Mrs Debbie Westwood - Director of Primary Education (NSMAT) and Executive Principal (PWPS)

As an experienced Headteacher and Senior Leader for the last 10 years and most recently leading the Trust's Primary Schools to achieve excellent outcomes nationally, Debbie has a track record of success with moving schools from requires improvement to outstanding and her passion lies in working with schools in challenging contexts on all areas of school improvement. She has experience of leading more than one school on many occasions and has been a School Improvement Adviser previously in another Multi-Academy Trust with 16 primary schools under her remit. During her time as a Head Teacher her school was awarded the following;

SIAMS Inspection April 2016 – Outstanding; OFSTED Inspection in November 2017 – Outstanding in all areas

SSAT Educational Outcomes National Awards for Closing the Gap for Disadvantaged Pupils, Children’s Attainment in top 20%, Children’s progress in top 10% for 3 consecutive years and ranked top Primary School in the Birmingham Mail, as well as being shortlisted for TES Primary School of the Year. She was also shortlisted for Head Teacher of the Year at the Birmingham Education Awards 2019 and won the Primary School of the Year at the same awards.

Debbie has been with the Nishkam Family since 2020 and in that time has seen two new schools join the Trust. She is currently Executive Principal in Primley Wood in Leeds and is humbled to have been given the opportunity to work with another school that shares the same values and ethos as Nishkam with an education offer based on virtues to develop compassionate pupils with a lifelong love of learning leading to academic excellence.

Mrs Seetle Kaur - Headteacher

Teaching since 2008, Seetle has grown from a passionate teacher to an inspirational leader and is very proud to be the Headteacher of Primley Wood Primary School – a wonderful school that is on a fabulous journey.

Seetle has a love for learning and has had a very successful academic journey. She was awarded a scholarship for outstanding performance at A level - gaining 4 As at A level, was awarded Sociology student of the year, obtained one of the highest Psychology results in England, was awarded the John Hoddar History Award student of the year at University, created dissertations that were ‘worthy to be published’ and gained a first class honours in her Primary Education and History degree. Seetle decided that she wanted to enable others to develop a love for learning and make a difference to the lives of others by becoming a primary school teacher.

Seetle thrived in her first year of being a teacher and as a result was given leadership responsibility in her second year of teaching. She has an excellent understanding of continuity and progression having taught in all year groups from Nursery to Year 6 and has 15 years leadership experience. She has led Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 and has been a SENCO. She previously worked for a very large multi-academy trust and had an open classroom whereby teachers and leaders from other schools entered her classroom to watch her teach. She has been a mentor to several early careers teachers and has trained several teachers through the school direct channel. As a result, Seetle was nominated for an inspirational mentor award.

Seetle has passed the National Qualification of Headship and has been instrumental in the leadership of two previous schools. In her previous headship, she was able to equip the staff to make incredible progress turning a requires improvement school to a very good school in less than a year.

A strong advocate of equality of opportunity, Seetle strongly believes all children should have the right to an excellent education. Seetle is passionate about leading a school that teaches children to be a well-rounded, life-long learner and feels that the Nishkam vision for education to be faith inspired and virtues-led, aspiring for academic excellence is exactly the vision she wanted to represent. She believes a virtues-led approach to learning equips children with a toolkit that is essential in the ever-changing world that we live in today.

Mr Matthew Phillips - Deputy Headteacher

Mr. Phillips has 8 years of experience in leadership across primary schools in Leeds and has developed his skills while being an Early Careers Teacher Lead, Behaviour and SEMH Lead, and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead. As an Assistant Head, he had a specific focus on raising attainment and academic achievement in Key Stage 2 and was required to then support underperforming schools in his previous Trust. Targeting progress and raising standards in the key core subjects, he has a proven track record of improving outcomes and assuring accelerated progress for all.

A believer in equality he spent the first 10 years of his teaching career in the most deprived areas of Yorkshire, striving to provide the best possible education to improve the life chances for all children. While there as Deputy Headteacher he played a pivotal role in guiding the school to a ‘Good’ OFSTED judgement in which they were impressed how leaders had ambition that all children access the highest quality of education.

Mr. Phillips has demonstrated his ability to have a positive impact on many areas of school life. In his time as Curriculum Lead and EAL coordinator, he was able to track and target acquisition of the English Language and use this to accelerate progress for children who were new to English and the UK. This evidences his belief that no barrier should stand in the way of a child’s progress.

His passion lies in English, with a lifelong love of books and literature and a determination that every child is a reader, he sees books as a medium to transform children’s lives and open doors to a world of opportunities. He worked in liaison with the University of Manchester to support Co-op Trust’s Initial Teacher Education provision and delivered to student teachers around best practice in English pedagogy. He is never happier than when working alongside teachers and pupils in the classroom, modelling best practice and providing support and challenge to ensure we have the highest aspirations.

Mr. Phillips believes in potential. Hoping to be the embodiment of his advocacy of lifelong learning, he recently graduated with a Masters in Educational Leadership and Management.

Since arriving at Primley Wood, he has embraced the virtues led approach. Already seeing it reap rewards in children demonstrating virtues that will serve them to be successful learners and more importantly successful citizens as they make the transition from primary school to the next stage in their lives.

Mrs Sarah Rai - Assistant Headteacher

Sarah is a dedicated educator with almost 20 years of experience in primary education, specialising in Early Years and early literacy development. She graduated in 2005 with a BA Honours Degree in Primary Education, focusing on Science and early childhood education (3-7 years).

With a deep-seated passion for early reading and phonics, Sarah has served as a Phonics and Early Reading Lead for the past decade. She firmly believes that reading is the key to academic success and that all children, regardless of their background or starting point, can and should leave school as confident, avid readers.

Sarah's expertise has led her to serve as the Early Years Lead at three different primary schools across Leeds and Bradford, all serving diverse communities. Under her leadership, each of these schools successfully navigated OFSTED inspections, achieving very positive outcomes. Her approach emphasises learning through play, exploration, and the development of enquiring minds.

Currently serving as the Assistant Headteacher at Primley Wood for the past six years, Sarah continues to champion early literacy and inclusive education. She brings her wealth of experience and passion for equitable education to her leadership role, working tirelessly to ensure every child has the opportunity to develop strong reading skills and a lifelong love for learning.

Mr Shaun Scott-Johnson - SENDCO

Teaching since 2015, Shaun has been dedicated to educating children in inner-city schools in Leeds and Bradford, as well as specialising in supporting children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). With a strong commitment to inclusive education, Shaun has served as a class-based mentor, providing guidance and support to both students and colleagues, ensuring that all learners thrive in a nurturing and adaptive environment.

Shaun studied at the University of Roehampton, London, where he built a solid foundation in teaching and learning. As a proud Member of the Chartered College of Teaching, Shaun remains committed to professional excellence and innovation in education, continually refining his approach to meet the diverse needs of students.

Passionate about pastoral care, Shaun sits closely alongside families, recognising the vital role that a strong home-school partnership plays in a child's development. He believes in fostering a culture of high aspirations and kindness, ensuring that every child is equipped to achieve their personal best, both academically and socially.

Shaun is eager to continue supporting the school’s vision of providing inclusive, high-quality education and looks forward to working alongside students, families, and staff to ensure every child thrives.