Biography
Ben Stickley is Chief Executive Officer and Accounting Officer of SECAT, a multi-academy trust serving over 3,500 pupils across six schools, spanning nursery, primary, secondary, and specialist provision. With a £30 million annual budget and a diverse community across Southend, Ben leads the strategic and operational direction of the Trust, ensuring high-quality education from ages 2 to 18. His leadership is rooted in a deep understanding of school improvement, particularly in areas of high deprivation and complex need.
With 12 years of senior leadership experience across primary, secondary, and special education, Ben brings a rare breadth of insight to system-level strategy. He is a Chartered HR professional (Chartered FCIPD), holds two Level 7 financial qualifications, and has served as a School Resource Management Adviser (SRMA) for the Department for Education since 2018.Alongside his executive role, Ben is an experienced trustee and advisory board member, currently Chair of the Southend Schools Forum and Chair of Governors at his local primary school. His work reflects a commitment to ethical leadership, financial stewardship, and inclusive improvement across the education system.
Why have I joined nEdEx?
Ben Stickley has joined the nEdEx advisory board to help foster a more collaborative, connected trust secto - one that prioritises mutual support, shared learning, and sector-wide development. As someone who actively champions initiatives that bring genuine benefit to education, Ben sees nEdEx as a timely and powerful opportunity to address the isolation often felt by executive leaders and to build a network rooted in trust, openness, and collective ambition.
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He believes that multi-academy trusts have too often operated in silos, missing opportunities for partnership and progress. Through nEdEx, Ben is committed to helping shift that culture - leading from the front to create spaces where leaders can come together, challenge constructively, and grow together. He brings a cross-phase perspective, deep operational expertise, and a passion for sector improvement. For Ben, nEdEx is not just a network - it’s a chance to reshape how trusts relate to one another, unlocking the potential of collaboration to drive lasting impact for pupils, staff, and communities.