Andy Moorcroft

After leaving university Mr Moorcroft moved to New York to work in a school for orphaned children sponsored by the actor, Paul Newman which gave him his first insight into the power of education and the importance of teachers in supporting young people from challenging circumstances. He returned from New York in 1999, having trained to be an English teacher and Mr Moorcroft has spent the last 25 years working in secondary schools across the northwest of England. He has worked in senior leadership for 19 years and took up his first headship at a school serving a deprived community in Warrington. The school was at the bottom of all performance tables when he took over, but during his tenure the school secured funding to build a brand-new school and achieved a Good Ofsted report which was the first in the school’s history. Since then the school has achieved consistently strong results and became the most over-subscribed school in the Warrington.  

Mr Moorcroft used this platform to form a multi-academy trust working with other local headteachers and principals called  The Challenge Academy Trust (TCAT). TCAT was formed in 2017 and consisted of 3 academies. There are now 12 academies in Warrington and TCAT educates nearly 1000 pupils aged between 2 and 19 and employs around 1500 staff with a £57 million turnover.  

Mr Moorcroft became full time Chief Executive Officer of the trust in 2019, helping the Trust cement its position as a strong regional provider. TCAT has a contract with the Department for Education to deliver school improvement work and he acts as National Leader of Education across the region. TCAT is also the regional lead for delivery of the Early Career Framework and the National Professional suite of qualifications and has strong links with the Regional Schools Commissioner. Mr Moorcroft also sits on an advisory board with the Chief Inspector of Ofsted, delivers the National Professional qualification for Executive Leadership across the country and sits on the board of Warrington & Co which is Warrington’s Investment and Regeneration Agency.