Who we are

Adrian was appointed Executive Principal of Park View Educational Trust, now CORE Education Trust, in 2014. He became the CEO in 2016 and the Group CEO in 2022.

Prior to this, from 2012, Adrian was the founding Principal of Everton Alternative Provision Free School and 6th Form College.

From 2010, Adrian was part of the founding team of Birmingham Ormiston Academy (BOA), an arts academy set up in partnership with The BRIT School where Adrian was the Director of Musical Theatre from 1999.

Adrian set up the CORE & Co Foundation in 2020, a charitable organisation which supports children, young people and families through collaborative partnership initiatives.

Adrian is an independent Councillor for the LTA and an Honorary Fellow at the University of Birmingham.

Jo is a co-founder of CORE Education Trust. In 2022, she was appointed as the CEO, having previously served as the Chief Operating Officer and Deputy CEO. Prior to this, Jo had worked as a senior leader at school and trust level, gaining considerable experience working as a Director of Business and Finance in many varied and challenging circumstances. Before working in the education sector, Jo had a successful career as a contract manager within the private sector.

Jo mentors and coaches other leaders and works with national organisations to inform best practice. Her areas of expertise range from governance to people development; change management to complex project delivery. She has a particular interest in curriculum design and resource management.

Jo completed her MBA in Education Management in 2023. She writes articles for education publications and regularly contributes to government policy making.

Jo’s contributions to the education of children in the West Midlands was acknowledged in 2022 when she was awarded the honour of baton bearer for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

Abby Morris started her teaching career as an English teacher sixteen years ago. In this time, Abby has undertaken middle and senior leader roles in schools in the West Midlands. Abby’s last senior leadership post was as Vice Principal in charge of Leadership and Management and Quality of Education at Bristnall Hall Academy, the highest performing secondary provider within its local authority and trust.

Most recently, Abby has worked as an Executive Leader in two large Multi Academy Trusts where she led the establishment of two professional development institutes and supported a number of academies out of category and into good or outstanding judgments. Abby has also undertaken the role of Expert Advisor for the Teacher Development Trust, writing and quality assuring content for the National Professional Qualifications.

Abby’s leadership philosophy is, to be the best we can be for the young people we serve, we must forever be on our own learning journey. In addition to her responsibilities for the professional development of others, Abby has completed a master’s in education degree and an MBA in Education Management.

At CORE, Abby is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of the education strategy and its impact on educational outcomes and standards in CORE schools.  Abby firmly believes it is through the development of colleagues that we unlock improvement. Thus, she is also responsible for CORE’s people-powered professional development strategy

Rula Kanona is a Civil Engineering graduate with 13 years’ experience in education. After qualifying as a maths teacher, and developing through a series of roles within schools in Birmingham, she was appointed Assistant Headteacher at King Edwards VI Handsworth Wood Girls’ Academy. Throughout her career, she has taken great pleasure in supporting young people from challenging backgrounds to secure places on competitive STEM courses at some of the country’s leading universities.

Rula is an advocate of research-informed practice and is committed to ensuring that all young people within Birmingham receive the highest quality learning experience. She has led many Initial Teacher Trainees (ITTs) and Early Career Teachers (ECTs) through their learning journeys and is proud of the subsequent success they have gone on to achieve. As a senior leader of a school within a large Birmingham trust, she successfully developed and implemented a unique professional learning programme for a wide range of colleagues. Her work in maths education has also extended to supporting partner schools as both a Specialist Leader of Education (SLE) and a Local Leader of Mathematics Education (LLME) for the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM).

She is studying for an MA in Educational Leadership, through which she will continue to develop her knowledge and relationships with sector leads for the benefit of the students she serves.

At CORE, Rula will use her knowledge and experience to codify teaching and learning, and deliver high-quality professional development to support colleagues across all four schools to develop excellence in their teaching practice.

Prior to joining the education sector Raj worked in IT as a computer programmer and computer network manager.

Before being appointed as Headteacher of Arena Academy in April 2020, Raj spent over a decade as a senior leader in one of the most nationally deprived schools in Birmingham.  He was an integral part of the leadership team which gained the school ‘outstanding’ status. Raj has supported many schools in the Midlands, both primary and secondary, with Teaching & Learning and school improvement initiatives resulting in them improving their ofsted gradings from ‘requires improvement’ to ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’.

Raj has a passionate belief that a pupil’s socio-economic background should not be a barrier to achieving success. Combining his love of music and a healthy lifestyle & fitness he ensures that pupils develop into well-rounded individuals equipped with the tools to achieve their goals.

Rebecca is the Headteacher of School at City Academy, based at Langley Walk. She has spent her entire career working with and for students in Birmingham, particularly enjoying working within the communities in inner-city Birmingham.

Prior to joining City Academy, Rebecca has worked in a number of school leadership teams and has seen success in all roles. Her leadership has meant that students have realised there is no limit to their success.

Rebecca’s drive and determination to ensure all students have equal access to all opportunities is unwavering. She believes barriers should be broken down and all young people should approach every challenge with confidence, the confidence that they can overcome a challenge because there is a team of people working with them and for them to ensure their success.

Jamie has worked in education for 20 years, leading in a variety of secondary schools across the Midlands and North Yorkshire. He brings extensive experience, having held Executive Headship positions in two local authorities and serving as a director on two academy trust boards.

Supporting communities is at the heart of Jamie’s approach and he has an excellent track record in driving improvement and in leading his teams to deliver a quality first education to the young people at his schools.

He instils a sense of ambition in his schools and is passionate in his belief that every student can achieve, and that education is the key to success.

Richard is a highly experienced school leader, who loves working in schools that are at the centre of the community.

Having grown up in the local area, Richard started his career at neighbouring Great Barr School 20 years ago.  He has held senior positions at a number of schools in the West Midlands, including George Salter Academy and Kenilworth School, but has also been a leader in schools as far south as Suffolk and north as Manchester. He joined the CORE family in Spring 2024 from Buile Hill Academy in Manchester, where he was Headteacher.

Richard is passionate about the role education plays in broadening a young person’s horizons, opening the doors to new worlds of knowledge, ideas and experiences that they may not have realised existed.  At Rockwood Academy, he is focused on setting students on pathways towards a life of fulfilment, both professionally in their careers and personally throughout their lives.