Term of office 09/07/2012 - Present
I currently lead a small team of IT specialists for a large media company. This role requires me to work with people from different disciplines and analyse and balance many different needs. Recent and ongoing massive technical change in the industry, along with company mergers, acquisitions and reorganisations, means I am used to leading and delivering organisational change.
During my time as chair of governors at Thomas Estley the College has been through considerable change, including academy conversion and rapid development of the teaching school and now age-range change and appointment of a new principal, whilst maintaining high quality provision, progress and attainment for the students. I’ve lead the governors through changes to be more engaged, more active and more effective. Governance was highlighted as accurate and effective in a peer review in the autumn term.
I participated in an early cohort of National College Chairs of Governors Leadership Development programme and have since used principles from the programme to lead training and discussion groups for local governors.
I have a passionate belief in inclusive and comprehensive education. The formation and development of the multi-academy trust offers opportunities t improve outcomes for young people, increase the rate and sustainability of those improvements and provide a strong organisation to ensure those improvements are sustained.
Term of office 12/04/2021 - Present
Chris Freeman has worked in Education for over 30 years and has always been passionate about lifelong learning and Community Education. Qualifications include Bachelor of Education (honours) and Master of Arts in Education.
Chris initially taught Physical Education and Biology. She has worked in four different schools and spent two years in Canada line managing seven Out of School Clubs and Nurseries, training Adult Fitness Instructors and as Youth Programme Director.
Positions of responsibility include Head of Girl’s Physical Education, Lead for Expressive Arts and Head of Year 11.
Chris was Vice Principal at Thomas Estley Community College for over 18 years. She was a Governor at Hallbrook Primary School, responsible for Extended Services across the family of schools and South Leicestershire lead for Community Cohesion. She spent a summer teaching in both a school and orphanage in Malawi.
Currently, Chris is trustee of Cadeby Community Trust and an Associate Rotarian.
Term of office 04/07/2020 - Present
Tim was a Headteacher in Nottingham City before becoming Principal of Thomas Estley Community College in 2000. He remained as Principal until his retirement in 2016. During this period the College gained an "Outstanding" Ofsted judgement, became a founder member of the Thomas Estley Learning Alliance (TELA) and became an academy. Tim is a National Leader of Education and has supported a number of schools, primary and secondary, nationally. During recent years this work has included: supporting Primary and Secondary schools in South Yorkshire, developing leadership capabilities in senior and middle leaders and raising standards through lesson observation. He is a CPD provider with particular focus on senior and middle leadership development, Governor training and strategies to improve the quality of teaching and learning. In particular, Tim has facilitated NPQH, NPQSL and NPQML courses, writing and delivering the courses in Doncaster, Sheffield, Barnsley and Rotherham. For several years Tim led subject leader training for Leicestershire schools. Tim as been a contributor to national conferences and is the author of "The Big Questions Answered: A guide for New School Leaders".
Term of office 01/09/2022 - Present
As a retired teacher I have a total belief in the power of education to enrich and develop people’s lives. The arts and the arena it provides to entertain, generate discussion and promote collaboration is very important to me; all aspects of performance captivate me. I believe in the power of community, and I work with organisations in the arts and communal and social gardening projects. Retirement has given me the opportunity to give some of my time back to things that I feel strongly about. It has also given me time to travel more, garden more, go to the gym and rediscover my passion for reading and writing. I really look forward to working with the school again that I attended as a young person and worked at as an adult.
OLIVIA WOOD
Term of office 26 April 2023 - Present
I retired as Headteacher of Stonebow Primary School in Loughborough in 2014, after working in Leicestershire schools for 20 years. Following my retirement, I worked for Leicestershire Primary Heads on a freelance basis until September 2020. LPH is made up of primary headteachers across Leicestershire, and offers a range of support and training, for both Headteachers and Aspiring Leaders, in Leicestershire Primary schools.
I became a school Governor at Richmond Primary school in September 2018 and have been Chair since 2021. I was heavily involved in the recruitment of the current Head last year, alongside members of the Richmond Governing Body and CEO of the Trust, following the previous Head’s retirement after 18 years at the school. I really enjoyed getting to know the staff and children better as we put together the recruitment pack, and it gave me a really good insight into the school.
In all of the roles I have played in education over the past 30 years, I have always argued passionately for a curriculum that is exciting and innovative, and accessible to all. For me, a successful school can be measured through the positive engagement and enjoyment of all its pupils, including those who present extra challenges, for whatever reason. This means creating a culture where pupils, staff and governors can develop and grow.
In my spare time I love to travel, both within the UK and further afield. I enjoy reading, the theatre, playing the piano and singing.
Term of office 16/11/2017 - 19/01/2023
After eight years working in the third sector, Di created EmployabilityUK – a new education charity. In her previous role, Di was responsible for developing Career Academies UK’s regional strategy and delivering the national programme. Having built a team of regional managers and taken the programme to all parts of the UK she then went on to become Director of Business Development. Di recently was awarded an MBE for her work with EmployabilityUK as part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Honours.
Di has more than 25 years of corporate business experience from BT and O2, including delivering BT’s education and community programme in the Midlands. Di has held a number of volunteering roles including 6 years as a Special Constable with West Midlands Police.
Term of office 24/09/2016 - 31/08/2024
As Managing Director of Ace Cleaning Company, for over 30 years I am responsible for the employment of over 200 staff. During this time, I have developed skills that range from Business Development, Health & Safety, Human Resources and Finance. In addition, I have also developed a property management and development concern along with associated skills.
I joined the Governing Body of Cosby Primary School in 2002 as a Parent Governor, becoming Chair of Governors in 2007. Being re-elected on several occasions I became a co-opted Governor in 2014. During my time as a Governor I have been involved in all areas of Governance. Been responsible for a number of subject areas as well as specific roles such as Safeguarding Governor, Health and Safety and Chair of Finance.
Working closely with the Headteacher and Senior Leadership team I have been instrumental in taking Cosby Primary School from “special Measures” to the position of strength we currently enjoy, producing some really exciting results.
A prime concern over the years has been developing a proactive and involved Governing Body. Ensuring that Governors take an active role helps to secure their understanding of our schools position and really know what is going on within the school first hand and not just relying on reports and data analysis. The whole of the Governing Body as well as staff at Cosby can take ownership for our successes in all areas. Undertaking regular review of our own governance and carrying out a full SWOT analysis during the current year has helped to develop knowledge and provide useful input to the school development plan.
During the years as a Governor I have accessed numerous training opportunities that have helped me to develop my knowledge base to the benefit of the school. These include a number of courses on Safeguarding, Safer Recruitment, Head Teacher Performance Management, E Safety, several Ofsted courses, British Values and many more.
Other personal qualification includes a Business Studies degree and AAT diploma in accountancy.
Term of office 18/06/2022 - 17/06/2026
I am a commercially focused and pragmatic HR Director, currently leading the people agenda within a large Private Equity backed Clinical Homecare organisation. I have worked in Senior HR roles over the course of the last 15 years and have successfully delivered cultural changes and sustainable improvement to key performance indicators including finances, within several organisations across a variety of sectors including Engineering, Manufacturing and Security. My passion lies in the delivery of challenging, large-scale organisational change and improvement strategies.
I firmly believe in the development of others and have a track record in supporting learning and development programmes and initiatives within the organisations I have worked in, with a focus on driving a learning and improvement culture at an individual and organisational level.
I think it is important to ensure that our children are to set up to succeed post their time in education and that they are equipped with the necessary skills and confidence to adapt quickly to the world of work, ultimately becoming our leaders of the future in every field.
Term of office 25/08/2016 - Present
I have spent 27 years in the education sector, from Teacher of French to College Principal, in Leicestershire, Leicester City and Warwickshire, including working for two years in the School Improvement Sector as a school improvement consultant.
Although substantive posts have mainly been within the secondary phase, since 2013 I have also worked within the area of primary school improvement, often through Teaching School related opportunities within Leicestershire and surrounding counties.
I am currently Trust Principal, Head of Teaching School (Thomas Estley Learning Alliance, with over 40 primary and secondary member schools) and Principal of Thomas Estley Community College and Preschool.
Additional current system leadership roles include Teaching Schools representative for the Leicestershire Education and Excellence Partnership, member of the Leicestershire Secondary Heads steering group, lead for TELA National Professional Qualifications delivery (we are a nationally accredited provider) and programme/oversight lead for Leicestershire Leaders, which offers training and support for headteachers in Leicestershire and Leicester City .
I am absolutely passionate about Building Leadership and Character Together while continuing to raise outcomes and improve provision within our Success Academy Trust schools.
Term of office 07/01/2021 - 06/01/2025
Sally has extensive experience in finance and school business management gained over 29 years. She first began working with primaries, high schools and upper schools when Local Management in Schools (LMS) was first introduced.
Prior to August 2020 she fulfilled the roles of Trust Business Manager for Success Academy Trust and Business Manager for Cosby Primary school. During this time, she was able to make a major contribution to the strategic development of Cosby and be part of the forming of Success Academy Trust. She worked closely with the Trust Chief Finance Officer on areas including due diligence, centralisation of services and consolidation of accounts.
Sally is a Specialist Leader in Education (SLE) for TELA providing School to School support and is Co-Chair for the TELA Business Mangers/Leaders Network, supporting and working on collaboration with peers. She was also granted Fellowship status with the Institute of School Business Leaders (ISBL) in 2019 and has gained qualifications in school business management and accounting to level 7.
This knowledge and expertise along with her current role as Director of Finance and Operations at Wigston Academies Trust will, she hopes, allow her to make a valued contribution as Trustee to the life of Success Academy Trust.
Term of office 31/03/2022 - 30/03/2026
Graham Smith FCCA, CMgr, FCMI, CILEX Practitioner (ACCA Probate)
Graham is a Chartered Certified Accountant, Chartered Manager and a CILEX authorised probate practitioner. He runs a small accountancy and business advisory firm, based just outside Leicester, providing a wide range of accountancy, tax and business/financial advisory services to SMEs and High Net Worth individuals, throughout the UK and beyond.
Having left school at 16 with fairly average O levels and no career plans, Graham was fortunate enough to find himself guided towards professional qualifications by a workplace mentor and as such he is a firm believer in the power of education to transform lives, whether that be at school or subsequently. Alongside running his own practice Graham acts as an advisor to other practitioners and as a mentor to early career accountants. He has also considerable experience of working with charities, both in his professional capacity and as a trustee (and inevitably treasurer) and has also been a school governor.
Term of office 18/06/2022 - 17/06/2026
Until recently Anne-Marie was the Executive Headteacher of two secondary academy trusts in Leicestershire. She now works as an Educational Leadership Consultant and Performance Coach and enjoys her continuing work developing school leaders in Leicester/Leicestershire, across the UK and the world. She has almost 40 years of experience as a teacher and was in senior leadership and headship roles for the last 20+ years.
As a headteacher Anne-Marie gained a wide range of experience of leading academy trusts and working effectively within many different school and local authority partnerships, as well as with governors, parents and the community. She has developed a strong coaching ethos in her work and seeks to unlock potential and develop effective leaders at all levels.
Anne-Marie’s work is values driven, she believes in ethical leadership and striving to create a culture of honest self-evaluation, continuous improvement and excellence in education which has the power to transform children’s lives.
Term of office 22/08/2023 - 21/08/2027
Passionate about building a sustainable future. As an experienced building services engineer, I am at the forefront of low carbon energy solutions in buildings. Supporting the government through policy advice and legislation, I work closely with the new building safety regulator to enhance safety standards.
Education and training are close to my heart. I have led projects for the development of apprenticeships in England and Wales, ensuring a skilled workforce for years to come. With a focus on developing occupational standards, I strive to create opportunities for growth and excellence.
As a former governor at Thomas Estley Community College, I am dedicated to supporting trust in providing young people with exceptional opportunities in a supportive environment.
Term of office 13/11/2023 - 12/11/27
Philip Trapps has had an extensive career in the construction & property development environment. He joined L&Q Housing Trust in October 2018 and holds the position of Head of Project Management and Development.
Philip has been involved in construction and development for over 40 years. A significant portion was in South Africa, with major property developers in the retail, Industrial, commercial office, leisure and residential sectors, whilst managing large teams of direct and indirect reports. His experience includes managing schemes from inception to completion as well as the involvement in management of the properties and entities once completed.
Having qualified as a Quantity Surveyor, and progressing into Project Management some 25 years ago, Philip has unique depth of knowledge in the financial, contractual and risk management sectors, whilst also having the ability to identify areas of value and opportunity.
Term of office 31/03/2022 - 10/04/2023
Peter is a Chartered Process Engineer and Environmentalist. He helps people to find balance and recovery using Tai Chi and poetry. He is married to Sue and they have two grown-up sons, and five grandchildren.
During his career he has worked on improving industry at Vickers, DuPont and Agfa; improving the NHS at Airedale Hospital; and improving all sorts of organisations at Fujitsu and Ψ (Practical Service Improvement). He has volunteered as a Trustee of CILT, Secretary of Melton Team Parish and sits on Community Panels for Youth Justice. Peter has excellent networking and communication skills underpinned by the presence, self-confidence and credibility necessary to be effective. He has extensive experience in people management, business process re-design, service improvement, business model innovation and collaboration.
His goal is to be more philanthropic.
Term of office 01/07/2020 - 03/01/2023
Chris Southwell MBA, BEng (Hons), MIET
Chris is an experienced business professional with passion for UK products and services and a legacy of delivering business development and change programmes across marketing, product development, manufacturing, distribution, IT systems and customer service functions. Presently working with an automation and systems integration specialist in Food & Drink and Parcel Distribution sectors, Chris recognises the apparent skills shortage and the need for business leaders to take up direct action to resolve. He is active in promoting deeper links between commerce and the education sector through close contact with apprenticeship programmes at local FE providers, involvement in local government Careers & Enterprise initiatives and more broadly through his role as regional and branch Chair for a prominent national trade association.
Coventry born and educated, Chris has lived in Leicestershire for the past 20-years and developed a strong sense of belonging to his local community. A father of four near grown-ups, he is these days an ever-enthusiastic cyclist, touring the county's quieter lanes to discover the many pleasant towns and villages in the area with ambitions to tour more widely in Europe.