Our team

Alexis Johnson

Alexis joined the Trust in 2019 and has been involved in SEND education for the majority of his career. He started his career as a Lecturer at Hartlepool College teaching A Level, Access to HE and GCSE but found his vocation teaching the Learning Support classes which inspired him to work in the field of SEND.  For the last 15 years he has held a variety of senior leadership positions in charities that support children, young people and adults with additional needs with a focus on education, training and care.

He is currently a partner governor at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospital and an Associate Trustee at an educational charity that supports people with Autism. He is also the Responsible Individual for Dickson House children’s home which is part of the Trust. His mum was brought up in a children’s home and then fostered so he appreciates the value of high-quality care during childhood. 

He does enjoy spending time with family especially by the seaside or abroad with his wife and two daughters. He enjoys travel, music, reading and football and is a keen supporter of Middlesbrough FC who he has been following for over 40 years. He has the wrinkles to prove it! He does love learning whether it’s an idea, a theory or a skill which is one of his core values along with humility, positivity, leadership, humour, gratitude, equality and perseverance.

Phil Carter

Phil joined the organisation in 2010 becoming the first senior HR appointment to the Trust Executive Board. Prior to this he held senior HR positions as Head of HR, Group HR Manager and Divisional HR Manager operating in the Construction and Civil Engineering, Rail Engineering and Manufacturing sectors.

As a Chartered Member of the CIPD and a respected HR generalist with over thirty years of experience as a HR professional his specialist fields are in Employee Relations, Strategic HR Management and Employment Law.

Outside of work he pursues a lifelong passion for music and photography, often combining the two in his work as a freelance live music photographer at concerts and festivals around the UK. 

He regards his move of fifteen years ago into the specialist education sector as being by far the most fulfilling and rewarding time of his career and considers it a privilege to work alongside such a dedicated and committed workforce on a daily basis.

Natalie Firth

Natalie has worked for the Trust since 2006, first as the Deputy Manager of the Nursery, progressing to the role of Manager in 2011, before becoming Director of Quality and Support Services in 2024.

She has a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Studies and a National Professional Qualification in Executive Leadership (NPQEL). Natalie spends all of her free time with her husband, their three boys and their little French Bulldog, Max.

She spends most weekends being ‘footy mum’ cheering the boys on from the side lines. She loves going on family holidays, taking walks on the beach and going to the cinema.

Saleem Rafiq

Saleem joined the organisation in May 2025 and is a member of the Trust Executive Board. He is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and holds a Mathematics Degree from the University of Warwick.

Saleem is passionate about the power of education to change lives and has experience of working across different educational settings including school, college, and university.

In his free time he’s an avid reader, and finds running and walking great ways to unwind and reflect. He also enjoys sports and especially those that involve hitting a ball around a court – whether it’s tennis, squash, or pickleball.

Helen Goddard

Helen has worked for the Trust since 2010, first as a Team Supervisor, then as Deputy Manager within the Nursery. She is a qualified Early Years Teacher and has a BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Studies. She recently achieved the National Professional Qualification in Early Years Leadership and is currently studying towards achieving a level 7 in Leadership. 

Helen likes to spend her free time with her son, friends and family. She loves to travel and go on holidays abroad and spends most weekends taking her little boy to play football.

Helen’s favourite part of working in the Nursery is watching the children grow and develop and supporting families along the way. She is extremely proud to work in the Nursery and appreciates the impact the staff have on the children in their care.

Sarah Barton

Sarah joined us in 2025 and has 24 years of experience in the education sector. 

Her most recent post was Assistant Director and Head of Education, Skills and Work at HMP Doncaster.  In this role, she set and led the strategic direction for all educational initiatives.  Prior to this, Sarah led the Service for Deaf Education at City of Doncaster Council after initially working as a Primary School teacher where her love of teaching deaf children started.

Sarah said: “I am thrilled to take up the post of headteacher at Doncaster School for the Deaf. My career has been dedicated to supporting and empowering d/Deaf children and young people, and I am passionate about creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment.”

Kate Warner

Kate has worked at Doncaster Deaf Trust since 2002. She started her journey as a residential care worker at Doncaster School for the Deaf and quickly progressed to a team leader. Over the years, she has worked in College and School, running the residential provisions but in 2011, she became the Registered Manager for the Children’s home onsite.

Kate absolutely loves her job, with every day being different and exciting. From management duties, to working on shift and Ofsted inspections, she covers it all. Her main purpose is to ensure that as a team, they help to create a safe and nurturing environment, whereby children have the opportunity to have a positive childhood experience, with the best possible outcomes.

In her spare time, Kate is a mother of two children. Both have additional needs, which gives her a greater appreciation for her role. She loves to swim and after donating half of her liver to her daughter who needed a liver transplant in 2013, she took part in the British Transplant Games for 3 consecutive years, winning a Gold, Silver and bronze medal in the Live Donor races.

Tracey Jamison

Tracey has dedicated 18 years of her career to our college, making a profound impact on the lives of students and staff alike. She joined the college when it was ‘Doncaster College for the Deaf’, initially stepping in to cover a six-week application period. During this time, she fell in love with the college’s mission and quickly immersed herself in supporting deaf students with SEND needs, realising she had found her calling.

Throughout her career, Tracey has held various positions, including Transition Coordinator, Transition Manager, Senior Curriculum Manager, Deputy Principal, and now Acting Principal. Her leadership style is distinctly person-centred, always keeping students at the heart of her decisions. Tracey’s unwavering commitment, energy, passion, and vision have driven her to enhance the student experience and maintain supportive learning environments.

Tracey shares, “I believe in the power of education to transform lives. My goal is to ensure every student feels valued, supported, and empowered to achieve their full potential.”

Outside of work, Tracey enjoys spending time with her family and friends, embracing life to the fullest through activities such as walking, camping, holidaying, and attending live music events. She doesn’t take herself too seriously and loves to laugh. Tracey is also deeply involved in her children’s activities, cheering them on from the sidelines of football matches and through the window at gymnastics.

Tina Rafferty

Tina has worked for the Trust for over 8 years. She is very community minded and invested a lot of time volunteering in her local area providing activities for 4 to 18 year olds and employability/training for adults and was a District Councillor from 2010 to 2015.

She had previously worked in the Welfare to Work Industry for 15 years. Having spent a lot of her career working with individuals who had multiple barriers that deemed them unemployable, she soon realized the positive impact that was created given the right support.

She believes that anyone who wants to work should be given every opportunity that has huge benefits to not only the individual but also the communities in which they live.

Helen Goddard

Helen has worked for the Trust since 2010, first as a Team Supervisor, then as Deputy Manager within the Nursery. She is a qualified Early Years Teacher and has a BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Studies. She recently achieved the National Professional Qualification in Early Years Leadership and is currently studying towards achieving a level 7 in Leadership. 

Helen likes to spend her free time with her son, friends and family. She loves to travel and go on holidays abroad and spends most weekends taking her little boy to play football.

Helen’s favourite part of working in the Nursery is watching the children grow and develop and supporting families along the way. She is extremely proud to work in the Nursery and appreciates the impact the staff have on the children in their care.

Emily Plant

Natalie Allison

Sharon Hawksworth

Kim Simons

Tracey

About me

I’m the Principal of Yorkshire Rose College and part of the senior leadership team within The Carr Fenton Foundation. I work closely with staff, students, governors and partners to make sure our college continues to be a safe, inclusive and ambitious place for young people and adults with SEND.

What I do

In simple terms, my role is to lead the college’s vision, quality and day-to-day direction. This includes safeguarding, curriculum development, staff wellbeing, quality assurance and working with external partners to make sure we’re providing the very best opportunities for our students.

No two days are ever the same — my time is usually split between working with staff teams, listening to student voice, meeting with parents/carers and stakeholders, and planning for the future.

How I support students

Students are at the heart of every decision I make. I believe strongly in listening to student voice and making sure our learners feel heard, valued and empowered. My approach is always person-centred, strengths-based and rooted in inclusion.

Something students can always come to me about is anything that doesn’t feel right for them — whether that’s learning, wellbeing or making our college even better.

What I enjoy most

The part of my role I enjoy most is seeing students grow in confidence, independence and self-belief. I’m especially proud when I see teams working together creatively to remove barriers and find solutions that really work for individual students.

My values

Inclusion, kindness and high expectations are really important to me. I believe that every student deserves to be seen for who they are and supported to achieve more than they thought possible.

A little more about me

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with family, getting outdoors when I can, and celebrating the successes of the people around me — especially our amazing staff and students. I’m also a proud Manchester United supporter, so there’s usually some football chat not far away!

Lisa Tansley

Joanne Ellis

Michael Ibbotson

Felicity Nicholson

Julie Hamshaw

Chris Brawn

Penny Brownson

Vicky Shirt

Sam Cartwright

Julie Wright