Katherine Staples

Chief Operating Officer, Manor Hall Academy Trust

Kate Staples is the Chief Operating Officer of Manor Hall Academy Trust, a school trust dedicated to creating inclusive, thriving school communities where every student can succeed. Since her appointment in January 2020, she has played a central role in shaping the trust’s operational strategy and supporting its mission to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and young people. As COO, Kate leads on all aspects of business operations, including human resources, estates, procurement, health and safety, data protection, and policy development. She works closely with schools to ensure the right systems and structures are in place, enabling staff to focus on what matters most - students. Kate studied Performance and Visual Arts at the University of Birmingham and later completed a postgraduate qualification in Charity and Social Enterprise Management at Anglia Ruskin University.

Hall 11b

1 Series two

Leveraging the levy: the strategic role of teaching apprenticeships

This session is designed for trusts looking to make strategic use of the apprenticeship levy to strengthen their workforce pipeline, improve retention, and maximise public funding. The levy is widely underutilised, often due to misconceptions about its relevance and complexity. This workshop will address myths surrounding the levy, offering a clear, operationally focused overview of how trusts can leverage the levy to upskill teaching assistants and support staff into qualified teacher roles, without incurring debt or diverting core budgets. Attendees will hear directly from trust leaders who have integrated teaching apprenticeships into their workforce strategy, sharing insights on implementation, impact, and talent development.