Our Leadership Team
Here at Edstart Schools Salford we pride ourselves on finding and hiring the best team possible to deliver the best results. Check out our leadership team below.
The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.
Proprietor and Governors
James Lowe
Proprietor
James Lowe is the founder and proprietor of EdStart Schools, a specialist provider of independent special schools and alternative provision across Greater Manchester and Merseyside. After beginning his career teaching sport, public services and social policy, EdStart Schools was established in 2010 with a vision of creating high-quality, nurturing education for young people who thrive outside mainstream settings. Under his leadership, EdStart Schools has grown from a single school in Salford into a network of DfE-registered schools, supporting pupils with SEND, SEMH needs and those requiring alternative provision. James has also worked alongside local authorities to help shape alternative provision quality assurance frameworks. He is a regularly involved with the Ofsted ‘Big Listen’ initiative attending panels in Manchester and London.
james@edstartschools.com
0300 303 4414 (Head Office option)
5 Gerald Road, Salford, M6 6DW
Find James on Linkedin
Mike Platt
Chair of Governors
Mike has been a Headteacher since 1998. He has considerable leadership experience as a headteacher of two very different primary schools in Salford leading them both to outstanding school status. In 2014 Mike was appointed as a seconded Team Inspector for Ofsted. He has also worked for the local authority as a seconded School Improvement Officer and also completed a role as Executive Headteacher. He is currently the serving Headteacher of a legacy National Teaching School. Mike’s particular areas of expertise are in Maths, PE, KS2 and EYFS.
Ged Rowney
Governor
For over 30 years Ged has been actively engaged in Education and Children’s Services at local and national level. Starting out as a teacher of History Ged moved into local government to work on Secondary Special Education and over the next twenty years progressed to become Director of Children’s Services in a range of local authorities in England and Wales. Throughout Ged’s career he has been committed to improving the life chances of all young people, including some of the most deprived. Ged is proud of all the teams he has worked with who achieved not only ratings of ‘Good’ and better from Ofsted but who enabled young people to move onto successful placements and lives. Ged also worked in the private sector and with innovative companies to provide tailored support to schools, MATS and local authorities. In addition, Ged chaired several Improvement Boards for authorities experiencing difficulties and has been a mentor to a range of colleagues across the country.
Leadership team
Kevin Buchanan
Director of Education
Kevin is an experienced mainstream and specialist school senior leader within safeguarding, welfare and inclusion education. He has proven experience of leading service change and building multi-agency partnerships in Third Sector, NHS, CAMHS, School Inclusion and Alternative Provision pathways. Kevin’s day-to-day work involves developing specialist provision, SEND, family and outreach work to vulnerable students and their parents/carers.
Phil Denton
Chief Operating Officer
Phil Denton brings over 20 years of experience in education to his role as Chief Operating Officer at EdStart Schools, having progressed from History teacher to Headteacher across schools in the North West and internationally. He has consistently championed high standards and inclusive practice, building a deep understanding of school culture, curriculum, and strategic development. At EdStart Schools, Phil focuses on driving performance and operational excellence by working closely with the central team, admin staff, and school leaders. As well as school leadership, Phil is a published author on the topic of leadership and speaks across the UK and beyond to leaders in the education, sporting and corporate sectors.
Gemma Ackerley
Community & Partnerships Director
Gemma has built her career across media, communications and strategic partnerships, bringing more than 20 years’ experience of developing meaningful relationships that create lasting impact. She works closely with schools, local authorities, businesses and community partners to build collaborations that improve opportunities and outcomes for children and young people. Her focus is on strengthening partnerships that support inclusion, enhance pupil experiences and connect schools with the expertise, resources and opportunities they need. Passionate about creating positive change, Gemma is committed to helping every young person reach their potential through the power of collaboration.
Billy Green
Chief Finance Officer
Billy is an experienced finance leader where he has held FD, CFO and CEO roles. Now entering the education industry, he brings extensive commercial and leadership expertise, combining strategic vision with a proven record of driving growth and transformation.
James Bradley
Executive Headteacher
James is an experienced leader within the team, holding NPQSL and NASENCO qualifications, with over 15 years’ experience in the registered AP/Specialist sector, entering Headship in 2018. Having taught Maths and ICT, he has a strong understanding of teaching in challenging environments and delivering good outcomes, through trauma-informed practice with some of the most vulnerable students in Greater Manchester. After four years as Headteacher within a multi-site PRU, James joined Edstart initially as Headteacher of our Bolton schools, before progressing to Executive Headteacher, first across the Salford schools and now Oldham. He is passionate about supporting the most disadvantaged students and champions the power of curriculum, quality-first teaching, closing the gaps, and relational environments where students and staff alike feel safe, are supported to grow, and can flourish
Micky Mellon
Director of Leadership and Culture
A successful ex-Professional Footballer who played nearly 500 games in a career that saw him represent many high-profile clubs such as Burnley, Blackpool and West Bromwich Albion, Micky also achieved great things as a Manager/Coach, winning 8 promotions over 700 games at Fleetwood Town, Barnsley, Shrewsbury Town, Dundee United and Tranmere Rovers. In addition to his work in football, Micky has also co-authored a book about effective leadership, entitled ‘The First 100 Days’, published by Reach Sport.
Jayne Szpunar
Head of SEND
Jayne has worked in Education for 30 years. Initially as a Science teacher she has since taught a variety of subjects and held pastoral roles in Primary and High schools in the UK and Australia. Jayne worked as an advisory teacher for children in care for 15 years and this is when she discovered her passion for supporting children with SEND to achieve better Outcomes. Qualifying as a SENDCo in 2015 Jayne has held positions as a High School SENDCo and Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for SEND. Jayne also has a post graduate certificate in Autism and Asperger’s.
Amy Nisbett
Assistant SENDCo
Amy graduated with a first-class honours degree in Education Studies; she then went on to gain a PGCE in primary education. Amy initially taught in mainstream primary schools; this was when she realised that her passion was working with students with SEND, specifically SEMH. Amy began working at EdStart Schools in 2021, she became the Assistant SENDCo in 2024, and she is working towards her NPQSENCo qualification which she completes in April 2026. She will then be a fully qualified SENDCo. Amy is passionate about all aspects of inclusion and supporting our students to reach their full potential in education. Amy is keen to continue her own professional development so that she can help our students to make as much progress as possible.
Adam Burns
Operations Manager
Adam Burns joined EdStart Schools at the beginning of 2019, during his time his role has developed and grown with the company. Originally starting out in the finance team Adam is now the Operations Manager for EdStart Schools. One part of Adam’s role is to assist Heads of Schools to ensure the pupils environments are kept to a high standard, as well as helping the company to grow by finding new sites in new areas.
Jackie Barbera
Director of Professional Development
Having held a number of senior leadership roles in mainstream and specialist education and in universities Jackie brings over 30 years experience in education to her role as Director of Professional Development at EdStart Schools. An experienced SENCo & senior leader with expertise in SEND and inclusion, leadership and management and Initial Teacher Education, Jackie is passionate about supporting individuals to develop themselves and in driving high standards and inclusive practice. She has proven experience of successfully managing change and improvement with teachers in schools to ensure pupils get the very best provision they deserve on a daily basis.
Samantha Jordison
HR Manager and Senior DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead)
Beginning her career as an Office Manager and then PA to a Headteacher on the island of Jersey, Samantha’s natural organisational and administrative skills had been honed in various different sectors before she joined EdStart Schools, initially as an Administrator and Attendance Officer. She quickly progressed to the role of HR Administrator, before moving on to her current position as our HR Manager and Senior DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead). Samantha’s day-to-day responsibilities include building and developing strong stakeholder partnerships and promoting positive staff relationships through effective consultation and negotiation. She also provides responsive HR advice and expertise in dealing with organisational change, workforce planning, policies and procedures, as well as ensuring that our schools and sites remain fully compliant with Ofsted regulations.
Louise Kirwin
Head of School (Manchester -Northern Moor)
Louise has worked in education for more than twenty years, with the past decade spent with us at EdStart Schools, where she has become a highly respected and much-loved teacher. Alongside her career in education, she has worked in retail within her family business, developing strong interpersonal and organisational skills. Committed to the highest standards of compassionate education, she is especially dedicated to helping teenagers connect with literature and develop confidence in their learning. An important member of the leadership team at our Manchester school for over 4 years, Louise’s expertise and professionalism has contributed to outstanding GCSE results in both English Language, Literature and Religious Studies, which reflects her skill, care and commitment.
Simon Spencer
Head of School (Salford)
Simon has over 10 years of experience in education and currently serves as Head of School at our Manchester provision. Simon began his career as a Learning Mentor, developing strong skills in behaviour management and classroom support, before progressing into Teaching and then school leadership. Prior to joining EdStart Schools, Simon worked in sports coaching and the care sector, focusing on engaging and educating hard-to-reach children through sport and physical activity.
John Gorner
Head of School (Bury)
John Gorner has nearly 20 years of experience in education, John holds a coaching degree and a PGC. Within the last 5 years John has held numerous roles across the management team from Head of PE, to Head of Curriculum and more recently was promoted to Head of School at our Bury provision. John’s skillset lies in the relationships built with both staff and learners. He has a keen eye for standards and developing the individual to leave EdStart Schools in a better place than when they arrive.
Luke Willis
Area Manager
Luke joined EdStart Schools in 2012 and has risen through the ranks based on his knowledge of Independent School Standards, the local AP and SEN stakeholders needs and most importantly the EdStart Schools model. He has led and managed numerous different EdStart Schools sites and has been deployed to remedy operations when they may have strayed from our processes. As Area Manager Luke is responsible for implementing our systems into new sites, coaching leaders and maintaining an eye on their operations, as well as supporting existing sites and leaders with their standards.