Highly regarded CEO of Peterborough academy trust retires after 31 years of services to education

A special retirement celebration has been held in honour of Stuart Mansell to mark the end of his career in education, spanning over 31 years.

The celebration was held on Thursday (June 27) at Woodston Primary School, part of the OWN Trust, of which Stuart was CEO.

Nene Valley and Orton Wistow primary schools make up the rest of the OWN Trust.

The celebration service featured songs and readings from children across the primary schools. Staff past and present and other leaders of education attended the event.

Colleagues shared their memories of working with Stuart and the Chair of Trustees, Mary Foreman, presented him with leaving gifts and an autograph book of messages from well-wishers.

Stuart had a successful and lengthy career in teaching and served in several different schools both within and outside Peterborough.

He began his teaching career in Peterborough as a reception teacher in 1993 and quickly experienced promotions as a senior leader for EYFS (Early years foundation stage) and SEN (special educational needs). He moved to Cambridgeshire as a deputy head and then a job-share headteacher before returning to Peterborough as headteacher of Nene Valley Primary School in September 2006.

In this role, he carried out work to enable the school to gain International School Status, led a visit to China, and directed the school through three ‘Good’ Ofsted inspections.

Stuart has been involved in numerous activities to support the education sector in Peterborough. He has been a Local Leader of Education, an OFSTED inspector, and a board member for Paragon Teaching School and Peterborough Learning Partnership. He was also a long-serving member of the Peterborough School’s Forum and a trustee of the Stibbington Outdoor Residential Centre.

Since 2019, Stuart has been at the helm of OWN Trust, a multi-academy trust based in Peterborough, which he helped to found along with two other headteachers. A strong, clear, and empathetic leader, Stuart led the Trust and its schools through the Covid pandemic and oversaw the centralisation of trust services and increase in capacity ready for growth. His work and dedication will have a lasting impact on the staff, children, and parents he has served.

Mary Foreman, Chair of Trustees at OWN Trust, commented: “Stuart’s years of dedication and service to Peterborough schools have touched the lives of innumerable adults and young people and will be remembered by so many of us. I would like to thank Stuart for the drive and determination he has put into creating the successful academy trust that OWN is today.”

"Stuart will be much missed by the OWN Trust Community as he embarks on the next chapter of his life. Meanwhile, OWN Trust is in safe hands as it looks to the future when Lorraine Greco, who has been appointed as the new CEO, takes up the position in September.”