Board of Trustees
Board of Trustees, known as Directors, are appointed by the Members and are the accountable and decision making governance of the Trust and all its schools. Currently the membership is:
Jenny Jenkins, Chair
Jenny is an editor in the health and social sectors, and has extensive communications, marketing and governance expertise in the education, youth charity, healthcare and professional services sectors. She has over 10 years’ experience as a governor, including overseeing primary/secondary; the transformation of an underperforming infant and nursery school to an Ofsted Good standard; and the achievement of a SIAMS Excellent judgement for a junior school. Most recently as Chair of Governors she led the combinations of two Church primary schools in Berkhamsted, Herts, to form Castle Church of England Federation, which is a finalist for an Outstanding Governance Award 2021. She volunteers with a number of local groups where she lives including the Scouts, and the Canal & River Trust.
Bishop Richard Atkinson OBE (Vice Chair)
Bishop Richard is the Bishop of Bedford and Chair of the Diocesan Board of Education. He was previously Archdeacon of Leicester where he led the development phase and opening of the St Philip Inter-faith Centre in 2006. He has a strong commitment to social justice which has included being Chair of both a New Deal for Communities Programme and New Deal for Employment Programme. In 2002 he awarded an OBE for services to the unemployed in Rotherham. He has been Vice-Chair of a major Housing Association. He is currently a Governor of Bedfordshire University, Chair of the Eastern Region Ministry Course and Chair of the Church of England’s committee for ministry of and among deaf and disabled people.
Alice Aharon
Alice is the Chief Executive Officer for the Poppy Academy Trust in South Hertfordshire. She is an Executive Headteacher and, in addition, a Consultant Headteacher. Alice also works for Barnet Local Authority as an advisor for Aspiring Headteachers. Alice has nearly 20 years’ experience in primary education, starting her career in Camden before moving out to Hertfordshire.
Alice has over 15 years experience of local board governorship and is currently Vice Chair of Governors at a primary school in Barnet. She also is a governor on the local boards of governors for the schools where she is an Executive Headteacher
Alison Richards
Alison has had a long teaching career in primary education in Essex, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire with a particular passion and strength in the wider curriculum and encouraging Music. PE and Outdoor Education in primary schools. She has held leadership roles in several Hertfordshire schools and over 14 years as headteacher of a VA Primary School. She is also a Visiting Tutor for Hertfordshire University, both interviewing students and supporting them on their placements. Since retiring from headship, Alison has become an Education Consultant for the Diocese of St. Albans and a facilitator for STEM leading CPD course for science subject leaders.
Sharon Carlyon
Sharon is the Chief Operating Officer for a Trust of primary schools in Watford. She is a nationally recognised school business leader who has 15 years’ experience in the education sector.
She is a fellow of the Institute of School Business Leaders. Being recognised as an ISBL Fellow demonstrates leadership within the profession, having achieved a high level of professional expertise and shows commitment to developing knowledge and skills to meet the ever-changing demands of the education sector. She is a member of the Fellows Forum steering committee as well as a member of the ISBL National Advisory Board. This professional body provides feedback to the broader sector in general particularly the DFE and the EFSA. In Nov 2021, she received the ISBL CEO Award for Exceptional Contribution to School Business Leadership.
Helen Sizer
As Co-Director of the Primary Science Quality Mark at the University of Hertfordshire, Helen leads a national accreditation programme for school improvement in primary science, which provides professional development for around 600 subject leaders each year. Helen has extensive experience as a professional development leader and has led programmes for primary and secondary phase teachers and also industry professionals. She currently sits on the national primary committee for the Association of Science Education and regularly participates in local and national working groups across the science education sector.
Helen has experience of teaching and school leadership in Hertfordshire where she developed a passion for Outdoor Education and gained accreditation as a Forest School Leader. In 2022, she gained a Masters in Business and Organisational Strategy.
Lindsay Unsworth
Lindsay has recently taken early retirement from her post as Chief Finance Officer of a growing , faith based, multi-academy trust in South West Hertfordshire – a collaborative group of secondary and primary schools. She has over 17 years of experience working in finance and business roles in the education sector, mainly in secondary schools. Prior to that , following several years in the armed forces and a brief foray into the hospitality industry, she trained as a Chartered Accountant and worked in the charity sector .She also has over 10 years experience as a school governor and is currently Chair of Governors at a local primary school.Lindsay is a volunteer at the Felix Project in London.
Elizabeth Ellis
In a secondary teaching career spanning 36 years as an English specialist in a variety of contexts, including inner London and overseas, Elizabeth worked as a senior leader in Hertfordshire for 16 years and a headteacher for 8 of those years. With extensive knowledge of the challenges of secondary school improvement, she led a school from a vulnerable position to become a successful and thriving institution, delivering strong outcomes and consistently closing the achievement gap for disadvantaged students. She is familiar with all aspects of school leadership, with a track record of building capacity and belief in colleagues and teams. She also brings experience chairing and serving on a variety of headteachers’ groups and has access to a network of professionals to support improvement.