This week’s movers and shakers include a football coach, an avid gamer and a former music teacher who arranged Lady Gaga hits on Boomwhackers. This column is our fortnightly guide to who is moving where in the schools community. We are keen to hear about appointments at a senior level. Please send submissions to news@schoolsweek.co.uk with ‘Movers and shakers’ in the subject line. Become a member for unlimited access to Schools Week subscribe Our members enjoy early access to exclusive content and in-depth articles before anyone else. Get expert journalism, experience fewer ads, and unlock a growing range of member benefits. Anne Heavey Director of SEND and alternative provision, The Kemnal Academies Trust Start date July Previous role Director of impact, Ambition Institute Interesting fact Anne started out as a secondary music teacher and still considers her arrangements of Lady Gaga songs for the Boomwhacker instrument among her finest professional achievements. Simon Cox Director of secondary education, GLF Schools Start date September Current role Director of school improvement, Lift Schools Interesting fact Simon began his football coaching career in 1992 at Wimbledon FC, spending seven years in the academy system. Across his coaching career, he supported the development of 150 players who have gone on to play professional football. A career highlight was completing his UEFA A licence in 2010. Nicholas Soar Chief executive officer, GEMS Founders School - Dubai South Start date August Current role Executive principal, Harris Federation Interesting fact Nick has worked extensively to build educational partnerships with schools in Ghana, China and Eastern Europe. Nick was also the first person to represent Irish and English teams at American football at university. Darren King Chief executive officer, Excelsior Multi-Academy Trust Start date September Current role Director of education, Excelsior Multi-Academy Trust Interesting fact Instead of gifts, Darren and his wife asked for charitable donations from their wedding guests. They used these funds to purchase computers and digital technology for a school in Africa. While over there, Darren visited the mountain gorillas in Rwanda, a memory to last a lifetime. Lucy Jones Head of growth and engagement, Centre for Education Operational Excellence Start date July Previous role Head of admissions, Akeley Wood School, Blenheim Schools Interesting fact Lucy once sang to a sold-out Royal Albert Hall - not as a soloist but as part of a national youth choral event. Lisa Fathers Chief executive officer, Bright Futures Educational Trust Start date June Previous role Interim chief executive officer, Bright Futures Educational Trust Interesting fact Lisa is of Indian heritage and absolutely loves cooking traditional spicy curries for friends and family. Paul Slaughter Executive principal, Ormiston Six Villages Academy and Cowes Enterprise College Start date September Current role Principal, Ormiston Six Villages Academy Interesting fact Paul loves the outdoors, enjoying cycling, open water swimming, hiking and trail running in his free time. As a sports enthusiast and father to four girls, he is a keen advocate for women in sports, particularly rugby. Charlotte Bleakley Trust digital learning lead, Chelmsford Learning Partnership Start date September Concurrent role Media and English teacher, Roding Valley High School Interesting fact Charlotte is a co-leader for both the Google Education Group England, and her Clash of Clans gaming group online. Despite being an avid gamer, she carved out time to visit South Africa to teach educators how to make their own apps and was shortlisted for Edufuturist's 'Educator of the Year 2026'. Stephen Mansell Executive headteacher, The Boswell School and The Tyrrells Primary School Start date September Previous role Headteacher, The Boswells School Interesting fact Stephen enjoys playing padel tennis. He is also an avid Tottenham Hotspur fan and has a season ticket. Paul White Headteacher, Woodville Primary School Start date April 2026 Previous role Deputy headteacher, Woodville Primary School Interesting fact Paul is a very keen cyclist and cycles to school once every week, which is a 50-mile round trip each time. He also completed the Ride London Essex 100 mile sportive in 2024 in just over 6 hours. Koulla Anslow Executive headteacher, Lakelands Primary School and Woodville Primary School Start date April Previous role Headteacher, Lakelands Primary School Interesting fact Koulla once studied enough Ancient Greek at GCSE to translate bits of The Odyssey.