Luminous Oak Academy

Meet Our Staff Team

Staff (ID 1506)

Louisa Paston

Principal

Louisa Paston

Every child deserves to feel safe, understood and happy when they come to school, this belief sits at the centre of everything I do. My leadership is rooted in warmth, honesty and high expectation, and I care deeply about building trusting relationships because when children feel truly seen and valued, they flourish.

I will officially join Luminous Oak Academy as Principal in 2026, but I am beginning early work with Solent Academies Trust so that our school opens as a place that feels welcoming, nurturing and ready for our children and families. Luminous Oak is a rare and precious opportunity to build something life-changing for children whose lives hold both complexity and remarkable potential.

Hobbies and interests:
When the weather is right, I love paddle boarding. I also love gardening, reading, chatting with my family who live in great holiday destinations, and going for long walks with my boys and our dog, Rosie.

What excites me about my role:
My connection to Solent Academies Trust is both professional and personal. As a parent within the Trust, I have seen first-hand the compassion and creativity that drive its schools.I feel truly privileged to be able to join the trust as Principal of Luminous Oak Academy. With our staff and pupils, we will develop a place where nurture and ambition sit side by side a warm, calm and purposeful community. I am excited to build a school where children feel safe, celebrated and encouraged to grow in confidence and independence, and where families feel held, welcomed and genuinely understood".

Qualifications
Thrive Licensed Practitioner
NPQH
PGCE (MFL)
MSc Sustainability (Distinction)
BA (Hons) French & Politics of Development
Sharon Burt

Chief Executive Officer
Sharon Burt

Professional experience:
I wholeheartedly understand the importance of every child feeling safe and happy to come to school. At Solent Academies Trust we proudly place pupils and their families at the heart of all decision making, and our senior leaders facilitate high performing teams to be innovative, courageous, forward thinking, and ambitious for our community, and beyond.

I am passionate about driving high standards in education to achieve the very best outcomes for young people, and I have greatly enjoyed every minute of my 25 years teaching and leading in a broad range of specialist and mainstream settings.

Our executive team and I are unwavering in our expectations for high quality leadership and governance, strong partnerships, effective change management, innovative project developments, and coherent business functions which enable our trust to grow and thrive with capacity and integrity.

Together we promote entrepreneurial challenge and innovation to impact widely on our self-improving school led system, improve equality of opportunity and increase social mobility for all our community. Current projects include establishing a city wide Inclusive Employability Hub, expansion of specialist provision including holistic therapies and services, and extending opportunities for training and employment for young people with complex needs and disabilities.

I have been a Specialist Leader in Education since 2012 (Leadership and Management, SEND and Safeguarding), and place a high importance on using enquiry led learning as the flywheel to accelerating improvement in the classroom.

My experience spans a broad range of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities including Autism, speech, language and communication difficulties, complex learning/ medical needs and social, emotional and mental health needs. Specialist expertise also includes sensory integration approaches, attachment awareness and use of PACE.
Qualifications:
- BSc (Hons) Social Policy & Criminal Justice

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Meet Our Staff Team

Louisa Paston

Sharon Burt