Members & Trustees

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.

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.

Samuel has been with CORE Education Trust since 2022, initially joining as Assistant Headteacher for Safeguarding at Jewellery Quarter Academy before transitioning to Assistant Headteacher for Behaviour and Attitudes at City Academy.
Samuel has a wealth of leadership experience within Birmingham schools. Prior to joining CORE he was a Senior Leader for Teaching and Learning, demonstrating a strong commitment to driving educational standards and supporting student development. In this role he also completed the NPQSL and NASENCo qualifications.
Samuel is passionate about shaping effective safeguarding practices within CORE schools. He focuses on developing robust systems and processes that ensure all students are protected, supported and empowered to thrive in a safe and nurturing environment. He is committed to promoting a proactive approach to safeguarding, continuously refining processes and providing strategic leadership to foster a safe learning environment for every child.
In the role of Director of Inclusion, Samuel is responsible for leading safeguarding across all schools within the Trust, working closely with school leaders to ensure compliance, best practice and safety for students and staff.

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.