{"id":236267,"date":"2025-10-14T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/?p=236267"},"modified":"2025-10-10T13:48:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T12:48:11","slug":"movers-and-shakers-education-partnership-trust-cices-bury-council","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/movers-and-shakers-education-partnership-trust-cices-bury-council\/","title":{"rendered":"Movers and shakers: Education Partnership Trust, CICES, Bury Council"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This week\u2019s movers and shakers include an Olympic wrestler, a Lego collector and a former tree-logger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This column is our fortnightly guide<\/a> to who is moving where in the schools community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are keen to hear about appointments at a senior level. Please send submissions for this section to news@schoolsweek.co.uk<\/a> with \u2018Movers and shakers\u2019 in the subject line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mark Cocker<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

CEO at Education Partnership Trust (EPT)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start date: September<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former role: Deputy CEO, EPT<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interesting fact: Mark competed in Olympic wrestling for Great Britain at the European and world championships, and the Commonwealth Games in 2010.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rachel Hames<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Education outreach manager at the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (CICES)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start date: September<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former role: Teacher, Cragside Church of England Primary School, Northumberland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interesting fact: During the Covid pandemic, Rachel acquired a love of Lego and has built a sizeable collection. She now runs a small Lego business, sharing her passion with other likeminded enthusiasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ben Dunne<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Director of early years, education and skills at Bury Council<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start date: September<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former role: Assistant director of school improvement and pupil progression at Islington Council<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interesting fact: Ben worked as a tree logger when travelling in Australia a lifetime ago. The hardest challenge was disguising his arachnophobia to unforgiving workmates every time a hand-sized Huntsman spider crawled up his arm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Featured mover<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The founder of Oak National Academy will lead a new \u201cdelivery unit\u201d for the Department of Health and Social Care tasked with cutting hospital wait times and improving access to GPs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Matt Hood<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Matt Hood has been appointed as senior adviser to health secretary Wes Streeting, Schools Week revealed this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He will lead a new \u2018delivery unit\u2019 at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), tasked with \u201ctracking and challenging\u201d delivery of key NHS targets such as bringing down hospital waiting times and improving access to GPs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A previous job advert for a director role of the delivery unit described it as bringing a \u201claser-like focus on delivering the reform needed to drive improvement generally across health and care and specifically on the three things that surveys show matter most to the public\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It said the small team would include a mix of internal and external recruits, including those with knowledge of the health system but also \u201cexpertise on delivering strategic and cultural change and policy development and delivery\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Direct ministerial appointment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hood has been appointed as a direct ministerial appointment \u2013 meaning his role will sit within the secretary of state\u2019s office. He started the role, which is paid, last month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DHSC said Streeting had \u201cmade clear his plan for delivery during a period of reform and transformation of the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It added: \u201cMatt will work with the department\u2019s delivery unit to help ensure the Government and department deliver on its commitments, coordinate across the health and care system and provide advice on emerging challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hood, whose background is working in education, was approached for comment. The DHSC said he had held \u201csenior roles in public service delivery and brings direct experience of leading organisations during periods of significant change\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hood stood down from Oak, a government curriculum quango, earlier this year<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is understood he has stepped away from other education positions too, including Ofsted\u2019s curriculum reference group<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hood\u2019s husband, Josh MacAlister, was appointed children\u2019s minister in September<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since leaving Oak and prior to his new job, Hood work<\/a>ed<\/a> with a charity to implement academy reforms in Australia<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prior to Oak, he was chief education officer at teacher training provider Ambition Institute and was an assistant headteacher in Morecambe, after training with Teach First.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hood was awarded an OBE for services to education in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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