Board of Members
Governance, Strategy & Direction
Our board of members is made up of very experienced individuals who are responsible for the governance and strategic direction of the organisation, and hold a legal liability. The board is responsible for the high-level strategy, oversight, and accountability of the organisation.
Founding Chair of the Board of Trustees
John Roche Kelly
Specialism in governance and education, built up by being a Headteacher and after retiring being Chair of Eaton Hall Academy governing body. He first became a school governor back in the late 1980’s! He believes that Members should work closely with the Trustees to understand the challenges the Board faces and to be able to hold the Trustees to
account without interfering.
Still involved professionally in education as Chief Flying Instructor at Norfolk Gliding Club. Takes as much pleasure sending pilots for their first solo flight as he does flying his own glider over East Anglia and Scotland.
Tech Lead
Andrew Berry
Specialism in strategic, education, operational management and governance and believes in promoting good relationships, inclusion, spirituality, and enjoyment, and each pupil using their individual gifts to the full.
HR experience at Director level and currently has non-executive roles in the education and charity sectors.
Steve Bennett
Specialism in performance improvement, leadership development, governance, HR, education, strategic & project management, growth (organic and M&A), and culture change programmes, both domestically and internationally, across a variety of industry sectors and business environments. In 2016 he established his own HR and change consultancy and believes that every young person deserves the opportunity to develop their potential to the full, and those with special needs in particular should properly be supported in this regard.
A Trustee for many years before stepping down and becoming a Member
Stuart Riseborough
Stuart’s 35 years' working in finance and banking within the private sector have given him a wealth of experience across a range of businesses supporting them to effectively manage their finances. Stuart has a track record of delivering organisational improvement at senior management level and stakeholder management.
Members no longer serving
Michael Garratt (resigned 31/08/2023)
Samantha Swinnerton (resigned 15/12/2022)
Bryan Slater (resigned 09/12/2022)
Trustees and CEO
Chris Snudden
Chair of Trustees & Whistleblowing Trustee
Retired
A leading figure in the region's education system and was
previously the director of learning at Norfolk County Council. Chris’s
retirement comes after four decades of public service and 26 years
of working in education in Norfolk.
Gareth Hand
Vice Chair of Trustees
Regional Operations Manager for Deba UK, a national Water Treatment company.
Specialism in strategic, education, operational management and governance and believes in promoting good relationships, inclusion, spirituality, and enjoyment, and each pupil using their individual gifts to the full.
Anne Gibson
SEND (Vulnerable) Trustee
Director of Bothwell Gibson Consultancy Ltd
Chair Norfolk Governance Network - expertise and skills include
governance and organisational decision.
Former Managing Director of Norfolk County Council having also
held the roles of Executive Director of Resources and Head of
Human Resources and Organisational Development
Don Evans
Trustee
CEO of the Trust
Specialism in performance improvement, leadership development, governance, HR, education, strategic & project management, growth (organic and M&A), and culture change programmes, both domestically and internationally, across a variety of industry sectors and business environments. In 2016 he established his own HR and change consultancy and believes that every young person deserves the opportunity to develop their potential to the full, and those with special needs in particular should properly be supported in this regard.
Neil Bloomfield
Trustee
Commercial Manager in the technology department of a major financial services organisation
Neil’s specialisms include procurement, operations, general management, and governance, which have been built up within major industry leading organisations across both the private and public sectors. He has a track record of developing strategic partnerships with stakeholders, customers and suppliers, while leading and developing teams of effective people to enhance service delivery at senior management and executive level. Neil holds an MBA from the University of East Anglia, and is a Chartered Manager and Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.
Sue Stavers
Parent Trustee
Senior manager at a large national housing association
Sue’s expertise is in improving performance, delivering strong financial management and leading a motivated and high performing team. She has
proven abilities of developing a strong community engagement ethos within teams and delivering educational and employment support to residents and young people, through volunteering programmes, accredited courses, apprenticeships and community activities Sue’s children attended Sewell Park and Sprowston Community Academy.
Peter Harwood
Safeguarding Trustee
Retired
Peter’s career started as an Electronics Design Engineer with considerable experience in the private sector and then supporting research at UEA. His engagement in education started when he was a young dad appointed in 1984 as one of UK’s first elected Parent Governors. Peter is currently a Board Member of the Norfolk Governance Network and has previously held elected leadership roles at District and County Council where he was his Party’s
Children’s Services leader. He has also held substantial chairing roles including Norfolk County Council’s Cabinet Scrutiny Committee and, professionally, as one of Norfolk’s three Independent Foster Panel Chairs. Within his various appointments he has gained significant change management and HR experience at the highest levels.
Tim Smith
Trustee
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Bio to come
Trustees no longer serving
Paul Tacon (resigned 09/11/2023)
Peter Lamble (resigned 16/07/2023)
Gary Leverett (resigned 21/07/2023)
Samantha Bron (resigned 01/07/2023)
Owen Jenkins (resigned 03/04/2023)
Dr Linda Steynor (resigned 16/01/2023)