The 125 leaders in the running for a place on the Confederation of School Trusts’ new policy advisory council have been revealed.
Drawing on CEOs, executives and trustees from each region, the group will be launched to provide feedback and insight on policy issues facing trusts.
It will not be a decision-making body, but will act as a “representative forum that can support CST in developing policy positions and speaking for the sector to external policy makers, including ministers”.
Members have until Friday October 25 to vote for who they want to represent their region.
Writing for Schools Week in July, CST deputy chief executive Steve Rollett said: “We are particularly keen to receive nominations from trust leaders from diverse backgrounds as we believe the sector can do more to be representative of the full richness of our communities.
“We will of course continue to engage with CST members through our usual channels; the council’s role is to supplement this by getting into more detail on specific issues.”
The elected group – for which voting opened yesterday – will consist of two accounting officers per region, one executive leader per region, two trustees nationally and two SEND or AP leaders altogether.
CST will appoint up to four more members to “ensure broad representation across demography, trust size and expertise.
Here are the nominees…
1. East Midlands
Accounting officers
Sean Kelly, Raleigh Education Trust CEO
Rebecca Meredith, Transform Trust CEO
Chris Wheatley, Flying High Trust CEO
Andrew Burns, Redhill Academy Trust CEO
Executive leaders
Annette Montague, Greenwood Academies Trust chief education officer
Claire Pannell, Anthem Schools Trust director of governance
Laura Lowe, Lincoln Anglican Academy Trust director of HR
Nimish Lad, Creative Education Trust head of curriculum development
2. East of England
Accounting officers
Lucy Scott, Eastern Learning Alliance CEO
Andrew Cooper, South East Essex Academy Trust CEO
Stuart Lock, Advantage Schools CEO
Catherine Stalham, South Essex Academy Trust
Julian Dutnall, LIFE Education Trust CEO
Dr Tim Coulson, Unity Schools Partnership CEO
Owen Jenkins, Broad Horizons Education Trust CEO
Executive leaders
Jonathan Lewis, The Diamond Learning Partnership Trust chief financial and operation officer
Oliver Phillips, Aspire Schools Trust CFO
Sharon Carlyon, Inclusive MAT COO
Jonathan Mountstevens, Beaumont School deputy headteacher
Chris Marks, Danes Educational Trust director of education
Marios Solomonides, BMAT Education director of SEND
3. London
Accounting officers
Tim Plumb, PolyMAT CEO
Simon London, Empower Learning Academy Trust CEO
David Boyle, The Dunraven Educational Trust CEO
Marino Charalambous, North Star Community Trust CEO
Jane Flynn, Children First Academy Trust CEO
Anthony Wilson, Newham Community Learning CEO
Dame Alice Hudson, Twyford CofE Academies Trust CEO
Ash Ali, Every Child, Every Day Academy Trust CEO
Roger Leighton, Partnership Learning CEO
Dr Nicola Crossley, Liberty Academy Trust CEO
Executive leaders
Frances Lorente, Ivy Learning Trust director of governance
Lucy Bruce, The Collegiate Trust director of performance and quality
Shareen Wilkinson, LEO Academy Trust executive director of education
Ben Levinson, The Tapscott Learning Trust executive headteacher
Caroline Doherty, Ark Schools head of public affairs
4. North East
Accounting officers
Andy Brown, Ad Astra Academy Trust CEO
Stuart McGhee, Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust CEO
Nichole Munro, Tees Valley Collaborative Trust CEO
Nick Blackburn, Lingfield Education Trust CEO
Christina Jones, River Tees MAT CEO
Mike Butler, The Education Village Academy Trust CEO
Zoe Carr, WISE Academies CEO
Executive leaders
Simon Oxenham, Woodard Academies Trust COO
Peter Willey, Ad Astra Academy Trust school improvement lead
Helen Durnion, Ad Astra Academy Trust school improvement lead
5. North West
Accounting officers
Matt Snelson, The Sir John Brunner Foundation CEO
Professor Andrew Wren, South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust CEO
Pete Taylor, Audenshaw School Academy Trust principal
Executive leaders
Helen Arya, Oasis Community Learning deputy CEO
Kathryn McBurnie, The Sir John Brunner Foundation chief financial and operations officer
John Shannon, Frank Field Education Trust director of education
Tom Martell, Cumbria Education Trust director of strategic school improvement
Sam Gibbs, Greater Manchester Education Trust trust lead for curriculum and development
6. South East
Accounting officers
Jack Mayhew, Learning Partners Academy Trust CEO
Amanda Parry, HISP MAT CEO
David Harris, Engage Enrich Excel Academies CEO
Garret Fay, Insignis Academy Trust CEO
David Meades, Samphire Star Education Trust CEO
Sarah Bennett, Inspiring Futures Through Learning CEO
Pan Panayiotou, South Downs Education Trust CEO
Owen McColgan, The Howard Academy Trust CEO
Paul Kennedy, The Good Shepherd Trust CEO
Executive leaders
Benedicte Yue, River Learning Trust CFO
Jonathan Roddick, The Howard Partnership Trust director of education
Richard Tyson, Tenax Schools Trust director of workforce development and ethos
Melanie Saunders, Inspiring Futures Through Learning head of school improvement
7. South West
Accounting officers
Dr Jen Blunden, Truro and Penwith Academy Trust CEO
Tom Campbell, E-ACT CEO
Dan Morrow, Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust CEO
Bernie Green, Preston Primary Academy Trust CEO
Liz West, Initio Learning Trust CEO
Matthew Shanks, Education South West CEO
Dave Baker, The Olympus Academy Trust CEO
Adam Matthews, Extend Learning Academies Network (ELAN) CEO
James Passmore, Pickwick Academy Trust CEO
Executive leaders
Cliona Brown, E-ACT director of early years and early reading
Siobhan Meredith, The Ted Wragg MAT executive director of education
Peter Knight, Oasis Community Learning regional director south west secondary academies
8. West Midlands
Accounting officers
Rebecca Cox, Hales Valley Trust CEO
Jo Morgan, Shaw Education Trust CEO
Mark Unwin, Create Partnership Trust CEO
Peter Cooper, Heart of Mercia CEO
Carla Whelan, Empower Trust CEO
Edward Vitalis, Invictus Education Trust CEO
Dawn Haywood, Windsor Academy Trust CEO
Emily Verow, Three Spires Trust CEO
Matthew Meckin, The Rivers C of E Multi Academy Trust CEO
Tom Rees, Ormiston Academies Trust CEO
Cathie Paine, REAch2 Academy Trust CEO
Executive leaders
Paul Drew, The Lighthouse Federation COO
Tracy Goodyear, The Mercian Trust director of teacher development
Katy Khandeparker, SHINE Academies governance and compliance manager
Dr Herminder Channa, Oasis Community Learning regional director
9. Yorkshire and the Humber
Accounting officers
Rowena Hackwood, Astrea Academy Trust CEO
Shirley Watson, Beckfoot Trust CEO
John McNally, SHARE Multi Academy Trust CEO
Warren Carratt, Nexus MAT CEO
Richard Sheriff, Red Kite Learning Trust CEO
Executive leaders
Marie-Claire Bretherton, Waterton Academy Trust deputy CEO
Dave Barber, Ebor Academy Trust director of education
Jenny Thompson, Dixons Academies Trust school trust leader
10. National SEND/AP representatives
Rob Gasson, Wave Multi Academy Trust CEO
Ann-Marie Oliver, Ethos Academy Trust director of rducation/central DSL
Sue Prickett, Eastern Education Group Trust group director of finance and operations
Claire Thomson Deputy, Tarka Learning Partnership CEO
Nicole Dempsey, Dixons Academies Trust director of SEND and safeguarding
Sarah Johnson, The Skylark Partnership Trust trustee
David Walker, Horizons Specialist Academy Trust interim director of governance
Lisa Henshall, St Barts Multi Academy Trust SEND strategic lead
Angela Holdsworth, The Sea View Trust CEO
Laura Howieson School, Initio Learning Trust improvement lead – inclusion
Kelly Dryden, Open Thinking Partnership executive headteacher
Sarah Martin, Greenwood Academies Trust education director – special academies
Rebecca Rathmell, Ad Astra Academy Trust trust SEND specialist lead
Dr Paul Van Walwyk, Ambitious about Autism Schools Trust director of education
Polly Matthews, Blackdown Education Trust headteacher
11. National trustee representative
Mary Curnock Cook, River Learning Trust trustee
Fiona McSorley, The Collegiate Trust trustee
Keith Bardsley, The Collective Community Trust senior school quality assurance officer
Rama Venchard MBE, London South East Academies Trust chair of trustees
Stephen Hopkins, Community Inclusive Trust chair
Richard Sloan, Venturers Trust chair of trustees
Dr James Rogers, Durrington MAT trustee
Chris Jones, South Essex Academy Trust vice chair and committee chair of trust
