Hello my name is Anita Ghidotti and I am very lucky to be Chief Executive for the Pendle Education Trust family. My role brings incredible variety and the opportunity to see the children and staff at all our schools often. Ultimately, I am responsible for making sure that everyone in our family has the very best experience - of education or employment and that we are using all our resources and powers to improve the lives of local children.

I am very passionate about our local area, I grew up in Burnley and have many friends and family who live locally, like me. This part of East Lancashire holds a special place in my heart and I absolutely believe that our children should have the

same chance of achieving their dreams as any other children in the country... of the world for that matter! That's our job... making sure they have fantastic teaching, support and encouragement and everything else they need to succeed!

I have worked in education for nineteen years, initially in Further Education and more recently in schools. I grew up as the daughter of an English Teacher (& Head of Middle School) so have always had a real awareness of how hard staff in schools work and their absolute dedication to the children. As a qualified HR professional I know that people are what make the difference in all aspects of life. We have amazing people in our family and I am immensely proud of all we achieve together.

I believe in a work-life balance and although working in education is always busy, I am committed to a focus on health and wellbeing. Outside of work I am a busy mummy of an even busier six-year old! I enjoy family time be that a bike ride through the mud, walk up Pendle Hill (or mountain as my little boy calls it!), popcorn and film, breakfast at a local cafe or a break away from it all. I try hard to see as many of my family and friends at a weekend as possible and if it's a Burnley FC match-day you will find me on the Turf!

I am honoured to be a member of the North West Regional Director's Advisory Board (DfE) and I also volunteer for the Prince's Trust as a Progression Mentor.

So, why do I do this job? That's easy..... because I love it. As a staff team we have the opportunity to work together to make children's futures better and brighter - what a privilege!

Hello, my name is Lynne Blomley. I was Principal at Colne Primet Academy from January 2014 to November 2019. During that time, I worked with my team of staff, to transform the Academy. I worked tirelessly to ensure that our students received a fantastic educational experience which included high quality teaching and learning and excellent development opportunities. I created a purposeful, energetic environment in which students feel a sense of belonging. 

I led the school to a Good Ofsted judgement in May 2018 and the inspectors commented that: “The leadership of the headteacher is exceptional. She leads by example, is extremely visible around school and is well respected by staff and pupils. Pupils and staff comment on how accessible she is. Leaders and teachers feel very well supported by her. She attributes the successes that have been achieved to her team of staff, governors and the trust.” 

From 2019 I took up the role of  Executive Principal (Secondary) for Pendle Education Trust supporting leaders and staff in both Colne Primet Academy and West Craven High School. I have had a very positive effect in my time at West Craven ensuring the same rigour, drive and determination I exuded at Colne Primet are replicated at West Craven. 

I am a visible leader who lives and breathes what I believe in. My presence in our secondary schools is recognised by students and staff alike and I can often be found on the corridors at lunch and break times to engage with the students and be at the heart of the school. 

I work closely with other Lancashire secondary headteachers having been Chair of the Lancashire Association of Secondary School Headteachers and now Officer, supporting the current Chair, representing the views and concerns of all secondary school headteachers and continue to work closely in partnership with the Local Authority across several boards including the Education Partnership board steering the Education Strategy for Lancashire. I also sit on the Blackburn, Blackpool and Lancashire (BBL) Academy Heads group and believes strongly in the value of collaboration and partnership working within the Multi-Academy Trust and across Lancashire and beyond.  

I now move into my role as Director of Education, supporting all five of our academies as we continue to provide excellent experiences for our children.

Hi, I’m Liz Wood. I’m the Chief Finance Officer for Pendle Education Trust and I’m responsible for finances across the Trust. On the surface my role involves balancing budgets, keeping us compliant with all our regulatory requirements and plenty of spreadsheets but ultimately it’s about making our resources work as hard as possible so we give the students in all our schools the very best opportunities and experiences whilst they are with us.

I trained as an accountant many years ago and after qualifying spent time as a forensic accountant and working in practice. I took a break to be at home whilst my children were very small before moving into the education sector. I was very fortunate to find a part time role that allowed me to balance family with work whilst learning all about the world of education finance. Since then I have seen my roles develop and grow as the academy sector has matured.

It’s been quite a journey but one I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. I consider myself very lucky to be able to use my experience as an accountant to give the next generation a flying start.

When I’m not at work you’ll mainly find me outside running (slowly with plenty of pausing to admire any views!), walking the dog or on the side of a hockey pitch cheering various family members on.

Hello my name is Amy Hundsdoerfer. My role at Pendle Education Trust is Executive Director for Teaching, Learning and Professional Development.

I am responsible for supporting teaching and learning in the three primary schools and leading professional development across The Trust. My role requires me to have strategic vision for The Trust, whilst maintaining all policies and procedures. I am a link with each school professional development lead to ensure that professional development opportunities are carefully planned to ensure opportunities to collaborate and share expertise across the Trust's schools are maximised and career progression paths are explored. Within this role, I have an overall responsibility for Early Career Teachers (ECTs) and their mentors to support their induction into their career as new teachers.

I have worked in primary education for over 10 years as an excellent classroom practitioner, Advanced Skills Teacher and as a proven successful leader. I have worked as part of Pendle Education Trust for the past 5 years within two of our primary schools as Deputy Principal and Acting Principal supporting the drive for school improvement. I joined the Trust as I wanted to develop my leadership experience and skills within a supportive environment with opportunities available and potential for growth. I love being a part of a family of schools where there is a team of leaders to support my professional development.

In my free time, I enjoy socialising with friends and family, gardening and exploring new places.

My name is Adam Whalley and I’m the Estates Manager for Pendle Education Trust. I've been with the Trust since 2013 and bring with me 25 years' experience of working in the construction industry as a tradesman and project manager.The move into Facilities Management in the Education sector seemed to me a natural and exciting new challenge.

I feel that my experience with working with contractors and surveyors both chartered and quantity have stood me in good stead to drive down the cost that schools have historically paid for projects without compromising quality and standards.

My time with the Trust to date has been both challenging and exciting and I can honestly say that it was the best decision I made to join the Pendle Education Trust family.

My name is Sarah Bennett and I am the HR Manager for the Trust. 

My role involves providing support and guidance to the Academies on all things HR, no two days are the same and the HR aspects I deal with end up being quite varied. I have worked in HR since 2007, within the Education sector since 2009, and I completed my MSc in Human Resource Management in 2013.  

I'm supported by the Trust's HR Advisor in our work with our five schools. I work 2.5 days flexibly and I like to spend my free time with my family.

Hi, my name is Jude and I am the Strategic Marketing and Development Manager for Pendle Education Trust.

I have worked in education for over 16 years, across primary and secondary local authority schools, Sixth Form colleges and at a University Technical College, spanning across Cheshire, Lancashire and Greater Manchester. When I finished school, I started my career in the health and fitness industry. I worked hard to establish myself as a Gym Manager for the Bannatyne Health Club Group. I really enjoyed my job, but when I started volunteering at a local Youth Centre my career took a welcome turn. I found a real passion for working with young people and their families.

I worked for the Youth Service and Youth Offending teams, focusing on supporting the most vulnerable young people in society, specifically in my local community. I loved the challenge and enjoyed making a difference to people’s lives. My rewarding time working in the Youth Service led me seamlessly into the education sector. I’ve subsequently worked in supportive roles including being an Extended Schools Cluster Co-ordinator, Inspiring Communities Manager, Sixth Form Head of Year, Employer Engagement Manager, Educational Visits co-ordinator, Marketing and Admissions Manager – and now my most recent role as Strategic Marketing and Development Manager for the Trust.

Working in all of these varying educational settings has gained me a breadth of experience and knowledge that I use to support the schools within our Trust. I now line manage a hard-working team which is responsible for marketing and communications services for the Trust, including school branding, photography, videography, design and editing services, news coverage, website content and development, social media marketing and strategic support.

For me, schools and colleges – and this Trust – have so much to offer than just teaching and learning hubs. They are a community asset and there is a real all-inclusive wrap around offer for students, parents, teachers and the wider community. Students should aspire to achieving the best grades they can, but I’m also a firm believer that gaining plenty of life skills as well along the way can be really beneficial for when they embark on their careers.

I actively encourage our schools and colleges to develop family and adult learning programmes, as well as trying to create fun and exciting extra-curricular activities. I support them to set up a PTAs to develop community links with local businesses and wider community initiatives.

Away from the office I’m a busy mum of two children. I have the balancing act of encouraging their passions, as well as supporting them with their homework and life learning. However, I always try to take some time off for myself, we all deserve it. I love the gym and have learnt that I am a better partner and mum when I have managed to fit in exercise around my busy schedule.

My name is Val and I am Clerk to the Trust and also provide executive leadership support.

I have worked in the Education sector for 12 years, initially working in education administration support before moving into education governance in 2016.

I joined the team at Pendle Education Trust in 2018 and achieved my academy governance qualification in 2020. I am responsible for the governance processes; ensuring the Trust is legally compliant and our governance supports and challenges at all levels and contributes to the high standards of education. I am also the named Data Protection Officer.

In my spare time I like spending time with my family and friends and I also like to travel.

Hello, my name is Rob Weidner and I am the Trust’s ITL & Network Manager.

My main role is ensuring all of our IT strategy is in place and that we can work towards advancements in our teaching and learning across the Trust, the role has many different aspects meaning we work closely with all of our core and academy teams on a regular basis - as well keeping on top of Cyber Security and ensuring everything is as safe as it can be.

I’ve worked in education since 2009 when I started as an apprentice - some of my earlier roles led me to work across 15+ different schools in various settings such as SEN/Primary/Secondary and Sixth Form and I will soon hit the 15-year mark in education.

Pendle Education Trust has supported me throughout the years and led me to an opportunity to join the leadership team in September 2022 - this was a defining role change and has led to many improvements in myself looking at a much wider-scope than just the IT bubble! 

When not stuck at a computer - I'm likely to be out in the great outdoors walking the dog or hiking!

Hi, my name is Claire and I support Jude, our Strategic Marketing and Development Manager with the marketing and communications for our Trust and its five schools.

After graduating with a Journalism degree, I began my marketing career as a Marketing Assistant at a business support and training provider. This was the start of my education marketing journey, learning about apprenticeships and adult learning and helping to organise recruitment events for the organisation's training courses. I then spent two years at a Preston-based PR agency, supporting businesses from a wide range of industries with their Public Relations and communications.

Following this, I spent six years as the Press Officer at a Further Education College. This was a very varied role incorporating being the College's main contact for any press enquiries, proactive and reactive Public Relations, crisis communications, event management, copywriting and more. Highlights of the role included visits to the College by Her Majesty The Queen and HRH The Prince of Wales. 

Another few years working for an agency gave me my first taste of the Pendle Education Trust family when we were asked to support with promoting Pendle Primary Academy in the local media.

I joined Pendle Education Trust in January 2018 and the best part of my job is definitely spending time with our staff and children and hearing all about the amazing things that happen in our schools. My role involves promoting why our schools are great - through press releases, website updates, social media posts and a wide range of other marketing communications. 

Outside of work, I am Mum to two primary school aged children and can usually be found cheering them (or Burnley FC) on at the side of a football pitch or spending time with my friends or family.