Governance
Members
St Edmundsbury and Ipswich Academies Umbrella Trust
The St Edmundsbury and Ipswich Academies Umbrella Trust is a Corporate founder member of the Trust. The current nominee is Jane Sheat, CEO at the Diocese. Jane has a vast experience working within education. Jane has been Diocesan Director of Education since August 2010. Jane has an important strategic role in relation to academies, school place planning and small schools. She regularly brokers school to school support, supports under-performing schools and works with governors on the appointment of headteachers in church schools. She has 23 years of HR experience in local government, 17 of which working directly with schools.
Pecuniary Interest: Director and CEO at St Edmundsbury and Ipswich Diocesan Multi Academy Trust
Gary McDonald
Gary is appointed as a Member because of his role as Chair of the Directors of the Trust. Gary is a founder Member of the Trust and has been reappointed as Chair of the Board of Directors in December 2019.
No Pecuniary Interest.
Dean Sykes
Dean is currently a Director at Unity Schools Partnership. He is also Operations Director for Inchape PLC with responsibility for their Emerging Markets business which spans Europe, Africa and South America. His career has encompassed a variety of senior leadership positions in multi-site businesses that have ranged from his current automotive role to banking, telecoms and leisure.
Pecuniary Interest: Director at Unity Schools Partnership
DR Kay Maddox-Daines
Kay has extensive experience across the education sector, working within both Higher Education as well as voluntary and professional roles working within Multi Academy Trusts. Kay has numerous published articles on subjects including career development and female management in business and academia.
No Pecuniary Interest.
Trust Directors
Gary McDonald (Chair of Board) - Academy Director.
Gary has been a governor at Thurston CE Primary since 2012 and is the school's nominated Director. With professional experience as a corporate bank manager dealing with high value clients gives him a good eye for finance and the customer skills to deal with all our stakeholders.
Appointed 07/01/16, reappointed 12/12/2019 to serve a further 4 years.
No Pecuniary Interest.
Philip Mackay - Ex-officio Director - CEO
Philip is an ex-officio Director in his capacity as the Chief Executive Officer and Accounting Officer for the Trust.
Phil is currently Chief Executive for Thedwastre Education Trust. Phil's previous career focused on educational charity management within the Higher Education Sector working in a number of leading universities as well as national and regional roles. He is a qualified executive coach and has a Masters in Business Administration. Phil has extensive experience in organisational strategy, HR, finance, health and safety and governance amongst many other things. Phil is passionate about ensuring every child has the best possible opportunities at school to enable them to fulfill their potential. Phil is currently undertaking the National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership through the Ambition Institute.
Appointed 01/09/18.
Pecuniary Interests as follows: Former Chair & Director of Godmanchester Community Education Trust and Interim Chief Executive at Orchard Learning Trust. Employee of the Trust.
Ruth Farrell - Foundation Director
Ruth was born and educated in Australia, moving permanently to England in 1986 to work as an Occupational Therapist in both the NHS and Social Care Services. She was ordained into the Church of England in 2002 and has been the Rector of Woolpit with Drinkstone since 2006. She has been involved in church related children's work for 20 years. She enjoys walking and the cinema.
Appointed 23/02/17
No Pecuniary Interest
Rector, Benefice of Woolpit with Drinkstone, Diocese St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, Church of England.
David Olney - Academy Director
David is a Retired Managing Director of a successful company in UK and overseas; previously he has held the post of COO for Defence Infrastructure. He brings a wealth of experience in the following areas: Corporate management, change management and communications,
finance, accountancy, premises & capital projects, strategic planning, data analysis, business.
Appointed 25/01/18 - Term Ends - 05/12/2021
Self Employed Director at NED WaND Consulting Ltd
ANITA GUERNARI
With over 10 years of experience as a company secretary, in addition to her legal training and qualifications, Anita has substantial experience in advising on regulatory frameworks, compliance and drafting policies and templates on hew legislation. She has also overseen acquisitions and mergers.
Appointed 3/12/2019
No Pecuniary Interest
Rachael Gilbert - Academy Director
Rachael is Director of ReG Solutions. She is an experienced HR professional, providing consultancy services to a wide variety of clients, specialising in HR, Occupational Development and training.
Appointed 5/12/17
No Pecuniary Interest.
Ed Yeldham - Academy Director
Ed was a parent governor at Woolpit Primary School between 2013 - 2019. He is a Qualified Accountant. He is a Finance Director of an £18m turnover business and has been a Company Director since 2006. Ed brings experience of HR & personnel, strategic planning, business and corporate management, change management, communications and sourcing and tendering processes to the Trust.
Appointed 02/05/2019
Ed is a director of the following companies:
Global Chair Components Ltd, Accentuate Group Ltd, Glochair Holdings Ltd, Contract Furniture Group Ltd, Contract Furniture Express Ltd, Bellamy & Britton Ltd, Helo Products Ltd.
Liz Michie - Academy Director
Liz is a Commercial Senior HR Professional within Manufacturing and Distribution plcs and private businesses. She is a Current Trustee/Board Director of Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds and has previously been a Trustee of Focus12 (registered charity). Liz is experienced HR & personnel, Strategic planning, Compliance, Change management, Employment law and a wealth of other Business and corporate management related areas.
Appointed 02/05/2019
No Pecuniary Interest.
Tracy Darby
Tracy is a School Business Professional with over 18 years experience in maintained and academy schools. She has a CSBM, and the DChA (diploma in charity accounting from ICAEW). Tracy is currently self employed as a School Business Professional and as a School Resource Management Adviser working on Resource Management reviews on behalf of the DfE.
Prior to working in education, she was a Department Manager for the John Lewis Partnership.
Tracy is a member of the DFE Academies Working Group 1 (since 2011) whose area of responsibilities includes the Academies Finance Handbook (Content and development) fraud and other areas which the department asks the group to consider from time to time. She has worked as a Business Manager in Primary, Middle, Secondary and SEN schools/academy trusts., with extensive experience relating to academy finance, governance, risk management, procurement, policy creation, internal controls, premises/facility management, people management and project management, including the delivery of multi million pound capital projects on time and within budget.
No Pecuniary Interest.
Appointed 4/01/2021
Governors with Trust Responsibilities
Nicola Prowling - Governor (Chair) Thurston CE Primary Academy
Secondary School Assistant Principal - Mildenhall College
No Pecuniary Interest
Persons of Significant Control
The company knows or has reasonable cause to believe that there is no registrable person or registrable relevant legal entity in relation to the company.
Resigned Members/ Directors
Rob Loe - Member
Rob has huge experience in education as a teacher, senior leader and more recently as head of an education think tank. He holds a doctorate in education from the University of Cambridge and is a Trustee and Director of the Relationships Foundation. Resigned 29/11/17
Mary Myatt
Mary is a former local authority school improvement adviser and has huge experience as an Ofsted inspector and more recently as a highly respected education consultant and speaker. She works in schools talking to pupils, teacher and leaders about learning, leadership and the curriculum.
Resigned 3/12/2019
Rachel Gooch – Academy Director
Thurston Partnership
Resigned 01/09/17
Christopher Robinson - Foundation Director
Tiffer is a governor at Rattlesden CE Primary and has been nominated to the Trust Board by the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. Tiffer is the Rector of St Nicholas church in Rattlesden and is fully involved in the life of the community.
Employee Diocese of St Edmundsbury
Resigned 5/12/17
Sarah Rees - Ex-officio CEO
Former Head of Great Barton C of E Primary School.
No Pecuniary Interest
Resigned 31/08/2018
Neville Horn - Academy Director
Neville has been a governor at Great Barton CE Primary since 2014 and has undertaken key roles in finance and facilities. He has more than 20 years experience as an investment manager, advising individuals, charities, trusts and pension schemes. Neville is the nominated governor for Great Barton.
No Pecuniary Interest
Resigned 4/12/2018
Ann Tate - Academy Director
Ann has been a governor of Rattlesden CE Primary since 2011 and is the school's nominated Director on the Trust board. Her professional experience as former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Northampton and as Chair of Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust give her a keen insight into running complex organisations and the role of the trustee.
Resigned 31/08/2019
Pam Frost - Academy Director
Pam has lived in Woolpit since 1998 and has recently retired from full time work in the NHS having started her career in London as a Registered Nurse. She worked in health care and the NHS for over 30 years and managed sexual health services across Suffolk. Working in sexual health has meant that the health and well being of young people has always been a motivating factor throughout her career. Now working part time, she has time to use her management background and experience of working in the public sector to support the Trust.
Appointed 01/01/16, reappointed 12/12/2019.
No Pecuniary Interest
Registered Nurse and self employed consultant advisor working with Public Health/ Local Authorities and NHS Providers.
Governor Woolpit Primary Academy.
Resigned 16/09/2020