Our Trust Team
OCMAT Central Services is a talented multi-disciplined team working towards the common goal of supporting our academies and their pupils. Using our experts we support our schools in all areas including School Improvement, HR, Finance, Health and Safety, Procurement and IT.
Supporting our Vision and Values we help to ensure that our schools can concentrate on delivering the highest quality of teaching and learning to the children in our schools.
David Whitehead, Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
David has worked in the education sector for thirty years and has loved every minute of it. His journey has been one of continuous growth, progressing through a variety of roles: teaching assistant, class teacher, senior teacher, headteacher, executive headteacher, culminating in his current position as a Trust CEO since 2017.
With a diverse background spanning multiple educational settings, David possesses a deep understanding of the challenges and rewards of working in the education sector. This comprehensive experience has instilled in him a clear focus on prioritising the wellbeing of staff, recognising their essential role in the success of our schools and the potential impact they have on every individual child.
David holds prominent positions on the Executive Board of the Kent Association of Leaders in Education (KALE) and the Kent MAT Alliance (KMA), alongside his longstanding role on the Kent Schools Funding Forum. His commitments extend to being an active participant on the KALE SEND Board and chairing the Swale LIFT Executive for the last ten years. He collaborates closely with the Canterbury Diocese and has served as a Ministerial Development Review Partner over the last fourteen years.
At the core of David's professional ethos lies an unwavering passion for ensuring that every child has equal access to a first-class education. He firmly believes in fostering inclusive practices as the cornerstone of the Trust's overarching vision and values. Through his leadership, David strives to create a collaborative learning environment where every individual has the opportunity to thrive and achieve their full potential.
Ian Hamilton, Chief Finance Officer (CFO)
Ian is the Chief Finance Officer (CFO). He joined OCMAT on 2 October 2023. He has worked in education finance for over 20 years (KCC and The Education People) supporting schools and academies in different aspects of financial management. His other notable career was serving in the army for eight years when he joined at the age of 16, his travels included a 3 year placement in Germany and a tour of Northern Ireland.
Hannah Streatfield, Standards Executive Officer
As the Trust Lead professional for Standards, Hannah works in close partnership with the CEO and the Trust Executive to ensure the very highest standards are met in teaching and learning. Hannah has a strong belief that through promoting high aspirations, giving support, challenge, care and respect and through working collaboratively excellent teaching and learning will be achieved. A key aspect of Hannah’s role is working with leadership teams in identifying areas for whole school improvement and development, working closely with subject leaders and teaching teams, commissioning and delivering evidence based professional development, directly supporting and challenging staff to improve pedagogy, thereby raising pupil progress and attainment.
Hannah has experience within the primary sector within both maintained and within multi academy trusts spanning 18 years with over 10 years leadership experience successfully leading schools in challenging circumstances.
She also works as a visiting lecturer for Canterbury Christ Church University as part of their ITT programmes with a focus on assessment principles and preparing students for their first teaching post, serves as an Induction Moderator for the Thames Gateway Teaching School as part of their ECT Programme and is a facilitator for the NPQLT through Leadership Learning Southeast.
Cassie Young, Inclusion Executive Officer
Cassie is the Inclusion Executive Officer, working closely with the Trust leads for Standards and Early Years. Cassie is wholly committed to inclusion of all pupils, believing that all children should receive the best education through high expectations and being a champion for all, whatever their starting point. This can be achieved through close working relationships with School leaders, SENCos, support staff and feedback from children.
Cassie has worked for many years as a SENCo and school leader prior to the position with Our Community Multi Academy Trust and continues to support schools outside of the Trust as an Inclusion Leader of Education for KCC and regularly speaks at conferences across the country and abroad. She has recently written for publications on SEND, inclusive practice and curriculum access. 
Nick Morgan, Services Manager
Nick joined our Trust in 2023 and takes an overview of buildings, safety and ICT infrastructure. He has worked in and around education for over 15 years. Having come with extensive experience in governance and compliance, his previous roles have included supporting and developing multi-academy trusts and he was even involved in the creation of PIEAT, one of the precursor trusts to OCMAT.
His passion is developing sites and environments where children want to be and want to learn while also making sure staff have the tools and environment they need to deliver their exciting curriculums.
Sarah Baker, Trust Safeguarding Lead and Data Protection Officer (DPO)
Sarah joined OCMAT in September 2024 and is committed to safeguarding children. She has been working in education safeguarding since 2016, and prior to this worked in safeguarding for Kent Police for 11 years with a focus on high-risk domestic abuse.
Sarah works in a strategic role alongside the central team, school leaders and staff supporting with high level safeguarding incidents, offering advice to all Trust schools, and working closely with the Attendance Officer to support families.
Sarah is also the Trust Data Protection Officer.
Ellie Bartlett, Assoc CIPD, People Manager
Ellie is the People Manager for the Trust and has been with OCMAT since it’s merger in June 2021 after previously working for the Village Academy from 2017. She completed her Level 3 CIPD in 2019 and her Level 5 CIPD in 2022 and is an Associate of the CIPD.
Ellie believes staff truly are our biggest asset and works with leaders to promote a motivated, ambitious and happy workforce. Another key element of Ellie’s role is directing our HR Team to ensure high quality human resources management is delivered in all areas of the Trust.
Amanda Adcock, Trust Attendance and Admin System Support Manager
Amanda's job is to ensure that children attend school regularly and punctually and for those who don’t, support families to help identify why. Amanda works closely with the Safeguarding Lead and Family Liaison Officers (FLO’s) across the Trust to ensure that every child’s school journey with us is a fun, happy and successful one. In January this year Amanda took on the additional role of Admin System Support Manager and this involves working closely with the office staff to ensure that we have consistency across the Trust with the systems and procedures we use and implement changes to embed these.
