Pamela McIlroy

Chief Operating Officer, Pinnacle Learning Trust

Pam McIlroy is Chief Operating Officer of the Pinnacle Learning Trust, based in Oldham in the North West. She joined Oldham Sixth Form College in its opening year, 1992, working in the student services team and in 2013 became vice principal. When the college established the Pinnacle Learning Trust, together with a local secondary school in 2017, Pam took on trust responsibilities for HR, IT/MIS and data protection. As trust grew to also include one junior and two primary schools, Pam was appointed COO. Together with the CFO, Pam leads the central services for the trust. Pam is passionate about creating a culture of support and belonging, to enable the trust to achieve its mission of 'transforming the lives of all our young people'.

1 Workshops series two

The evolving employer policy landscape: Responding to reform

The employer policy landscape is evolving rapidly. This session will focus on how trusts can successfully navigate the implications of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and the Employment Rights Bill, as well as how to cultivate and maintain positive relationships with unions. Join this interactive workshop to gain a deeper understanding of the impacts of current policy on your teams and wider trust.

1 Workshops series one

Building a culture of trust: Strengthening staff voice and wellbeing in schools

This session explores how trust-wide culture can be intentionally built to support staff voice, wellbeing, and belonging. Drawing on the journey of the Pinnacle Learning Trust, participants will examine how leadership visibility, transparent communication, and small, meaningful gestures contribute to a climate of trust. The workshop will highlight Pinnacle’s practical strategies to ensure staff feel heard, supported, and valued. We'll consider how language, values, and distributed leadership shape inclusive staff experiences and retention. Through reflection and discussion in the room, attendees will identify actionable steps to strengthen psychological safety, enable honest feedback loops, and create structures where staff thrive. This session is ideal for leaders looking to move beyond reactive wellbeing offers, towards a whole-trust culture of mutual respect and empowerment.