Central Team
Vision Multi Academy Trust central team is made up of highly experienced colleagues with a range of backgrounds in supporting schools. The team play a key role in the support and challenge across our schools. There are plans for the central administration and finance team to develop further in line with the Trust's growth plan.
Donna Cartwright FISBL, Chief Operating Officer
Donna has worked in the education section for over 10 years having brought transferable skills and experience from the public housing sector. As COO, having been with the Trust since its formation in 2017, she is responsible for leading and managing the non-academic aspects of the Trust, providing dynamic leadership, strong management and clear strategic direction in HR, health and safety, governance, estate management, GDPR, procurement, academy conversion, ICT and policy management.
She works closely with the CEO, Executive Headteacher, CFO, Headteachers and Board of Trustees to help ensure that the Trust achieves its short and long-term objectives in line with the Trust’s over-arching strategy.
Donna also provides a business consultancy and audit service to primary schools, supporting the delivery of effective and efficient business management functions.
She has been awarded CIPFA’s Level 7 in School Finance and Operational Leadership, is an accredited Strategic Practioner and a Fellow of the Institute of School Business Leadership, Specialist Leader of Education and is also IOSH accredited in health and safety.
Darren Cosgrove, Chief Finance Officer
Darren is a qualified accountant and has been working in education for the last nine years. He began his career as an apprentice at what is now Greater Manchester Academies Trust working within the finance team. His ambition was always to become a chartered accountant which he undertook in his own time and expense.
During his time at GMAT he was involved with several projects including conversion to a MAT, the opening of a new Primary School within the MAT & bringing payroll and cleaning in house. After seven years at GMAT he moved post to undertake a business manager position at St Patricks RC High School. This gave him a new challenge and a more holistic view on how schools are managed.
In November 2021, he was appointed as CFO of Vision Multi Academy Trust and since then has already played a significant role in the due diligence process in acquiring a new academy converter for the Trust. He is committed to aligning the financial interests to the pupil’s interest ensuring that every financial decision is a pupil centred decision.
Vivienne Layton, Governance Co-Ordinator
Vivienne has spent her career in administration in both the public and the private sector. She has worked for the Local Authority in education and as a medical secretary/secretary for many years and now works alongside the central team to ensure that governance in the Trust is delivered effectively.
In a new role Vivienne has gained a sound understanding of our vision for developing governance, She has brought with her a wealth of transferable skills and experience ensuring that we are able to not only continue to deliver good, sound governance but also continually improve best practice, evidenced in a number of new procedures she has recently introduced.
Vivienne manages the DFE’s GIAS online governance compliances/Business Interests Register/Attendance Register, information for Companies House together with the annual external governance review. She looks after the constitutional items including Articles of Association, Terms of Reference, Scheme of Delegation, Governance Handbook, Code of Conduct and Annual Board Calendar ensuring that all are accurate and regularly reviewed. Vivienne oversees policy management, has implemented annual Board Appraisals and deals with the recruitment, training and induction for Members, Trustees and members of the Local Governing Bodies; she also arranges annual elections and minutes Committee and Board meetings for the Trust.
Vivienne has a degree in Social Sciences from the University of Salford.
