Trust and School Governance

Andy is a retired Chief Constable who has led two different police forces. His responsibility was to provide leadership to organisations with multi-million pound budgets. As Assistant Commissioner at New Scotland Yard he was in charge of Royalty protection and Counter-Terrorism and was directly accountable to the Home Secretary and Prime Minister. Since his retirement, he has advised company CEOs on strategic planning and security-related matters. In the academic arena, he was a member of Anglia Ruskin University's board for ten years and is now a Visiting Fellow. He was elected Chair in January 2010 and has been privileged to retain that position since that date. He has been living in the area since 1990 and is keen to support the local community by helping the Trust build and develop the education it provides to young people. Andy is particularly proud how the Trust seeks to empower learners and staff to achieve their full potential in life. He was awarded the CBE and QPM in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2006 and 2004, respectively.

Hazel's initial career was as a secondary school teacher and senior leader. She then moved into leadership training and facilitation across a range of programs, including working with the National Remodelling Team and National College for School Leadership. For the last ten years, she has been writing materials, facilitating training, mentoring, and assessing for national school leadership programs. She is an Institute for Leadership and Management trained coach. Now largely retired. Hazel was a Member of the St. Nicholas, D’Arcy governing board before the school became part of the Canonium Trust and is now a member of the Teaching and Learning Council for Tolleshunt D’Arcy St. Nicholas, as well as a director for the Trust. 

Catherine gained a first-class degree in Accounting and Law at The University of Manchester, before spending 15 years in London as a trader for Merrill Lynch and Bank of America. During this time, she worked closely with a number of inner-city schools, working as a mentor, delivering public speaking sessions and giving lessons on financial literacy.

Once she’d had her children, Catherine switched career to become a children’s writer.  Catherine has a strong interest in literacy and is a member of the National Literacy Trust’s Financial Literacy Steering Committee.  She spends a great deal of her time running writing workshops for adults and children in schools all over the country and internationally. Catherine has recently worked with Arsenal Football Club to deliver literacy sessions as part of their community outreach program. 

She is currently Chair of governors at Finchingfield School and wants all children to be able to fulfil their potential.

In 1997 Malcolm became part of the Governing Body of St. Andrew’s Marks Tey, eventually taking on the role of Chair of Governors.  With St Andrew's joining the Trust in October 2023, Malcolm joined the Trust Board of Directors in December 2023.

Having dedicated over 39 years to the Banking industry, particularly with Midland Bank/HSBC, Malcolm held various leadership positions across Retail and Commercial sectors. His retirement eventually led to taking on the mantle of Chair of Governors at Ramsey School, Halstead, part of a Multi-Academy Trust, a position he has held since 2019.

In 2022, Malcolm was called upon to support another Consortium school in the local area . In the absence of a willing volunteer, he stepped into the Chair role for a year, a commitment extended until October 2024.

Outside his professional life, sports are a significant part of Malcolm’s routine. While he retired as an England Badminton umpire two years ago, he remains actively engaged in running, serving as the General Secretary of the Essex Athletic Association, and contributing to a local parkrun at Marks Hall Estate. His passion extends to supporting Colchester United and Essex CC. Reading and music round out his leisure pursuits.

Having studied art history at university and completed a master’s degree in museum and gallery education, Emma worked for Arts Council England, firstly as a project assistant and then Programme Manager for their flagship Creative Partnerships programme, managing projects and allocating funding to schools across Essex and Suffolk. Following the birth of her first child, she decided to go freelance to have more flexibility in her work schedule and was lucky enough to build a portfolio of projects working with various arts organisations and education programs across the eastern region. Meanwhile, Emma and her husband decided to take his family farm back in hand, which had been previously contracted out due to the lack of interest in farming it. As their farming business has grown, Emma has taken on less freelance work and now works almost exclusively for their farming business with her husband. They are now in their 11th year of running the farm together. Emma's first son was joined by two more, and now all three of their boys are at Stisted, where Emma has been a parent governor since 2016. She became Chair in 2018 and during that time led the governing body on its journey from being a single academy trust into Canonium this autumn. Emma has a particular interest in how the key skills that underpin creativity can support curriculum development. She believes that by focusing on a creative approach that promotes skills of resilience, resourcefulness, inquisitiveness, confidence, and allows imagination and collaboration to be at the heart of learning, it leads to positive outcomes for all learners, leaving them better prepared for success in the modern working world. 

Simon is a director appointed by the Chelmsford Diocese and currently the Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee of the Board.  His career has included being a Financial Analyst in the motor industry, Planning Manager for a diversified Trading Company, and latterly as Managing Director of their Zimbabwe operations. Being a long-standing Governor of St Marys, Kelvedon he was intimately involved in the original conversion of  St Mary’s to Academy Status.   He has been a freelance cricket coach running Chance to Shine and After School cricket programmes in more than fifteen schools in the North Essex area.  He is currently a Trustee of the Ogilvie Charities and a Director of Kelvedon and Feering Cricket Club.  He runs his own turf management business. 

The main driving force behind his involvement in the role of governor is to support the professional teachers in their mission to give their charges the soundest possible foundation in life.    This manifests itself in helping to clear any obstructions which the teachers face in resources and facilities by assisting with, and monitoring, tight financial and operational control in the Trust. 

Mark is an IT professional with over 20 years’ experience. He has led in the areas of management, compliance, budgeting and project delivery.

Sarah’s professional career spans the Aerospace, Defence, and Security sectors, where she has thrived as an engineer, project manager, bid manager, and business-winning governance and enablement specialist. She holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree with honours in Electronic and Communication Engineering from the University of Bath and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management of Design from Coventry University. A member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Sarah has also served as a STEM Ambassador for many years, providing guidance to students on their career paths. As a School Governor at St. John’s Primary in Danbury since 2007, including a tenure as Vice Chair, she became Chair in July 2022. Passionate about ensuring every child receives the best possible education and support in a safe environment, Sarah is dedicated to fostering strong governance and strategic leadership to promote the Trust’s sustainable growth and operations. To maintain her physical and mental well-being, she enjoys exercise classes, aspires to enhance her gardening skills, and loves travelling to explore diverse cultures, histories, gastronomy, and natural wonders.  

We are looking to expand our Board of Directors to 11.  

We are seeking volunteer non-executive directors with the following skills:

Governance and Leadership:

- Experience in governance principles and practices

- Ability to provide strategic direction and monitor performance

- Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements

Education Sector Knowledge:

- Understanding of educational policies and curriculum development

- Knowledge of assessment frameworks and school improvement strategies

Financial Management:

- Proficiency in financial management and budgeting

- Understanding of financial statements and risk management

- Ability to ensure effective use of resources

Legal and Compliance:

- Familiarity with relevant legislation, policies, and procedures

- Knowledge of safeguarding, data protection, and employment laws

Human Resources:

- Expertise in staff recruitment, performance management, and succession planning

- Ability to shape policies related to workforce development and staff well-being

Stakeholder Engagement:

- Strong communication and relationship-building skills

- Experience in public relations, community engagement, and networking

Strategic Planning:

- Ability to think strategically and contribute to long-term planning

- Experience in policy development and performance evaluation

Change Management:

- Understanding of change management principles

- Experience in driving organizational change

Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills:

- Strong analytical abilities and problem-solving skills

- Ability to assess complex issues and make informed decisions

Ethical Awareness and Integrity:

- Demonstrated high ethical standards and integrity in decision-making