Mrs Doward was born and bred in Dublin’s fair city, Ireland. Her love of literature led her to Limerick where she studied for her degree in English Literature and Theology. 

The call to teach brought her back to Dublin where she completed her Higher Diploma in Education. She has lived in England since 1999 and took up post as Headteacher of Stretford High School in September 2015.

Mrs Doward has two children and feels that of all the roles she has held in education, it is actually being a ‘mammy’ that has best prepared her to lead Stretford High . In her words, ‘a mammy keeps you safe, supports you, pushes you to be your best, picks you up and brushes you down when you fall and never, ever stops wanting the best for you. That is what drives me in my role as head too.’

Having had a successful career in Animation and TV after leaving Art school, Mrs Kidd decided to go back into education and gained an English Literature and Art History Degree with the Open University and then went on to gained her Master’s Degree in Art History from Manchester University.

Mrs Kidd thereafter qualified as an Art teacher in 2006 and has taught in two schools before taking up the post of Assistant Head for data and curriculum at Stretford High. She was appointed to DeputyHeadteacher in September 2018.

Mrs Kidd has completed her NPQH qualification and is passionate about supporting the Stretford High Community, developing students to be successful both inside and outside the classroom.

Ms Murton originally trained as an actor and has worked with young people for the Youth Service and in schools. She has always had a passion for drama and how it can be used as an educational tool as well as to enlighten and entertain. She believes that creativity is the foundation for all learning and that there are never mistakes in the arts only discoveries.

Ms Murton has been teaching at Stretford High as a drama teacher since 2003 and has been Head of Drama, Head of House and Director of Behaviour for Learning at SHS before being appointed to the role of Assistant Headteacher for KS4.

In May 2020, she was appointed to the role of Deputy Headteacher, focusing on Pastoral & Safeguarding.

Ms Hussain has a background in industry as an Electronics and Computer Systems Engineer and she qualified as a Teacher of Engineering in 2006. Prior to teaching, she worked with the Police Force and Young Offenders where she developed her passion for pastoral, welfare and safeguarding.

She has taught in four different schools during her teaching career and has a great passion for Engineering, Design Technology, STEM and promoting the industry within the school. In this time, she has also achieved a Master’s in Education and Leadership from The University of Manchester. A personal passion for Ms Hussain is travel and discovering new cultures, with this in mind she has embedded the Erasmus+ programme over the years at Stretford High School, led on European exchanges and is the coordinator for various schools in Europe.

Ms Hussain was appointed to the role of Assistant Headteacher in June 2020 and her focus is Behaviour & Attendance.

Originally from Belfast, Ms Edwards moved to Manchester to complete her teaching practice at Manchester Metropolitan University in 2009. She worked as an Advanced Skills Teacher at a school in Oldham before joining Stretford High School as head of Design and Technology in 2016.

In 2017, Ms Edwards took over the Vocational department, bringing together the subjects of Business, Computing, DT, Engineering and Catering. Ms Edwards has a background working in both the Hospitality and Catering industry as well as in Food Manufacturing and has a Masters in Nutrition and Food Management.

As well as her head of department role, Ms Edwards was appointed to Assistant Headteacher in June 2020 and is responsible for raising the attainment of all students through VENNs and ‘So what next’ meetings.

Mr Ahmed has a background in law and started as a trainee teacher at Stretford High School in 2010, going on to gain full time employment as a Teacher of Humanities and Social Sciences in 2011. He completed his NPQML qualification in 2014 followed by his Masters in Education in 2016.

Mr Ahmed has been a student council leader, Head of Department and took up the post of Assistant Headteacher in September 2018.

Mr Ahmed believes in developing the whole student with a lifelong love for learning.

A Yorkshire teacher on the wrong side of the Pennines; Ms Eggleton has a life long love of reading, leading to studying English Literature at Lancaster University. After graduating, Ms Eggleton started her teaching career as a Teach First participant at Stretford High School in 2009, teaching English. Three years later Ms Eggleton left Stretford to work; first as English teacher at a school in Altrincham; and then as assistant head of the English at a school in Salford. During this time she achieved a Masters in Education and Leadership from The University of Manchester and completed her NPQML qualification.

After four years away, the pull to return to Stretford was too great and Ms Eggleton was thrilled to rejoin the school in 2016 as Head of English, joining the leadership team as Assistant Headteacher in 2018. Although she will always call Yorkshire home, Ms Eggleton is very proud to be a Stretfordian too.

After graduating in Sheffield in 2014, Mr Moloney taught there for two years before returning home to Manchester where he joined a local school as second in Science.

In 2017 Mr Moloney was thrilled to join Stretford High School as Head of Science and in 2018 completed the NPQML programme. He joined the senior leadership team as Assistant Headteacher in June 2020 and is responsible for home learning, remote learning and whole school intervention. He has also retained his role as Head of Science.

Mr Moloney is passionately committed to the Stretford High School community and to improving the lives of the young people that come through its doors.

Mr Sarwar grew up in Manchester and has close ties with the local community. With experience in the finance industry, Mr Sarwar transitioned to education in 2005. Since then, he has been sharing his passion for learning as a dedicated secondary school maths teacher.

Mr Sarwar holds a degree in Economics from the University of Salford, a PGCE qualification from the University of Manchester, and a Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of Birmingham. Mr Sarwar completed his NPQSL (National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership) in 2021. Mr Sarwar taught in two other schools as an Advanced Skill Practitioner prior to joining Stretford High School as the Head of Maths in 2016.

In 2024, Mr Sarwar took up the post of Assistant Headteacher, focusing on growing thinkers and teaching & learning.

Mr Brooks achieved his AAT Level 4 qualification in conjunction with a diploma in Business Management in 2016. Prior to starting his journey with Stretford High School, Mr Brooks had worked within the leisure industry with a not for profit organisation across multiple sites as Finance Assistant and progressed through the team to Finance Supervisor.

In 2018, Mr Brooks joined Stretford High School as Head Of Finance and in April 2020 moved to Business Manager within the Senior Leadership Team. Mr Brooks is dedicated to the smooth operation of all business aspects of school life and ensuring quality of education for all students.

Mrs Counsell joined the Board of Governors in June 2017 and was elected to the role of Chair in September 2018. She is the Link Governor for Health & Safety.
Mrs Counsell is a senior HR specialist and has previously served as a Governor in another school.
She is a Trafford resident. Mrs Counsell has an honours degree in Business Studies with History, a law degree and postgraduate qualifications in Human Resources management. Mrs Counsell is a Chartered Member of the CIPD, holds the NEBOSH general certificate and therefore specialises in a Health & Safety and HR background.

Mrs Marris joined the Board of Governors in October 2023 and is a Marketing Director with a background in consumer healthcare. Her expertise includes brand strategy, business planning, financial analysis, and people development. Mrs Marris actively engages in healthcare industry initiatives and has worked with NHS England to improve patient safety and quality of care. Beyond her professional achievements, Mrs Marris is dedicated to empowering young individuals, guiding them to explore diverse career paths, and supporting them in achieving their ambitions. She volunteers as a Keynote Speaker for Working Options in Education and served as a Business Mentor for Young Enterprise.

Mr Ahmed was elected to the Board as a Parent Governor in November 2015, becoming a Co-opted Governor in November
2019. Mr Ahmed is an accountant and brings his professional expertise as Chair to the Finance & Personnel Committee.
He lives locally and away from work enjoys family time, cooking, football and music.

Joanne is an experienced School Governor, educator and school leader. She graduated in 2005 from St Martin’s College, Ambleside with a BA Hons in Education with QTS and has since gained her NPQH. She has worked in 5 different schools across 3 different LEAs and has held a wide range of roles within these. She is passionate about ensuring that every child has the right provision in place to enable them to thrive. Joanne has 3 children and enjoys spending time outdoors – particularly in the rain!

Mrs Doward joined the School as Headteacher in September 2015. Born in Dublin, Ireland, Mrs Doward is the youngest of 10 children and was the first in her family to go to university. She gained her degree in English and Theology from the
University of Limerick and a higher diploma in education in
University College Dublin whilst balancing many jobs – waitress, cleaner, shop assistant, take-away server, and assembly worker in a factory as well as spending a year teaching English in Slovakia. In the UK, she started her career in education as an English & RE teacher and has been a Head of Year, Head of Department, Assistant Headteacher, school improvement advisor and Deputy Headteacher before joining
Stretford High.
She is a mum of two girls. She says the skills and knowledge she gained in each step of her life help her every day to be a
Headteacher, from being the youngest child in a busy house to being the mum of two wonderful children and every single job in between.
They all taught her the key to being happy: whatever you do,
wherever you are – act with a loving heart, determined mind and always do your best!

Sophie joined the Board of Governors in April 2024 as the Local Authority appointed Governor. Sophie is a resident of Trafford and since being in school has pursued a career in which supporting children and young people was at the heart of the role, working in breakfast and afterschool clubs whilst in college to then completing her degree in Applied Psychology and a Master’s degree in Child Psychology. Sophie has worked with children, young people and families through intensive family support in Central Manchester and is currently the Safeguarding Partnership Manager for children in Trafford, a role that she takes great pride in, ensuring that all services that support young people are working well together to provide better outcomes for our children. Sophie is a mum to a 4 year old, a hockey player and coach, and loves to paint (particularly anything with a sea!)

Mr Lloyd-Bailey joined the Board of Governors in April 2024 and works in Aerospace Policy at the Department of Business and Trade. He studied at the University of Sheffield obtaining an Undergraduate Degree in English and Philosophy and a Master’s Degree in Applied and Professional Ethics from the University of Leeds. Before joining the Civil Service, he spent a year as a university lecturer in South China. Having worked in the Civil Service for a number of years in a range of government departments and various roles such as in tax compliance investigations, green energy research programmes and the judiciary he brings a range of expertise in project management, fiscal responsibility, and green energy. Alongside this, he is a passionate advocate of improving access to further education opportunities for high school students, working as a mentor and delivering talks and events supporting students’ in exploring opportunities beyond education.

Mr Gichki joined the Board of Governors in September 2023 as a co-opted Governor. He is based in Manchester and specialises in youth engagement and strategic governance – currently co-chairing the #iWill Movement, the country’s leading youth voice and social action movement. Mr Gichki is also a trustee for Young Roots, Intergenerational England, Manchester City of Sanctuary and Euro Youth Mental Health, focusing on EDI, wellbeing and youth engagement. He also takes part in co-production and research within the field of youth and adolescent mental health with the likes of Mental Health Foundation, University of Oxford and King’s College London.

Abdul is an experienced Head Teacher of a local all-through faith school that has significantly expanded over the last decade, a former lawyer, co-founder and volunteer of a religious burial service, a foster carer and a Man Utd fan. He graduated from SHS in 1992 and is delighted to now be in a position to represent the parents interests and simultaneously ‘give something back’ to the school.

Mr Moloney joined Stretford High School in 2017 as Head of Science. In 2020 he joined the Senior Leadership Team as an Assistant Headteacher and was appointed as Staff Governor in 2023. In School Mr Moloney oversees home learning, whole school intervention, parent engagement and the implementation of the school information management system.

Mr Moloney is passionately committed to the Stretford High School community and improving the lives of the young people that come through its doors.