact of the Autism Act (2009) Available at: https://shorturl.at/GTP8l UK Parliament: Public Services Committee (March 2024) The Transition from Education to Employment for Young Disabled People available at: https://shorturl.at/WWYZW UK Parliament: Education Select Committee (March 2023) Special Educational Needs (SEND): Oral Evidence into the SEND and AP Improvement Plan available at: https://shorturl.at/tLQ0u |
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Director of Governance and Operations
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Chris is an experienced organisational psychologist, executive leader, and governance professional who has worked across the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. He specialises in organisational transformation, leadership, and change, helping complex organisations improve performance, strengthen culture, and achieve sustainable outcomes. Before joining the education sector, Chris served as Chief Executive of a national not-for-profit organisation, leading policy development, stakeholder engagement, and advocacy. Throughout his career, he has held senior strategic and operational roles with responsibility for governance, risk management, compliance, assurance, and organisational effectiveness. Chris combines a strong understanding of organisational systems and human behaviour with a practical, evidence-informed approach to leadership. He is recognised for supporting organisations to navigate complexity, deliver improvement, and maintain a clear focus on purpose and public benefit. Alongside his professional role, Chris is committed to civic leadership and public service. He has served as a trustee of a large multi-academy trust and as a primary school governor. He is a Trustee of an exams body, OCN London and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. |
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Director of Education
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Jo has worked in the field of autism and SEND for over 25 years. Her career spans a range of senior leadership roles, including Principal, Executive Principal and Head of Educational Standards, with extensive experience across specialist day schools, residential schools and children's services. As Director of Education, Jo leads on educational quality across the Trust, supporting schools to deliver exceptional outcomes for autistic pupils. She oversees school improvement, quality assurance, curriculum development and teacher development, working closely with leaders and staff to continually raise standards and ensure that all pupils can access learning and thrive. She has led a range of strategic initiatives, including curriculum and assessment redesign, and is committed to evidence-informed practice and inclusive education. Jo is passionate about collaboration and works alongside school teams to support sustainable improvement. She has extensive experience in reviewing SEND provision, analysing performance data and translating research into effective classroom practice. A strong advocate for neurodiversity and autism-affirming approaches, she is committed to creating environments where every learner feels understood, valued and empowered to succeed. Jo holds a Master's degree in Special Educational Needs and has completed the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) and the National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership (NPQEL). She is currently undertaking a Professional Doctorate in Education at the University of East London, where her research explores autistic pupils' experiences of identity and ambition in education. Alongside her Trust role, Jo serves as a Trustee for Pioneer Education Trust and is part of the Ofsted Inspectorate. She is committed to bridging the gap between research and practice, empowering teachers as researchers, and contributing to the wider sector through professional networks, governance and quality assurance work that promotes inclusive, evidence-informed approaches to education. |
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Director of Safeguarding
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Nic Law is Director of Safeguarding at Liberty Academy Trust, having joined the Trust in 2022. With more than 20 years' experience in safeguarding leadership and over a decade as a Trust Safeguarding Lead, Nic has led safeguarding strategy and practice across four multi-academy trusts, supporting primary, secondary and specialist settings. As the Trust's strategic lead for Safeguarding, Attendance, Behaviour and Therapeutic Services, Nic provides executive leadership across these key areas, ensuring a cohesive and inclusive approach to supporting children, young people and their families. She is also the Trust's Parent Partnership Lead and is responsible for driving positive mental health initiatives and embedding trauma-informed approaches across the organisation. Widely recognised for her expertise in safeguarding and child protection, Nic is an Intermediate Team Teach Trainer and PREVENT Trainer, with extensive experience in developing whole-school approaches to safeguarding, attendance, behaviour, family support and mental health. Nic is a Steering Group Member for the National Association of Academy Safeguarding Advisors (NAASA) and serves on the National Editorial Panel for the Ineqe Safeguarding Group. She also co-produced the national Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) Professional Competency Framework, helping to shape professional standards for safeguarding leaders across the education sector. A former Specialist Leader of Education (SLE) for Safeguarding and Attendance, Nic has particular expertise in supporting vulnerable children and families, including young carers and those affected by substance misuse and mental health challenges. She has designed and delivered leadership development programmes for Designated Safeguarding Leads, Attendance Leads and Family Support Workers, and is a trained Parenting Practitioner. A regular keynote speaker and presenter at national conferences, Nic shares her expertise on safeguarding leadership, child protection, attendance, behaviour, mental health, and creating effective safeguarding cultures within schools and trusts. |
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Chief Finance Officer
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Lynn is a Chartered Accountant with over 20 years of experience in the education sector, spanning primary and secondary schools, further education colleges, and continuing professional development organisations. Throughout her career, she has developed extensive expertise in financial leadership, strategic planning, resource management, governance, compliance, and organisational improvement within complex educational environments. As Chief Financial Officer, Lynn brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Liberty Academy Trust, providing strategic oversight of the Trust's financial planning and sustainability. She is responsible for developing and delivering the Trust's finance strategy, ensuring that resources are deployed effectively to maximise educational outcomes and support the Trust's long-term growth and ambitions. Her approach combines strong financial stewardship with a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities facing the education sector. Lynn works closely with the CEO, Board of Trustees, and senior leaders to support informed decision-making, robust financial governance, risk management, and operational efficiency across the Trust. She has a strong track record of leading financial transformation, securing value for money, and implementing systems and processes that strengthen organisational resilience and accountability. Passionate about enabling high-quality education and support services, Lynn is committed to ensuring that every financial decision contributes to the Trust's mission of improving outcomes for autistic children and young people. Her collaborative leadership style, strategic insight, and dedication to continuous improvement play a key role in strengthening the organisation and supporting its vision for excellence, inclusion, and long-term sustainability. |
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Director of Digital Innovation
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Lisa Thompson is a senior education technology and data leader with over 20 years experience working with data, digital systems and organisational transformation across the commercial, policing and education sectors. Her expertise spans primary, secondary and specialist education, with experience ranging from school-based data management roles to senior leadership positions within large Multi-Academy Trusts. Throughout her career, Lisa has successfully led large-scale digital transformation programmes, enabling schools and trusts to make more effective use of data, technology and systems to drive improvement. She has extensive experience in strategic data management, business intelligence, systems implementation and digital innovation. In a previous Trust, she led the procurement, migration and implementation of a new Management Information System across 27 schools, delivering significant organisational change at scale. As Director of Digital Innovation for Liberty Academy Trust, Lisa provides strategic leadership for digital technology, data, cyber security and systems across the Trust. She has a strong track record of developing digital strategies that improve operational efficiency, strengthen decision-making and enhance educational outcomes. Lisa is well known across the education and edtech sectors and actively collaborates with peers across the country to share best practice and drive innovation. She is a member of the Confederation of School Trusts (CST) Data Network and is passionate about helping organisations harness data and technology to improve outcomes for pupils, staff and communities. |
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Head of Executive Services & EA to the CEO
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Harriet is an experienced executive support professional, with over 20 years of experience in both the education and legal sectors. Throughout her career, she has provided high-level support to senior leadership teams and C-suite executives in both the UK and internationally, as well as significant experience in managing teams of administrative professionals.
Her ability to coordinate complex organisational priorities and build effective support functions has enabled leaders to focus on strategic objectives and organisational growth.
As Executive Assistant to the CEO and Head of Executive Services, Harriet plays a pivotal role in supporting the Trust's executive leadership, organisational planning, and cross-Trust projects. She works closely with senior stakeholders to ensure the effective delivery of strategic initiatives, corporate communications, events and operational priorities across the Trust.
Harriet holds a degree in Applied Social Science, providing her with a strong understanding of people, organisations, and wider social factors that influence education and community services. Combined with her PRINCE2 Project Management qualification, this enables her to bring a structured, analytical and solutions-focused approach to managing projects, driving continuous improvement and supporting the Trust's vision to deliver an exceptional education for its children and young people. |
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