The Greenwood Academies Trust (GAT) is a 'not for profit' organisation and was formed in 2009. We currently have 37 open academies educating approximately 18,000 pupils across seven local authority areas including Nottingham City, Nottinghamshire, Leicester City, Northamptonshire, Peterborough and Lincolnshire.
Our Members are the equivalent of shareholders (although of course they do not make any money out of our work). They play an important role in overseeing the work of our Trustees and our financial security.
Our Trustees are accountable for all aspects of our work, including the performance of every one of our academies.
Our Executive Leadership Team can be seen below. Click on each member of the team to view a short biography.
Wayne Norrie
Chief Executive Officer
Wayne Norrie FCCT is a qualified teacher with 23 years of senior leadership experience in the education sector holding roles such as Headship, Senior LA Officer, Department of Education (DfE) Consultant and Senior His Majesty’s Inspector for Ofsted.
Wayne was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Greenwood Academies Trust (GAT) in 2016, the 11th largest multi-academy trust in the Country. GAT currently has 37 academies in the East Midlands and East of England: 25 Primaries, 9 Secondaries, and 3 Special all located in areas with the highest levels of social deprivation in the country with many academies in the Trust having more than 50% of children eligible for Free School Meals.
Shortly after Wayne’s appointment in 2016, a significant number of GAT academies were placed in Special Measures, and were deemed to be Requiring Improvement during an Ofsted inspection of GAT. In addition, a high proportion of academies were in a deficit budgetary position and Trust reserves were in rapid decline.
Under Wayne’s leadership over 93% of academies are now judged as Good or Outstanding with no academy judged as Special Measures. Educational outcomes at all Key Stages are strong and all academies have healthy budgetary positions with the Trust having strong reserves.
More recently, Wayne has been asked by the DfE to advise other Multi-Academy Trusts on leadership issues and safeguarding. In February 2022 Wayne was asked to become the Interim CEO, alongside his role at GAT, of the troubled Evolve Trust in Mansfield.
Wayne is committed to sector collaboration: he mentors new CEOs, is a Trustee of Infinity Academies Trust, a Member of Weaver Academy Trust and a Member of the Advisory Group of the Creative Learning Alliance which brings the Arts to deprived communities.