Bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the trust, our Board of Directors provide strategic insight, and ensure that all decision making is strongly aligned with our vision. Our Board is dedicated to helping children across the county to flourish throughout their time in education.
It was my privilege, in 2023, to be invited to be Chair of the GST Board.
Whilst I am a proud Lancastrian I have had many links with Cumbria. As Chair of St Martin’s College I was part of the group that founded the University Cumbria and became its first pro-Chancellor. As Deputy Chair of the Lancashire Care NHS Trust I was involved in the early discussion which led to the formation of Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Trust.
Over the last 35 years I have been a governor and chair of all types of schools, I am still a governor of a small group of church schools and vice chair of large academy trust with primary and secondary schools which includes both church and non church schools. I was Director of Education of Blackburn Diocese for 12 years and Archdeacon of Lancaster. I still in my “spare time” look after three parishes.
I have been the Honorary Treasurer and Trustee of the National Society for Education (NSE) for a number of years. NSE manages and oversees the Church of England national education provision. As Chair of the group that oversees the Church of England NPQ provision, I have experienced first hand the pressures of a formal OFSTED inspection and the joy when it concluded with an outstanding judgement.
In my time as Director of Education I founded DBE Services which now provides services including building compliance, repair, maintenance, capital development and school improvement services to over 500 schools across the north of England.
I passionately believe that Academy Trusts, Diocesan Boards of Education (I am a member of the Carlisle DBE) and every school/academy should work together to share good practice, policies, good ideas and much more to save, heads, governors, teachers and administrators having to re-invent the wheel in every school. Teaching is challenging enough without having to start from scratch with everything demanded our schools these days.
Career Summary
I work for the University of Oxford, engaging students, parents and staff in a wide range of state schools, and forming strategic partnerships ultimately aiming to raise the number of applications to universities from students in northern England, particularly the North East, and from students with relatively disadvantaged backgrounds.
I have worked in education since 2000, initially as a History teacher, then taking on various Head of Department and pastoral roles in schools in London and the South-East of England.
As Head of a 16-18 school which was one of six schools in a group of schools in Hertfordshire, I enjoyed being on the Exec team leading six schools ranging from a Nursery to a sixth form, including three primary schools.
Outside the Trust, I am also Chair of Governors of a small rural primary school in Cumbria.
My role at the Good Shepherd Trust
I have been a director of the Good Shepherd Trust since 2019 and chair the School Improvement Committee, overseeing the scrutiny and support of the educational quality and improvement of schools. I am also the Lead Director for Safeguarding.
I think the key attributes demanded by this role are the continuous appetite for schools to seek to be even better for their pupils, families and communities; and an understanding of how our schools, young people, and staff work.
About Me
Family life with wife Jo and two eight-year-old sons is a particular joy, whether it sees us on a football pitch or up a fell; ultra running is a passion and it is often reassuring to me that mountains can make the greatest challenges seem small.
Career Summary
Over 35 years as a teacher of RE, teacher trainer, researcher, policy maker, and charity director have given me insights into primary and secondary teaching, curriculum design, the professional development needs of teachers, national issues on RE and church schools, and strategy in the charity sector, with a particular interest in grant impact and funding for change. I have written or edited eight books on education, RE or theology.
About me
I love walking, reading and writing, creative cooking, singing, and travelling.
Relevant Experience
Governance, Leadership Development, Partnerships, Strategic Planning, Change Management, Ethics & Ethos, Research & Evaluation, Primary Education, Secondary Education, Initial Teacher Education
Career Summary
After studying law at the University of Oxford, I started my career as a solicitor in the banking and finance department of a London law firm. Following the birth of my second child, I retrained as a teacher. I spent 13 years in Church of England primary schools in various capacities, including as Inclusion Manager, working with pupils with special and additional needs. Before moving to Cumbria from Hertfordshire, I was Headteacher of a village school.
I joined the Carlisle Diocesan education team in 2019, first as a Schools Adviser. In 2020 I took on the role of acting Deputy Director of Education, before being appointed to the permanent position later that year. In 2022, I was appointed as Director of Education and have the privilege of supporting 104 Church of England schools across Cumbria. I also inspect for SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) which affords me the opportunity to spend time in schools in neighbouring Dioceses. I am a member of various local, regional and national educational networks and working parties and hold roles on a range of boards.
My role at the Good Shepherd Trust
As the educational landscape continues to change, I am delighted to play my part in leading this strong, collaborative, multi-academy trust, offering life in all its fullness to the pupils and staff members of each of the schools in its growing family.
About me
Married to a vicar. Mum to two grown up children. Avid reader and watcher of films. Very amateur musician, singing in various groups and playing various instruments badly. Enjoy crafts including sewing, gardening and all kinds of DIY. Love holidaying in France, good food and red wine.
Relevant Experience
Solicitor, company secretary, company director, teacher, safeguarding lead, SENCo, school leader, consultant headteacher, school governance in various contexts, Director of Education, SIAMS inspector.
Career Summary
As a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of People and Development (CIPD), I bring over 20 years of dedicated experience in the Human Resources profession.
Throughout my career, I have worked as a strategic business partner across a range of sectors, including Retail, Higher Education, Housebuilding, and most recently, Banking and Finance. A key highlight early in my career was contributing to the creation of the University of Cumbria in 2007, where I was part of the HR team that successfully delivered transformational change by bringing together three legacy institutions.
More recently, I led the award-winning People team at the Cumberland Building Society in my role as Head of People. The people and culture transformation story at the Cumberland is a truly remarkable one, which I will forever be proud to have played a role in shaping and supporting the delivery of impactful and progressive change for its people, customers and communities. The investment in people over the past six years has been front and centre in the organisation’s change journey. I stepped away from my role earlier this year to take some valuable family time before starting my exciting next role.
My role at the Good Shepherd Trust
I joined the Good Shepherd Trust as a Board Director in 2021 volunteering alongside my full-time position at The Cumberland. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience – both personally and professionally – and a chance to make a real, impactful difference to children and student outcomes across Cumbria.
As a member of the Trust, I have supported the refocus of our strategic vision and goals, alongside the introduction of a new operational model that delivers a more service-oriented central offer to our family of schools. I currently chair the Trust’s People Committee, where I am able to use my breadth and depth of HR and leadership experience to champion and influence our people and culture agenda. I thoroughly enjoy collaborating with the talented and committed team.
About me
A proud “Northerner”, I have lived and worked across Lancashire and Cumbria. In 2018, my husband and I relocated our family to Cumbria settling in the Penrith area where our two daughters attend local schools. Most of my spare time is spent with family, usually with the girls’ helping them care and exercise their beloved loan pony. I even taught myself- after much practice – to tow a horse trailer and who knows, I may find myself ‘behind the ears’ one day!
I also have a love for gardening and nature, crafts and home renovations – there is always a creative project keeping me busy, either at home or helping friends out with theirs.
Relevant Experience
Human Resources, Change and Transformation, Organisational Design and Development and Culture Change, Leadership Development, Coaching and Mentoring, High Performing Teams, Employee Relations, Health & Safety, Marketing, Internal Communications, Strategic Planning
Career Summary
I have worked for the University of Cumbria as a senior lecturer in the Institute of Education, Arts and Society before and since its founding in 2007. My role reprises that of the staff at the original Charlotte Mason College in Ambleside where teachers were trained from the 1890s. I work with the next generation of primary teachers, undergraduate and postgraduate students who have a passion for helping children understand and change their world for good. I currently lead on primary computing across all three campuses and also have research interests in how the brain learns.
My role at the Good Shepherd Trust
Supporting school personnel in their task of educating the next generation is a profound privilege and responsibility. Schools are a constant in our society, providing stability, inspiration and education, without favour, to all. Protecting those who make these places a safe centre of excellence in our communities and acting as their critical friend is at the heart of my decision to step into the role of director.
About me
I work part-time which means have also have space to enjoy the outdoors. I’m either in the garden, up a mountain or cycling somewhere on the sunny days and reading about it on the wet ones.
Bio coming soon
Bio coming soon
