Our Central Team (ID 1176)

• Andrew Dawson
  CEO
  Andrew Dawson

  Before I was appointed CEO, I was Headteacher at St Mary's Catholic High School, Wigan. I began teaching at Alsager School in Cheshire, was promoted to Head of Politics after a year and after a further two years became Head of History at Henbury High School in Macclesfield. I joined St Mary's Catholic High School in Leigh in 1997.

  The school serves around 1600 students, making it the biggest school in Wigan Local Authority and the Archdiocese of Liverpool. I started as Head of History and was headteacher since 2012. I have a Masters Degree in Leadership and Management.

  I have completed the NPQH and became an SLE for curriculum organisation. I have led a cluster of schools to form a Catholic Schools Direct programme and was the chair of the Local Authority Heads' Association for 3 years.

• Dennis Jones
  Lead for Catholic Life (secondment)
  Dennis Jones

  I have been a Lay Chaplain since 2002, working across four different High Schools in two different dioceses. I am currently at Christ the King Catholic High School in Southport and seconded to the Pope Francis CMAT to lead on Chaplaincy across the Trust. I am part of the co-ordinating team for Chaplains across the Archdiocese and have previously been part of the national Chaplains' representation at the Bishop's Conference of England and Wales. Chaplaincy is a vital part of Catholic education, bringing opportunities for all in our communities to experience life to the full.

  A vital part of Chaplaincy is the training of staff and the formation of pupils. I support primary and secondary schools with Collective Worship, leading INSET on Catholic education and life, assembly provision, and preparation for Catholic School Inspections (CSI) as well as working with primary schools on their transition programmes and supporting and leading liturgical events.

  Alongside my Chaplaincy role, I am currently in formation for the Permanent Diaconate for the Archdiocese of Liverpool. I lead the Lourdes Youth Pilgrimage and have a lot of experience organizing and leading retreats and pilgrimages locally and internationally. I am passionate about Catholic education and Chaplaincy and the opportunities that we have to make a positive and lasting impact on people and communities.

• Jeremy Barnes
  Director of Primary (secondment)
  Jeremy Barnes

  After eleven years as a teacher and deputy headteacher in a primary school in St Helens, I served for four years as headteacher of a small semi-rural school in Lancashire which went from serious weaknesses to good in three years.

  I then became the headteacher of All Saints Catholic Primary School in Anfield where I have now been for 17 years, serving pupils and families in one of England's most deprived communities. I oversaw the amalgamation of junior and infant schools, after which the school's rapid improvements saw it graded outstanding by Ofsted in 2015. The school is a mainstream school but with a very high proportion of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, now over 30% of all pupils.

  This includes a provision for 36 pupils with severe learning difficulties. I am also the Centre Head of the Anfield Children's Centre, serving families throughout the local area. From 2015 – 2017, I was executive headteacher at another primary school in Liverpool, helping to improve the school from special measures to good in quick time.

  I am a consultant for the Education Development Trust and have inspected and supported schools across the world, including in UAE, Qatar, Thailand and Morocco. I also worked for Ofsted as a lead and team inspector from 2011 until 2022. In 2018, as part of a six-month sabbatical, I set up a community interest company which supported the education of sighted and visually impaired pupils in Sierra Leone, highlighting my ongoing interest in education around the world.

• Daniel Hennessy
  CFOO
  Daniel Hennessy

  Daniel Hennessy is an accomplished CFO with over 25 years of leadership experience in both the public and private sectors. Throughout his career, he has provided consultancy services to a range of clients, including Multi Academy Trusts, Central Government Bodies such as the Department for Education (DfE) and Local Authorities Barnsley MBC and Halton MBC.

  Notably, Dan has played a pivotal role in establishing two large Multi Academy Trusts: the David Ross Education Trust (DRET) and the STAR Trust, recognised as one of the top MATs in the country. Within these roles, he has successfully led various support services, including school improvement initiatives, attendance management, literacy strategies, teaching and learning programmes, budget management, admissions processes and high-value capital programs.

  Dan's expertise extends to complex project management, including procurement activities such as Private Finance Initiatives (PFI). He has successfully overseen the mobilisation and operational delivery of large-scale projects, including those requiring approval from HM Treasury. His experience includes serving as Non-executive Director to the Mersey Gateway Project, a prestigious £600 million development of the Mersey bridge, which stands as the largest infrastructure scheme in the UK.

  With his extensive background in consultancy, leadership, and senior executive roles, Dan Hennessy brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his current position as CFO. He is a driven and accomplished professional, dedicated to delivering strategic financial management and driving organisational success.

• Dawn Johnson
  Head of Secondary School Improvement
  Dawn Johnson

  Prior to joining Pope Francis Catholic Trust, I have spent twenty years working as a teacher, Head of Science and Vice Principal with responsibility for quality of education and leading rapid improvement in pupil outcomes from -1.12 to -0.03 over 2 years. This was done by leading the introduction of the intelligent use of pupil progress and pastoral data to drive targeted and effective interventions within a secondary school. This role allowed me to develop a passion for data and the importance of data and information systems within education.

  I am highly skilled with MIS systems, analysis systems such as 4 Matrix and SISRA and have developed the ability to leverage the power of business intelligence software to inform strategic leadership of schools. I have also experienced teaching across key stages from EYS to KS5 with recent experience of primary teaching that has enabled me to understand the data and assessment needs not only within a secondary context but also a primary setting.

  I have also successfully established my own tutoring business to ensure I can maintain my ability to impact outcomes with students with extra needs outside the classroom. This provides me with the ability to understand and see the story behind the numbers and anticipate the needs of school leaders and classroom teachers to impact pupil outcomes.

• Danielle Moran
  Director of School improvement - SEND
  Danielle Moran

  Danielle is a dedicated and compassionate SEN professional with a passion for supporting students with diverse learning needs. With over 10 years' experience in the field of special education, Danielle has demonstrated her commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment across both primary and secondary provision.

• Michelle Cashen
  Head of Finance
  Michelle Cashen

  I am a member of the Chartered Institute of Management accountants and have over 20 years in operational leadership and strategic finance experience gained within private and public sector organisations.

  I am a very grounded and approachable Leader, who takes pride in the ability to form and maintain professional relationships. I am proud to work in the education sector and thrive on transforming perceptions of finance and promote the benefits of good financial management.

  I have extensive experience in all areas of Finance having started my career as an apprentice at the age of 17, progressing to FC and Head of Finance roles.

  My key aim is to develop a teamwork ethos across the trust to deliver the most efficient finance function which maximises the Trust's financial resources to ensure that pupils have the best possible education.

• Louise Jones
  Executive Assistant
  Louise Jones

  I have over 20 years' experience in school administration, having worked at Savio High School/Savio Salesian College in a range of roles including reception, Attendance Officer, Admissions Officer and Leadership PA. When the school joined the Trust in January 2023 I became the Executive Assistant at Pope Francis CMAT. Alongside my career, I have volunteered with Motor Neurone Disease Association Merseyside Branch since 2013 and since 2025 have served as Branch Secretary.

• Kirsty O'Connor
  SpLD Practitioner and Access Arrangements/Dyslexia Assessor
  Kirsty O'Connor

  I am an experienced SpLD (Specific Learning Differences) practitioner with a strong commitment to supporting students in achieving their full potential. With a BA in Disabilities Studies, I have a solid academic foundation in understanding diverse needs and promoting inclusion.

  Prior to specialising as an SpLD practitioner, I worked as a neurodiversity inclusion consultant, advocating for and implementing strategies to create supportive environments for individuals with neurodiverse profiles. I am deeply passionate about empowering students to thrive academically and personally, tailoring support to each individual's unique strengths and challenges.

• Laura Davies
  Trust Lead for Secondary Attendance
  Laura Davies

  Laura is responsible for formulating and overseeing the trust's attendance strategy. Laura supports schools with action planning and implementation, training and guidance, practical resources, and advice on individual attendance queries. Prior to joining Pope Francis Multi Academy Trust, Laura worked in the field of school attendance improvement for over 10 years and has held senior leadership roles in two schools, in addition to working for a leading Multi Academy Trust in the Central Team.

• Dionne Thomas-Bates
  Payroll and Pensions Officer
  Dionne Thomas-Bates

  Bio awaited

• John Adamopoulos
  Finance Business Partner
  John Adamopoulos

  John brings over 18 years' senior-level experience across maintained schools, academies, and multi-academy trust settings, with a breadth of experience spanning finance, governance, operations, estates, HR, IT, procurement, and compliance. John's academic background combines an MBA with Distinction in finance, operations, and organisational management, alongside degrees in engineering and computer systems. His earlier career included service as a Navy Officer specialising in communications followed by ICT infrastructure roles supported by high-level Microsoft and Novell professional qualifications.

• Sandra Toner
  Finance Business Partner
  Sandra Toner

  Sandra is an accomplished Senior Leader with over 24 years extensive experience across various education settings, including both Secondary and Primary schools (Academies and Maintained sectors). During this time, she has worked at a senior level as School Business Manager and Chief Financial Officer. In 2017 she achieved a Business Management degree from the Institute of Leadership & Management and the National Association of School Business Leaders. Her areas of specialisms include Finance, HR, Facilities, Premises Management, Health and Safety, Lettings, Contract Management, ICT and Admin. She is a highly organised and efficient individual, whose thorough and precise approach to projects has yielded excellent results. She has a positive attitude and a steadfast commitment to excellence which in turn contributes to supporting the needs of children and ensuring they have the best educational experience possible.

• Paula McIntosh-Kemp
  Estates, Compliance and Procurement
  Paula McIntosh-Kemp

  Paula supports our CFOO in the areas of Estates, Compliance and Procurement. Prior to joining Pope Francis Paula has had a varied career across the private and public sector, encompassing financial management, business development, human resources, health and safety, buying and procurement and facilities management. Paula has set up and run social science and public health research teams at both the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University, organised national and international conferences and peer reviewed journals and academic writings in these fields. She made the move to school business management in 2010, working as a secondary School Business Manager/Director of Finance and Resources across a number of local authorities.

• Rhys McKiernan
  Apprentice Data Analyst
  Rhys McKiernan

  Bio awaited