Trustees and Strategy Team
Trustees
The MTPT Project is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (registered charity number 1192218), governed by a Board of Trustees who ensure we adhere to our charitable objectives of advancing education for public benefit by maintaining high standards in teaching by ensuring the continued professional development of teachers during or on their return from parental leave, including assisting in the re-training of teachers who have taken a caring-related career break.
We are currently recruiting for three new Trustee positions: a Safeguarding Trustee, a Community Trustee and a Father Trustee. Please scroll down to see advertisements for the role, click here to see a job specification and here to express an interest in becoming a Trustee.
Bridget Clay, @bridget89ec
Chair of Trustees
Bridget is Director of School Leadership at Teach First, previously Director of Schools Programmes at the Teacher Development Trust.
She trained as a Maths Teacher with Teach First in 2010, and co-authored Unleashing Great Teaching in 2018.
Bridget has provided support in the design of The MTPT Project’s professional development coaching and programmes since 2016.
Madeleine Fresko-Brown, @m_x_f
Trustee
Madeleine is a Vice Principal with responsibility for Teaching and Learning and Outcomes at a secondary academy in London.
She trained as an English Teacher through Teach First in 2011 and has been actively involved with The MTPT Project since her first maternity leave in 2017, acting as blogger, North London Advocate and representing the Jewish community in education as part of our Diversity and Inclusion team.
Kathleen Cushnie, @VoicingEd
Trustee (Coaching)
Kathleen is a Deputy Headteacher in a large primary school in London with 15 years experience in education.
She is a qualified coach and an experienced trainer; she supports schools through her role as a SLE and a Consultant Lead Teacher.
In 2020, Kathleen founded Voicing Education to support middle leaders on their leadership journey. She has subsequently launched a podcast of the same name (Voicing Education – The Podcast).
Claire Neaves, @claireneaves
Trustee (Inclusion)
After 15 years as a teacher and SENDCo across Primary and Secondary in mainstream and special schools, Claire now works across a Multi-Academy Trust supporting schools with SEND and inclusion.
She lives in Bristol where she became the MTPT representative whilst pregnant with her son in 2016-17.
Claire is dedicated to opening up conversations about equity and diversity and is a strong advocate for LGBT+ family representation.
Danielle England
Safeguarding Trustee
Danielle trained as a teacher in 2011 and is currently Assistant Principal at a primary academy within the Harris Federation. In her role, Danielle has specific leadership responsibilities in the areas of attendance, reading, and writing. In addition to her day to day responsibilities, she holds the position of staff governor and is also an ECT Facilitator for the National Institute of Teaching (NiOT).
Helen Philpott, @PE_Pott
Trustee (Multi Academy Trusts)
Following 9 years as a PE teacher, including time spent in middle and senior leadership positions, Helen now works for the Department for Education.
Helen is the mother to two (soon to be three!) children, and first became involved in the MTPT project on her second maternity leave.
Despite having left the profession herself, Helen recognises the importance of retaining great teachers and is keen to do all she can to ensure teaching is a profession that can exist in harmony with a busy and fulfilling family life.
Paul Hunter
Fathers Trustee
Paul retrained as a Science teacher following a career in academia where he was a Research Associate at Kings College London.
Paul took shared parental leave when his second daughter was born and has been building The MTPT Project’s community of fathers since contributing a case study about his experience.
Paul has supported The MTPT Project through social media campaigns, networking events and hosting panels at our annual Missing Mothers conference.
Charlotte Osborn
Community Trustee
Charlotte Osborn is an Associate Assistant Headteacher at an all-girls school in Birmingham. Profoundly deaf since the age of three, she wears a cochlear implant and has some impressive lipreading skills.
Having trained as a PE teacher in 2016, Charlotte spent six years as a Pastoral Leader before stepping into Senior Leadership. While pregnant with her first child, she completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Pastoral Leadership, followed by an NPQ in Leading Behaviour and Culture during maternity leave. Upon returning to work, she stepped into her role as Associate Assistant Headteacher, Staff Well-being Lead, and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.
Inspired by the work of The MTPT Project, Charlotte is a strong advocate for flexible working and currently works a four-day week.
Victoria Walker
Community Trustee
Victoria read English Literature at Oxford, graduating in 2001 before completing a PGCE at Nottingham Trent University.
She has been teaching since then, working mainly in schools in areas of deprivation.
Currently she is Deputy Headteacher at St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School in Rochester, where she works flexibly in order to share childcare responsibilities with her partner.
Victoria has previously worked in governance and trustee roles including being a Founding Trustee of the Chartered College of Teaching as well as a member of University College Oxford’s Student Support and Access Committee.
Victoria is passionate about teaching and feels that no parent should be forced to choose between the profession and their family.
Rosie Kelly-Smith, @teachermumdone
Trustee (Unions)
Rosie has been a secondary English teacher for 11 years in south London, with seven years’ experience as a pastoral middle leader. Rosie is preparing to return from her second maternity leave to a curriculum-based role, and is looking forward to the new skills and challenges it will bring. She is currently completing her NPQSL, which she started whilst on leave.
Rosie discovered The MTPT Project on her second maternity leave and, as well as acting as a Trustee, is also a member of the Communications and Marketing team, volunteering to maintain our social media presence.
Jenna Crittenden, @jenjen1985
Trustee
Jenna has been a primary teacher for over 16 years, working as a classroom teacher, senior leader and head.
She first became interested in The MTPT Project when on maternity leave with her daughter and has supported our growth since then.
Jenna is a huge advocate for flexible working and now works flexibly as a Curriculum Design Lead for the Chartered College of Teachers.
Meera Gupta-Chaudhary
Treasurer
Meera is the Head of Finance at Executive Channel Network Ltd., and a CIMA qualified accountant, with over 10 years’ experience working in finance for media companies.
As a longstanding friend of Emma’s, Meera is familiar with the work of The MTPT Project, and has supported with the charity’s accounting since 2020. Having been on maternity leave recently with her daughter, she is invested in the work of The MTPT Project and excited to work with other Trustees to achieve our objectives.
Strategy Team
The MTPT Project undertakes campaigning and policy work to create more family- and life-friendly working conditions for teachers and school leaders.
Emma Sheppard, @mtptproject
Founding Director
Emma is The MTPT Project’s Founder and Strategic Director, overseeing the work of The MTPT Project.
This includes deciding – with the support of the Trustees – on the direction of the charity and leading wider campaigning work to make teaching a more sustainable career choice for parents-teachers.
Jenny McCloskey
Policy Officer
Jenny works flexibly as a History and Politics teacher dividing her time between school, podcasting and freelance journalism.
She has experience in both pastoral and academic leadership roles in the state and independent sector and has worked as a Development Lead for Teach First.
Jenny acted as The MTPT Project’s Kent Regional Representative during her second maternity leave and authored a chapter of The MTPT Project’s book, Your Guide to Teaching, Parenting and Creating Family Friendly Schools.
As Policy Offer, Jenny supports with The MTPT Project’s wider campaigning work.