Meet the Team | Brigshaw Training and Development

Carys Davis

Director of Initial Teacher Training

Carys is passionate about training great teachers and has tons of experience in supporting teachers at the start of their careers. Carys joined the BLP in 2023, having previously taught in high performing London secondary schools. Carys has led Teaching and Learning, Curriculum and Assessment in schools and prior to this, spent several years working as a Management Consultant for a top consultancy firm. She graduated from The University of Birmingham with a BA (Hons) French and History before gaining her PGCE and Masters in Leadership from the Institute of Education. Carys lives in Leeds with her husband and three children. She loves finding time for the gym and also spending time with friends.

Jay Ratcliffe

Teacher Training Administrator

Jay is administrator for the ITT programme. Having joined the Brighsaw Learning Partnership from previous customer service roles, she is committed to ensuring trainees and mentors are supported during the learning to teach journey. Jay lives with her husband and children in Leeds and enjoys spending time with her family, walking her dog and eating out in her spare time.

Sue Heptinstall

Director of HR

Sue joined BLP in 2024 from The Education Alliance (TEAL) where she was Head of HR and HR support for the Yorkshire Wolds Teaching Training (YWTT), an Ofsted outstanding provider based in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Sue has a Masters Degree in HR from Huddersfield University and extension experience in the education sector and schools. Sue has seen many trainees become successful teachers over the years, in both primary and secondary schools, and enjoys supporting their journeys to success.

Joshua Asquith

Director of Curriculum

Joshua joined the Trust in 2022, bringing with him experience as a senior leader in a successful Multi-Academy Trust and as a Deputy Headteacher in a Local Authority school. As an undergraduate, Josh read music, graduating with first-class honours from The Royal Northern College of Music and the University of Manchester. He later completed an MSc in Learning and Teaching at the University of Oxford. He is passionate about English, humanities, languages, and arts education, and is particularly interested in supporting the academic transition between primary and secondary phases. He continues to play in local orchestras and ensembles alongside his teaching commitments.

Elizabeth Wood

Director of Inclusion

I am the Director of Inclusion across the BLP, I have been a SENDCO for 18 years and have a strong passion for supporting students with additional needs. I firmly believe that all students should wherever possible be educated in mainstream classes in their local school alongside their peers. I am proud of the BLP's Inclusive ethos and the level of provision and support that is provided to each of our young people. I know that in order to ensure inclusive practice, high quality, evidence informed teaching is essential. In order to deliver this staff training is pivotal if teachers are to have the skills, information and knowledge to support all students in the classroom. I have enjoyed working with all of our ITT students on key areas of SEND to support them with consistently embedding targeted support for all students so that they continue to make progress and feel a strong sense of belonging.

Sallie Elliot

Executive Headteacher - Methley

Sallie has been at Brigshaw Learning Partnership since its inception and has worked in a support role across most of our primary schools. She graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a B.Ed(Hons) in Primary Education and English and started her career in inner city Leeds. Sallie has since worked at several local authority schools in varying contexts and also worked with Artforms as a lead drama teacher, supporting schools to develop their creative curriculums. She is experienced in building strong teams and is passionate about putting the best teachers in front of our children by providing them with great, research-led professional development. Sallie lives in Leeds with her husband and two adult children and loves visiting the theatre and going for walks in the countryside, particularly the Lake District.

Hannah Dickinson

Early Years Leader

I began my teaching journey as an Early Years teacher over 16 years ago, where I discovered my passion for nurturing curiosity, creativity, and a lifelong love of learning in our youngest children. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of leading Early Years teams and developing high-quality provision that enables every child to achieve and thrive. With a deep understanding of child development and the vital role of early intervention, I’m dedicated to ensuring that every child’s unique needs are recognised and supported from the very start. I believe that a strong Early Years foundation not only shapes future learning but also builds the confidence and resilience children need to reach their full potential. Now, as Deputy Headteacher at Kippax Ash Tree Primary School and Trust Lead for Early Years across the Brigshaw Learning Partnership, I am passionate about supporting and inspiring others through the Initial Teacher Training programme. Drawing on my deep understanding of how children learn and develop, I aim to empower new teachers to create enriching, inclusive, and purposeful Early Years environments. My goal is to ensure that every child is given the right support, opportunities, and experiences to truly achieve and thrive.

Darryl Roycroft

Trust Senior Deputy Headteacher

I moved to Leeds from North Yorkshire, having studied Primary Education at Durham University which launched me into my early teaching career in a North Yorkshire school. Before moving to the Brigshaw Learning Partnership, my most recent role was Deputy Headteacher at Barwick-in-Elmet CE Primary School: a community that I served as school leader for around ten years. The community spirit and sense of belonging I felt there drove me to find something similar in my next venture, and in the end I found that here in the BLP. I loved it so much that it was only a matter of weeks before my two sons became Brigshaw pupils! It has been a pleasure serving a number of our schools in various leadership roles, and I look forward to watching all of our schools continue to grow and flourish. When I'm not in school, I can usually be found in the countryside, walking my dog or chasing after my boys