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Membership and Trustees

Our trustees and members are an essential force in providing strategic leadership, effective management and accountability across the Trust and bring with them a wealth of experience and expertise which help to raise standards of education.

Local Governing Bodies
Each school within the MAT has its own Local Governing Body which have the governance functions delegated to them by the Trust Board.  They are accountable to the Board. 
Details of the Local Governing Bodies and their attendance and register of business interests are available on the school websites. Please follow the link to the right. 

Trustee and Members Induction 

Diversity Reporting: 

The Trustees of OAK Multi Academy Trust believe it is important that boards reflect the diversity of the communities they serve. Diverse boards promote inclusive school environments and provide diverse role models for staff and young people.

The Trustees are currently collecting data on the diversity of the board, including data on age, gender and ethnicity. They will use that data to inform their recruitment and training needs and ensure there is always a diverse range of perspectives around the table to support robust decision-making.

Due to our relatively small governing bodies, we do not publish this diversity data online as individual governors could be identified and we have a legal obligation to protect their personal data.

Members

Professor Maurice Galton

CURRENT POST: Retired Professor and Dean of Education, University of Leicester. Emeritus Professor and Associate Director of Research, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge.

SKILL SET: Expert in and consultant to a number of LAs on transition between primary and secondary school, creativity and well-being.  Research e.g. for the government funded Creative Partnerships (2002-8) which became Creativity, Culture and Education (CCE).

Dr Khalid Abdul Karim

CURRENT POST: Consultant Child Psychologist, University of Leicester

SKILL SET: Significant experience working with schools and special needs.  Lead on ASD.  Delivered training to the National Autistic Society.  Published author on autism and mental health.

Kirstie Johnson 

CURRENT POST: Headteacher at The Deepings School, part of the Anthem Trust

SKILL SET: Knowledge of the education sector; Strategic Planning; Financial management; Communication; Data analysis; Performance Management; Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND); Safeguarding; Curriculum; Compliance; Further or higher education. Previous Trustee. 

Damian Thurston 

CURRENT POST: Vice Principal, Countesthorpe Leysland Community College

SKILL SET: Lead practitioner for Character and Culture, inclusion and vulnerable pupils at CLCC.  Founding strategic lead for Thomas Estley Learning Alliance, focusing on initial teacher training, CPD and school to school improvement. Previous Trustee. 

Ross Ian Grant 

CURRENT POST: Ground Operations Specialist, University of Leicester 

SKILL SET: Community engagement.  Children, young people and schools scrutiny commission member.  Experience of secondary capital expenditure programme, public finance and budgeting.  Primary school Governor experience. Previous Chair of Trustees. 

Trustees

John Watson

Trustee (Co-Opted)

Date Appointed: 12.05.2022

Term of Office End: 11.05.2026

CURRENT POST: Headmaster and Principal at Leicester Grammar School

SKILL SET: Private Education; educational leadership in an all-through setting; Strategic Planning; Vision setting; Curriculum and Assessment; Performance Management; Safeguarding. 

Jatinder Kaur

Trustee (Member-appointed)

Date Appointed: 9.05.2023

Term of Office End: 8.05.2027

CURRENT POST: Early Years Career Manager

SKILL SET: Extensive experience working as a Recruitment Manager/Early Years Career Manager-working for a big four accountancy firm. Experienced Manager-leading and navigating teams, DE&I leadership, performance management, mental health and well-being, planning and implementing strategies, driving change and innovation, conflict management, learning and development, HR, retaining competitive advantage.

Gaurav Suri 

Trustee (Member Appointed)

Date Appointed: 1.09.2023

Term of Office End: 31.08.2027

CURRENT POST: Procurement Business Partner, South Staffs Water

SKILL SET: Procurement management (and experience of procurement in a MAT); Strategic planning; Understanding of education sector; Analytical thinking; Performance Management; Public sector. 

Jane Doughty (Chair)

Trustee (Member Appointed)

Date Appointed: 1.09.2023

Term of Office End: 31.08.2027

CURRENT POST: Head of Human Resources at Farm Africa

SKILL SET: Human Resources; Governor and MAT experiences; Performance Management; Strategic planning; Teamwork and collaborative decision-making; Financial Management; Education sector knowledge; Communication skills; Approving and monitoring the implementation of policies; Compliance. 

Dina Nathwani 

Trustee (Co-Opted)

Date Appointed: 1.11.2023

Term of Office End: 31.10.2027

CURRENT POST: Module Leader and Lecturer for the Business Law module at the University of Birmingham

SKILL SET: Extensive experience working in higher education; Qualified solicitor; Academic Integrity Officer; a corporate trainer, providing legal training to medical doctors and the automotive industry; understanding of varied legal issues; interpersonal skills; stakeholder engagement; curriculum and assessment; knowledge of local community. 

Farhan Adam

Trustee (Co-Opted)

Date Appointed: 6.11.2023

Term of Office End: 5.11.2027

CURRENT POST: Principal at Crownhills Community College 

SKILL SET: Extensive experience working in higher education; finance; HR; Curriculum and Assessment; Ofsted Inspector; Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND); safeguarding; performance management; health and safety and compliance. 

Emma Orriss 

Trustee (Co-Opted)

Date Appointed: 21.3.2024

Term of Office End: 20.3.2028

CURRENT POST: Compliance Advistory Manager

SKILL SET: Change management; interpretation of regulatory requirements and guidance on implementation; risk management; compliance; strategic planning. 

Manjinder Sangha 

Trustee (Co-Opted)

Date Appointed: 29.1.2024

Term of Office End: 28.1.2028

CURRENT POST: Supply Chain – Finance and Reporting Manager at John Lewis Partnership

SKILL SET: Extensive financial expertise. Financial management, budgeting and strategic planning. 

Accounting Officer - Andrew Wilson  

The Accounting Officer for the Trust is the Chief Executive Officer. This role includes specific responsibilities for financial matters, a personal responsibility to parliament, EFA and the financial resources under the Trust control.

Previous Trustees 

Kam Karaji 

Trustee (Member Appointed)

Date Appointed: 01.04.2022

Term of Office End: 31.03.2026

CURRENT POST: Global Head Of Information Security, Bibby Financial Services

SKILL SET: Physical and cybersecurity expert for global security operations at Barclays.  Extensive experience of operational management, risk assessment profiling and mitigation and compliance management.  Former Police Officer.  High level of understanding of safeguarding. Project Griffin trainer for the National Counterterrorism Security Office (NaCTSO)/ Home Office.

Pardip Singh Shoker

Trustee (Co-Opted)

Date Appointed: 22.09.2021

Term of Office End: 21.09.2025

CURRENT POST: Real Estate Manager, CEMEX UK Operations Ltd.

SKILLS SET: Extensive experience in the property industry including the Civil Service (Valuation Office – schools’ evaluations) and private consultancy.  Managing teams and projects within Real Estate.   Previous governance roles include Trust Director, Chair, Vice Chair and Governor in various schools.   FA qualified grass roots football coach – currently working with under 7s and under 14s football teams.

Dave Wilson 

 

Trustee (Member-appointed)

Date Appointed: 9.05.2023

Term of Office End: 8.05.2027

CURRENT POST: Semi-retired IT Executive. Trustee for Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young Adults and Exam Invigilator for Bradgate Education Partnership. Exams Officer for Wreake Valley Academy - part of Bradgate Education Partnership.

SKILL SET: trustee experience; knowledge of the education sector and SEND needs; extensive IT experience; business skills, budget accountability (£3m+), procurement, contract management and negotiation, as well as strong leadership and people skills.

Damian Thurston

Trustee (Member Appointed)

Date Appointed: 01.04.2022

Term of Office End: 31.03.2026

CURRENT POST: Vice Principal, Countesthorpe Leysland Community College

SKILL SET: Lead practitioner for Character and Culture, inclusion and vulnerable pupils at CLCC.  Founding strategic lead for Thomas Estley Learning Alliance, focusing on initial teacher training, CPD and school to school improvement.

Isaac McNamara 

Trustee (Member Appointed)

Date Appointed: 1.09.2023

Term of Office End: 31.08.2027

CURRENT POST: Junior Service Director at Catering Equipment Solutions

SKILL SET: Strategic planning; Stakeholder engagement; Project management; Analytical thinking; Sustainability expertise; Creative problem-solving.

Kirstie Johnson 

Trustee (Co-Opted)

Date Appointed: 12.05.2022

Term of Office End: 11.05.2026

CURRENT POST: Headteacher at The Deepings School, part of the Anthem Trust

SKILL SET: Knowledge of the education sector; Strategic Planning; Financial management; Communication; Data analysis; Performance Management; Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND); Safeguarding; Curriculum; Compliance; Further or higher education

 

Register of Business Interests for our Members and Trustees

The Trust’s register of interest must capture relevant business and pecuniary interests of members, trustees, and local governors of academies within a multi-academy trust and senior employees. This includes directorships, partnerships and employments with businesses.

The register must also identify any material interests arising from close family relationships between the academy trust’s members or trustees, and relationships between members or trustees and employees. A relative is defined as: a close member of the family, or member of the same household, who may be expected to influence, or be influenced by, the person. This includes, but is not limited to, a child, parent, spouse or civil partner.

Please find our business interest register below.

Please find below our attendance information for Trustees.

Statutory Documents 

Register of Interests Trustees 2020-21

Register of Interests Trustees 2021-22

Register of Interests Trustees 2022-23

Attendance Records 2019-20

Attendance Records 2020-21

Attendance Records 2021-22

Attendance Records 2022-23

Register of Interests for Members 2022-23

Interest Form Duff

Interest Form Galton 

Interest Form Karim

Interest Form Reeve 

Interest Form Rose