Learn-AT Trustees
The Trust Board has overall responsibility and ultimate decision-making authority for all the work of the Trust and all of its schools.
The Trustees delegate responsibility for aspects of school governance to Local Governing Bodies through a Scheme of Delegation.
Local Governing Bodies provide advice, support and challenge to the headteacher in leading the school and ensuring all pupils flourish. They guard the school’s ethos, ensure the school collaborates with other schools in the Trust to share effective practice, resources and experience and manage its relationship with the community. They focus on:
- Standards, curriculum and school ethos
- Health, safety and premises, including safeguarding
- Parental and wider community engagement
- Assurance and oversight of compliance and risk, including finance.
Jeremy Benson
Chair of Trustees
Educational Management Leadership and Governance Jeremy is a senior civil servant who has spent most of his career working at the Department for Education (DfE) in a range of areas including finance, qualifications, construction skills and further education. He has also worked for the qualifications regulator Ofqual, where he was involved in general qualifications reform, apprenticeships, and regulation of vocational qualifications. He has recently spent nearly three years on secondment to the UK Health Security Agency supporting the Covid-19 pandemic response. Jeremy has been a trustee of Learn-AT since it was formed in 2016, having previously been a local governor at Meadowdale Primary School, where his two children were educated. He is a trustee and fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health.
Karen Cooper
HR Leader, Market Harborough
Karen has over 15 years’ experience as a Human Resources (HR) professional in a variety of industries including healthcare and retail. In her current role at Joules plc she focusses on HR Support and Karen has over 20 years’ experience as a Human Resources (HR) professional in a variety of industries including healthcare, retail and insurance. She is currently working in a consultancy capacity providing strategic business support on people matters, and leading people focused projects. In her previous role as Head of People she led a team to deliver high quality HR services across all the people functions including reward and payroll, talent acquisition, HR operations, learning and development, internal communications and business partnering.
Sir John Dunford
School Leadership and Improvement
Sir John Dunford has over 50 years’ experience of school leadership. He has previously worked as a maths teacher and secondary headteacher, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, National Pupil Premium Champion, Chair of Whole Education and Chair of the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors. He was a governor of St Andrew’s, North Kilworth for 16 years until the establishment of the Learn Academies Trust, since when he has been a member of the LearnAT board of trustees.
Natalie Jackson
SEND Specialist
Natalie Jackson is a freelance educational consultant specialising in Special Educational Needs and Disability. She is a member of the Academies Enterprise Trust SEN Team and an Associate Consultant for NASEN. She trains for RTA and Osiris and delivers the Outstanding Teaching Intervention in primary schools. Natalie is an associate expert for Optimus' SEN Hub and for The Key for school leaders. She is a consultant governor for a large 4-18 school in Dubai. Natalie has had experience as an Interim Executive Headteacher in a Primary School. Prior to that, she worked for the National Strategies SEN Team as a Senior Adviser for Achievement for All, supporting the development of a highly successful programme aimed at improving outcomes for pupils with SEND.
Jane Jones
CEO and Executive Trustee
A graduate of Law from Cambridge University, Jane had a thriving 18-year legal career in both public and private sectors. Transitioning to the education field six years ago, Jane's passion lies in children's education and well-being. Her goal is to work collaboratively with the Trust's senior leaders to create a positive, nurturing, and inclusive primary school experience for students. Jane is dedicated to challenging and supporting students to achieve their full potential, empowering them to confidently pursue present and future opportunities with courage and optimism.
Bobby Thandi
Trustee
Bobby is the Deputy CEO of a large Multi Academy Trust operating across the East Midlands and South Yorkshire which consists of 25 academies, and as the Chief Financial Officer is responsible for the strategic financial management, systems and commercial operations of the Trust. He is also the Director leading a commercial trading subsidiary which operates an annual turnover over £2.5m. He has over 20 years’ experience in senior finance roles and overseeing support functions across the NHS, Local Authorities, Education Sector and Police Authorities. Bobby’s areas of professional expertise include strategic organisational change management, charity operations, governance, strategic growth, and developing commerciality in the third sector.
Steve Orton
Trustee
Steve has been a local governor at Red Hill Field Primary School since 2019 and chair since 2020. He is a qualified CIMA accountant, obtaining Chartered status in June 2009, and has over 16 years of experience of working within the educational and charitable sector. Steve held a senior management position at The Creative Education Trust before joining the NOVA Education Trust in April 2017, initially as Vice Chief Financial Officer and now as Chief Financial Officer.
Marie-Claire Bretherton
Trustee
Marie-Claire Bretherton has a wealth of experience in the education sector, having started her career as a teacher and then becoming a successful headteacher in Lincolnshire. She has a proven track record of leading three very different schools to secure improved outcomes for pupils, even in the most challenging of circumstances. In 2012, Marie-Claire worked with a group of school leaders in Lincolnshire to establish KYRA, a collaborative community for teaching, leadership, research, and school improvement partnerships that now serves over 60 primary schools. Her leadership was instrumental in developing this thriving community of schools over a 10 year period. From 2016 to 2023, Marie-Claire also served as the Education Director for Anthem Schools Trust, where she was responsible for driving improvements across the Primary phase. She is a published author, and sought after international speaker on leadership and school improvement. Currently, Marie-Claire is serving as the Deputy CEO at Waterton Academy Trust in West Yorkshire, where she continues to make a positive impact on the education sector.
Penelope Harris
Chair's Representative
Penelope has been a Local Community Governor at Meadowdale Primary School since 2018 and Chair of Governors since June 2022. She completed her BSc (Hons) in French and European Studies with Spanish and an MSc in Management at the University of Surrey, then commenced a career in Academic Administration at higher education, undergraduate, postgraduate and postdoctoral levels. She subsequently moved into the independent schools’ sector, spending 10 years as Registrar in a senior girls' boarding and day school where her excellent administrative and interpersonal skills, drive and passion helped achieve the highest number of pupils on roll and full boarding houses in a very competitive market. She moved to Leicestershire whilst on maternity leave in 2017 and changed career, becoming a Valuer and Auctioneer at one of the Midlands’ leading auction houses as well as a Professional Gemmologist, Fellow and Diamond Graduate of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A). She is passionate about the importance of education for everyone and encouraging a lifelong love of learning in children. She recognises and champions the crucial role primary schools play in creating solid foundations for every child's future in an ever-changing world, balanced with an active concern for staff and pupil wellbeing and mental health. My current responsibilities are as part-time Valuer / Auctioneer at Gildings Auctioneers, Local Community Governor and Chair of Governors at Meadowdale and Trustee at LearnAT.
David Proverbs
Trustee
David is Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor for Enterprise and Business Innovation at De Montfort University. He has over 30 years of experience in higher education, having held strategic leadership roles in four modern universities where he has been able to champion student learning as a research driven, curriculum active and enterprising academic. David is passionate about the environment, a great believer in the benefits of working in a global society and committed to creating opportunities for students to become global, climate-aware citizens. David has developed significant regional, national and international research and enterprise collaborations, drawing on a range of funding sources to pioneer innovative solutions towards improving resilience to flooding. His research has had significant national and international impact in the development of UK Climate Change Policy; as a trustee advising on global research grant awards; and through supporting the development of national flood risk strategies, for example in Brazil, China, Nigeria, Peru and the UK. He is a member of the Environment Agency’s Regional Flood and Coastal Committee, Chief Editor for the International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation and Associate Editor for the Journal of Flood Risk Management.
Steve Bailey
Trustee