Our Trustees

Carolyn is a chartered safety practitioner and has previously worked in local government supporting schools, a national children’s charity supporting three special schools and more recently in the social housing sector where she is Assistant Director. She has been a governor at Norbury Hall Primary School since 2012, first as a parent governor and later as a community governor. More recently, Chair of Governors since September 2021.

Carolyn is proud to have a neurodiversity condition and is passionate about providing an inclusive and supportive environment for every child to thrive.

Carolyn has extensive experience and knowledge around buildings, estates, health and safety expectations and within her role is trained to audit, assess, review and strategically plan. She is keen to support and challenge the Trust to ensure that every learner in all schools achieves potential and has a first class educational experience.

Karen has been in post as a governor for 27 years with much of that being as Chair. Her CV is extensive in leadership and management roles spanning Human Resources, Financial Management and more recently leading a Digital Processes System for the Stepping Hill Hospital Trust.

Karen has a keen business sense of systems and management and brings a strong understanding of HR policy as well as responsibility as a trainer to leader in sickness absence policy, staffing systems and return to work objectives.

Karen is driven as a school governor and is excited at the prospect of making the vision for inclusivity between to schools a reality. Her excellent interpersonal skills make her a perfect Trustee to ensure the vision, values and specific policies within all schools across the Trust are aligned.

Pam is a former primary special school headteacher. She feels passionately that mainstream and special education have lots to learn from each other and has been instrumental, as a governor at Lisburne, in developing partnerships between the settings. Pam has been a headteacher in two schools and was successfully brokered to act as executive head to support a school in difficulty. After leaving headship Pam successfully worked as a School Improvement Partner and then a School Leadership Partner for Cheshire East.

Pam fully embraces the positive impact of working together as a Trust having seen this at first hand in her advisory capacity. She brings challenge as a Trustee with her extensive knowledge of school improvement as well as guidance and support around the conversion process.

Eloise has extensive experience as a former secondary special school headteacher and a well respected colleague to support Stockport HR and Governance. Eloise has first hand experience the named Designated Safeguarding Lead in three schools, in two of which she was the headteacher. Whilst working in Manchester she was part of a multi-disciplinary team delivering training on safeguarding and child protection.

She has a record of continuous service as a governor – parent, staff, LA appointed – since 1988 in primary, secondary and special schools as well as pupil referral units. In 2014 she was elected Chair of Governors at Oakgrove with the responsibility for safeguarding.

In addition to my responsibilities for Oakgrove, she has, at the request of the LA, conducted a number of investigations on their behalf. These have been complex and confidential, requiring her to work with schools’ governing boards, leadership teams, HR and the Local Authority Designated Officer for Safeguarding and Child Protection (LADO).

Eloise brings a skillset that is current and offers guidance and support as well professional challenge in her role of Trustee to ensure the learners within the Trust are safe. Eloise understands the rationale and the values of the Trust proposal and has been a key developer of the combined vision.

Helen works in the business and financial sector as a member of a leadership team in a Business Consulting/ Risk Practice (circa 300 people nationally). She leads and delivers projects across a range of clients, sectors and solutions. Her skills and experience include governance, risk and compliance, programme assurance, internal audit, external audit, IT risk and controls, Sarbanes Oxley and third-party reporting.

Helen brings expertise in system controls and practice and understands the principles in growing successful professional relationships aligning with business growth. She has international experience as a presenter and is exemplary as a professional practitioner in setting, planning and maintaining budgets to ensure the best outcomes.  The Trust will benefit from her keen business sense and pragmatic approach to business proposals.

Charles is a committed member of the GB at Dial Park and works within the local community as a respected community coach in sports. As a successful, local business man he understands the many aspects of business including HR, capital projects, financial planning and building teams.

Charles is passionate about the local community, specifically the focus on recreational and community opportunities for those in disadvantaged and vulnerable localities.  His voluntary and charity work enables him to see how to reach further those that can be hardest to support and he brings this notion of building relationships to the Trust in all localities and settings.

Will is a Local Councillor in Stockport and Senior Tutor and Head of Politics at a post 16 college. The two roles provide Will with the unique skillset to understand both political and education needs within the Trust.

Will brings a good understanding of local governance and has a keen expertise in policy and practice in supporting the communities of Stockport. He understands the localities, logistics and the principles of our settings and is driven to support the Trust is the growth aspect of the proposal.

As a retired primary headteacher, Anna brings 27 years of educational experience to the Trust. career in the primary education sector.  She has worked in 3 local authorities; Manchester, Bristol and Stockport.

Wellbeing of both pupils and staff has always been at the heart of her philosophy of education and central to her vision as a leader. Anna worked extensively with governors to create a Wellbeing leadership and brings this vision to the Trust.

Anna works for a charity in Wythenshawe which supports women who have suffered historical and current domestic abuse. She brings an understanding of how this trauma may impact learners and has extensive experience in developing and supporting family pathways.