Event Information

Helen is an Education Consultant with extensive experience of the Academy and Free School programmes. She was previously the Director of Development and Governance of a large national multi academy trust (MAT), with responsibility for the development and implementation of the Trust’s growth plans and operating model, including staffing and recruitment and development of the governance framework. Since working as an Education Consultant Helen has supported several sponsors in the development and growth of their MATs, from initial visioning through to the successful conversion of academies and implementation of operating models. She has written five successful Free School applications including primary, secondary and all-through phase schools, and has experience of opening a primary Free School on time and within budget. Helen has led on the successful conversion of more than forty academies, including faith schools and foundation schools, as well as Local Authority maintained schools. As such she is accustomed to dealing with stakeholders at all levels including RSCs, LA officers, Governing Bodies, Dioceses, professional bodies and staff.

Ann’s involvement in education spans many years and a variety of roles.  She completed 12 years as Director of Education for the Diocese of York in 2014 – a role in which she led the diocesan education team and was responsible for 127 schools and academies across 8 local authorities.  Her wide-ranging responsibilities included school organisation, governance, admissions, property and trusts, standards and ethos.  From 2010, Ann led the strategic development and implementation of the diocesan academies programme and oversaw the establishment of single- and multi-academy trusts in the diocese.  Ann is now an independent consultant, focusing on academy structures and governance and free schools. 

Being at the chalkface of governance has always been key to Ann’s professional life and something that she has committed to unstintingly in a voluntary capacity and in a range of contexts.  She served for many years as a secondary school governor at 2 schools in York, then as a trustee and Vice-Chair of the Board in a single-academy trust from its inception through to it becoming a multi-academy trust (Sentamu Academy Learning Trust, Hull) in 2015. As Director of Education, Ann also represented the Diocese of York as a Member of its academy trusts.  Ann’s broader experience of corporate governance extends to 6 years as a member of the Chapter of York Minster, 9 years as a governor and Chair of the People Committee of York St John University and (in the independent sector) 7 years as a governor and Chair of the Education Committee of St Peter’s School, York.

Martin is currently the Chief Executive of Consilium Academies, a multi-academy Trust operating in the North. Martin started his teaching career in Sheffield and became Head of Geography in two schools in the city. He was involved in a number of national curriculum development projects for GCSE and A level and co-authored a series of key stage 3 textbooks. After a short period as a lecturer in Education at Sheffield University, Martin moved on to be a Deputy Head in Kirklees. He subsequently moved to be head of King James’s School in Kirklees and completed his teaching career as Principal of Ossett Academy and Sixth Form College in Wakefield. During his time at Ossett he became a National Leader in Education. 

Martin has been a member of several national education committees and has held a number of positions including trustee for the Geographical Association, the Board of FASNA  and is a current member of the Head’s Leadership Team for the Prince’s Teaching Institute. Martin is a former member of the Head Teacher Board for Lancashire and West Yorkshire.

John has held senior operations positions within the financial services industry and the FM industry  Working as an interim as Group MD, MD and Operations Director in several sectors.

He has held non exec Director positions working in co operative organisations setup by local authorities, and via the Academy Ambassador network has been Chair, member and trustee of WCAT during the rebroker and solvent wind up of the trust.

He has a Doctor of Business Administration from Sheffield Hallam University, where his research looked at the impact of short termism on value creation in public sector contracting. He has a MBA from the University of Lancaster where his focus was on the use of performance measurement in effective operational delivery.