Governance
Welcome to Inclusive Schools Trust.
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The Governing Bodies of Lionwood Infant and Nursery School and Lionwood Junior School elected to federate with effect from 1st September 2014, forming the Lionwood Schools Federation.
In April 2017, The Lionwood Schools Federation and George White Junior (our neighbours and Cluster colleague) joined together to form the Inclusive Schools Trust, which means that we are now a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT). On 1st December 2017, we were delighted to welcome Drayton Community Infant School. Mousehold Infant and Nursery School and Nightingale Infant and Nursery School subsequently joined the Trust towards the end of 2018. Mrs Sawyer, our CEO/ Executive Headteacher has overall responsibility for the management of the schools in the Trust.
Our schools operate under a Trust Board with 11 Trustees and 5 Members. The Trustees remain responsible for the strategic vision of the schools and for supporting the CEO/Executive Headteacher and her staff in achieving that vision. They also have responsibility for appointing the CEO/Executive Headteacher, managing the school’s budget, setting annual targets and monitoring performance against those targets, all in the interest of raising standards and achievement.
Each Member and Trustee went through a rigorous process of application and there is a strong commitment from the Trust to ensure that the Board offer a broad skillset to enable the Trust to work effectively.
Structure of Inclusive Schools Trust
Members
Sharon Forder
Sharon Forder has 14 years’ experience as a Secretary/P.A. and was previously the joint Chair of Governors at the Lionwood Schools Federation. She has been a Governor since the Infant School opened in 2007 and has been Chair between 2009 -2019.
Sharon was involved in federating the two Lionwood Schools and has been instrumental in bringing about rapid change at the Junior School.
Sharon has received extensive training as a school governor and previously sat on both the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee and Achievement, Standards and Risk Committee.
She has extensive knowledge of schools finance and personnel and staffing from recruitment through to performance management.
(The Revd Dr) Arnold Browne
Arnold has work experience of education in many contexts, from primary to postgraduate. As a university lecturer and teacher of many years experience, Arnold brings a skill for enabling students to enjoy learning and to flourish through it.
Arnold has a doctorate in theology and a masters degree in counselling psychology and continues to teach the New Testament to students taking a university course as part of their training for ministry.
Arnold teaches in other adult education contexts, including both Norwich Cathedral and Norwich Prison. Arnold has over 30 years experience as a school governor in primary and secondary schools
Chris Jefferson
Chris has over twenty years of experience working in education finance for Norfolk County Council where his current role involves advising and supporting schools with their business and financial management. He has also worked in the role of School Finance Manager. Chris is fully qualified Fellow Member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (FMAAT) with accredited book-keeper status (AATQB) and a Prince2 Practitioner.
Chris is an experienced school governor and was previously the Chair of Finance & Premises at Mousehold Infant and Nursery School and also a former Trustee of the Inclusive Schools Trust where he was the Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee and a member of the Performance Management Sub-Committee. Prior to starting his career in finance, Chris worked in various roles in the aviation industry, including media & PR.
Amanda Rogers
Amanda is a retired modern languages teacher (BA Hons French and Spanish plus PGCE), which gives her detailed knowledge of life in the classroom. She has taught in both a college and secondary school environment and has also undertaken the role of form tutor so is aware of the many pastoral needs of pupils as well as safeguarding issues which may arise.
Amanda understands the need to optimise pupils’ achievements across a variety of subject areas and in her role as Trustee she will be looking for opportunities to support initiatives which encourage the use of modern languages within the six schools in the Trust.
Amanda is passionate about improving literacy standards and for the past two years, she has been involved with the Reading Pathway and the Norfolk Reading Project. She has received up-to-date training in phonics and currently volunteers in a local primary school. She is committed to supporting any methods which encourage pupils to enjoy reading and make progress with their reading and comprehension.
Alexander Bragg
Alex has worked within a sales and engineering background since leaving Downham Market Six Form Centre in 1990. He currently lives In Norwich and has one child (aged 7) attending Lionwood Junior School. Having decided to travel when he ‘hit’ 30 he spent a year volunteering and working in Europe, but mainly in Australia. He spent just over 1 month working alongside under privileged children on a farm on the outskirts of Melbourne.
Since returning he volunteered for Samaritans as a ‘listener’ but also within the prison service and as a ‘leader’ within the organisation.
Alex is very keen to start volunteering again and would like to contribute to his local area
Trustees
Jeff Prosser
Chair of Inclusive Schools Trust & Partnership Link Trustee
Jeff has considerable experience in both the field of Social Care and the Charity sector. As a social worker, he was related to working with children and young people and their families. At the start of his career, Jeff worked in the Children’s Department in the field of childcare. He also has experience and knowledge of governance both in his role in charities and as a Chair of Governors, giving him a strategic overview of the responsibilities of the role of Trustee.
Jeff has a vast experience across many charitable organisations such as housing, hospitals, Age UK, as well as work in Community Services, Probation, and spending time as a Parish Councillor.
Eileen Hansell
Vice-Chair of Inclusive Schools Trust and Lead Trustee for Finance, Audit & Risk
Eileen worked as the Finance Officer and Bursar at George White Junior School for over 20 years and has been active in school governance for over 35 years. For 3 years Eileen was the Chair of Governors at George White Junior School, where she sat on committees responsible for finance, personnel, staffing, safeguarding and child protection, holding the position of Governor responsible for SEND for several years. She has also been involved in the performance management process and recruitment across the school and held the position of Cluster Chair for SEND for 4 years.
Eileen was the Chair at George White Junior School in 2017 and a member of the governance working party when Inclusive Schools Trust was formed. Eileen has had extensive governance training and has successfully completed the Chair of Governors’ Leadership Development Programme and the GovernEd extensive course for Leadership & Management. She held the position of Trust Chair, for 4 years, stepping back September 2023 to take on the Finance Lead. Eileen regularly attends seminars and training webinars facilitated by the Trust’s auditors and the NGA. Eileen also holds the Trust responsibility for PFI and GDPR and is the Panel Chair for the CEO’s Performance Management.
Eileen is a member of the VNET Governance Forum and the LA’s Finance Consultative Group, representing academy governance, she is also a member of the Association of Business Management in Norfolk Schools.
Maureen Hanke
Lead Trustee for Standards, Audit & Risk and Lead and Link Trustees Group
Maureen worked as a teacher, a county curriculum adviser, an Ofsted trained team inspector and latterly Head of Norfolk Music service. As the head of an attached service, she managed a staff of 80 employees and a gross annual budget of £2 million.
She has been a school governor for 12 years, and Chair of Governors 6 years. She has completed a range of governor training and is up to date in safer recruitment training and child protection training. She is involved regularly in performance management and recruitment. Maureen is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and has chaired executive committees at local and national level. She currently sits on the board of trustees for Music Mark, a charitable company limited by guarantee.
Martin (Marty) Norman
Lead Trustee for Estates, Audit & Risk
Marty is currently the Head of Estates Delivery for The Creative Education Trust, having previously held the post of Deputy Director of Estates & Facilities at City College Norwich. Following a career at Virgin One Account and the Royal Bank of Scotland, Marty worked for Virgin Money as the Regional Property Manager, before moving into the Education sector in 2016.
Marty is a strong leader, people manager and project manager and holds certified status of the Institute of Workplace & Facilities Management and BIFM level 4 Prince2 Practitioner. In addition, he has two IOSH, a NEBOSH, IEMA Foundation Environmental Management qualifications and is vastly experienced in strategic operational building management and strategic FM and budget management.
Marty joined The Inclusive Schools Trust in 2019, taking on the role of Health & Safety and Buildings Trustee, chairing the previous Finance Audit & Risk Committee and is the Lead Trustee for Estates, Audit & Risk.
Marty believes in the importance of creating an inspirational environment for learning and is a keen fundraiser, completing 3 London marathons!
Helen Hunt
Partnership Link Trustee
Helen taught for 38 years in secondary state comprehensive schools.
For the first 13 years she taught Biology to Years 7 to 13, and became Head of Biology after 8 years, at Rickmansworth School in Hertfordshire.
In Surrey she was a form tutor to the first new Year 7 intake, following the reorganisation of schools from 3 to 2 tier systems, and she set up a Lower School Science ‘Green Club’ whilst teaching sciences to GCSE and Biology to A Level.
After moving to Sandown High School on the Isle of Wight for the last 20 years of her teaching career, she again became involved in the reorganisation of island schools from 3 to 2 tier systems. This involved an intake of 900 new students (in Years 7, 8 and 9) in the ‘change-over’ year. Following this she set up a lower school Science Club. She led A Level field trips to Dorset and also, for over a decade, to Sweden.
She was Head of Science for the last three years in a department of 20 Science teachers and 4 technicians.
She was the school’s rep for the teacher’s union AMMA, for most of her teaching years at Sandown.
Helen retired in 2014 and moved back to Norwich, where she had spent the first 18 years of her life. She continues to work for the examining board OCR.
Neil Park
Partnership Link Trustee
Neil brings a wealth of experience to the Trust as a former Director of E-Commerce at Jarrolds and now as Head of Marketing and Communications at Break Charity.
Neil has spent much of his career in the retail sector and is a natural problem solver. He has experience in many areas of business including strategy, e-commerce, buying, project management, and developing teams. Neil has been a Trustee since 2000, is Link Trustee for both Mousehold and George White schools and is passionate about giving children and young people the best start in life.
Neil and his family live in NR3 and both of his children have been through Mousehold Infant and Nursery School and George White Junior School. Neil loves anything to do with keeping fit, running, guitars and music!
Helen Dawe
Trustee
Helen is an experienced HR professional with over 10 years’ experience in a variety of HR roles in multiple sectors, including Hospitality, Retail and Higher Education. She has completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management (CIPD Level 7). She is a HR generalist with experience in managing all elements of the employee lifecycle including recruitment and selection, onboarding, and absence management. She also has experience in managing complex disciplinary and grievance cases.
Helen has a passion for learning and development, ensuring that people reach their full potential by supporting them to achieve this. She has an Award in Education and Training which has further supported her to ensure that she can help employees reach their goals. Working with the Inclusive Schools Trust she believes she can use her knowledge, experience, and passion to support children within the trust to reach their highest potential as an individual, not only academically but ensuring that their mental and physical wellbeing is supported.