Board and Members

Claire Heald

Chair of Trustees

Claire is National Director of Education at Academies Enterprise Trust, one of the largest multi-academy trusts in England. Prior to that she was Deputy CEO at Inspiration Trust having progressed from Executive Principal. She brings with her a wealth of experience in strategic school improvement and transformation across a range of different settings.

Jeremy Beswick

Jeremy is an investment fund professional of >20 years’ experience in the industry, with a background in international business management and leadership, marketing, sales and client service, strategy, planning and product development, spanning both traditional and alternative asset classes in retail and institutional markets. He has served on several Boards and Executive, Investment, Risk and Audit Committees. He has spoken at many fund management conferences internationally, and has written a number of articles published in the Financial Times and other financial journals.

Jackie Cutchey

Jackie has been involved in education for more than forty years, beginning her career as a primary school teacher in a London Borough. Having held a variety of middle leader roles before gaining promotion to deputy headship in Lowestoft. Jackie was asked to be acting headteacher after eighteen months, subsequently becoming headteacher for the first time in 1997. Jackie has led schools through Ofsted inspections a total of five times with good outcomes each time.

Ben Stickley

Ben has significant experience in leadership in the education sector, currently working as the Chief Executive Officer of another Multi Academy Trust in the East of England. Prior to coming into education Ben has worked in both the Charity and Private sectors in management and leadership roles and has a Masters degree in Voluntary Sector Management alongside a Diploma in Charity Finance and Accounting. He is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management. Ben is a father of 3 primary aged children and also serves as a parent governor and Co-Chair of governors at his local village school.

Fran Hargrove

Fran is Deputy Chief Exec at Haringey Education Partnership and lead for School Improvement. Working extensively across primary, secondary and special schools, co-ordinating the work of all HEP Improvement and Support Partners. Fran has been a successful headteacher and has significant school leadership experience across a diverse range of settings. She has worked as a school improvement partner and advisor in a number of London boroughs and as an adviser to the DfE as part of the primary and secondary strategies. She has particular interest in developing strategic school improvement across systems.

Steve Purdy

Steve has had a successful career in business which included roles as UK Managing Director for a Fortune 500 company in the IT sector and UK Managing Director for a Global FTSE 250 company in the Services sector. Steve now runs his own business providing Performance Consulting, Executive Coaching and Leadership Development to clients looking to improve their performance within their professional and personal lives.

Toni Kittle

Toni is a Director of Education at Unity Schools Partnership and works within the executive team who support 33 schools, including primary, secondary and special. Toni has been a headteacher and executive headteacher within Suffolk and has a proven track record of transforming schools. Toni is a trustee for Essex and Suffolk Children's University, where she advocates for the most disadvantaged pupils. She has a particular interest in RSHE.

Claire Heald

Member

Claire is National Director of Education at Academies Enterprise Trust, one of the largest multi-academy trusts in England. Prior to that she was Deputy CEO at Inspiration Trust having progressed from Executive Principal. She brings with her a wealth of experience in strategic school improvement and transformation across a range of different settings.

Helen Capron

Member

Helen Capron has explored education from a variety of angles: as a researcher, teacher, chair of governors and parent. She believes in high quality education for all and seeks to ensure this is being offered across all the Active Learning Trust schools.

Vic Daniels

Member

Vic Daniels is the co-founder and Executive Chairman of one of the UK's largest privately owned media companies. He has also spent almost 20 years involved in the education sector. Here, Vic has chaired boards for local authority and foundation schools at primary and secondary level. He has also chaired primary and secondary level School Improvement Boards. Vic’s further experience includes time spent as a local authority governor for strategy for a 6th Form College, chairing a Single Academy Trust, a mainstream Multi-Academy Trust and an Alternative Provision/Special School MAT. He has also been used by the DfE and local authorities in a board advisory capacity.