TKAT names five senior appointments as Kemnal builds leadership team

The new hires cover finance, SEND and alternative provision, academics and enrichment, communications, community, and school leadership.

The Kemnal Academies Trust has announced five senior appointments to the Kemnal team. Image: TKAT

The Kemnal Academies Trust has announced five senior appointments to the Kemnal team, with new leaders joining the UK multi-academy trust over the coming months.

TKAT said the appointments cover finance, SEND and alternative provision, academics and enrichment, communications and community, and executive school leadership. The trust said the hires will support its seven-year strategy.

Louise Sargeant will become Chief Finance Officer on a permanent basis. TKAT described Sargeant as a finance executive with experience in turnaround strategies and financial sustainability across the education, charity, and NGO sectors.

Anne Heavey has been appointed Director of SEND and Alternative Provision. Heavey recently served on the Department for Education's Expert Advisory Group on Inclusive Mainstream, contributing to SEND proposals outlined in the Schools White Paper.

Nick Pointer will join as Director of Academics and Enrichment, while Kelly Loftus will become Director of Communications and Community. From September, Andrew Finn will become Executive Headteacher at Cleeve Meadow special school and Cleeve Park secondary school.

Finance, SEND, and academic leadership roles confirmed

Sargeant is a fellow of CIMA and holds an MBA in Higher Education Management. Her appointment adds permanent finance leadership as TKAT works through its seven-year strategy.

Heavey joins TKAT after senior roles at Ambition Institute, Whole School SEND, and Ofsted. Her appointment gives Kemnal a dedicated senior lead for SEND and alternative provision as schools and trusts continue to manage inclusion, support needs, and specialist provision.

Pointer has worked as a teacher, educator, coach, and school improvement advisor. He set up Ambition Institute’s Instructional Coaching program in 2020 and ran the Teacher Education Fellows program for school and trust leaders. He has also worked in UK state secondary and all-through schools as a science teacher and school leader.

Communications and school leadership hires

Loftus will move into the Director of Communications and Community role after working at Teach First for nearly ten years, including six years as Director of External Relations.

She has also held communications and policy roles at The Prince's Trust, Catch22, and Adoption UK. Loftus is currently Director of External Relations at Crohn's and Colitis UK and a trustee at Clinks, which supports people in the criminal justice system and their families.

In a LinkedIn post, Loftus said she "can't wait to join team TKAT this summer and be part of exciting things ahead."

Finn will take up the Executive Headteacher role at Cleeve Meadow special school and Cleeve Park secondary school from September. TKAT said he has worked almost 25 years in education and is preparing to meet students, families, and staff across the Cleeve community.

Russell Hobby, Chief Executive Officer at Kemnal, says: "These are very talented individuals with exactly the expertise and track record we need to join the great team at Kemnal and help us deliver our seven year strategy."

The appointments bring senior capacity into TKAT across finance, inclusion, teaching, communications, and school leadership. Sargeant, Heavey, Pointer, Loftus, and Finn will join Kemnal over the next few months, with Finn’s Cleeve Meadow and Cleeve Park role starting in September.