Mark Foster

Mark leads the Behaviour & Welfare function as Executive School Improvement Lead.

He works closely with Trust Leaders, Academy Principals, Academy DSLs and Pastoral Leaders to ensure that safeguarding, behaviour and welfare systems are consistently exceptional across all LST Academies.

The Behaviour & Welfare function is responsible for embedding a strong, positive school culture; ensuring high‑quality safeguarding practice; improving attendance and welfare systems; and supporting leaders to deliver an outstanding behaviour curriculum. As part of this work, Mark provides support with the line management and development of emerging secondary school leaders, helping to build leadership capacity across the Trust.

Working at a strategic level, he focuses on ensuring that every academy has robust safeguarding provision, clear behaviour expectations and a culture in which students feel safe, supported and ready to learn.

As a Deputy Headteacher at Sedgefield Community College, Mark has managed significant capital build projects and led student behaviour, attendance and safeguarding. More recently Mark began working for the DfE on the Behaviour Hubs project supporting up to ten schools across the country. Immediate impact has been evidenced in the partner schools and has recently contributed to very positive OFSTED outcomes.

In January 2022 Mark joined the LST central team as the Executive School Improvement Lead for Behaviour and Welfare. He currently supports the three secondary phase academies within the trust and continues to support other schools across the country with his work through the Behaviour Hubs project.