Board of Trustees & Register of Interests

The Board of Trustees is the decision-making body of the academy Trust and is accountable and responsible for all the academies equally in the academy Trust. Trustees are unpaid volunteers.

Establishment group: Greater Manchester Education Trust


Trustees must carry out the three core governance functions, which are to:

  1. Ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
  2. Hold executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the Trust’s schools and their pupils, and the performance management of staff
  3. Oversee the financial performance of the Trust and make sure its money is well spent

Trustee / Staff Full Name Specific Responsibility Appointed By Start Date of Current Term of Office Current Term of Office Ends Business and Pecuniary Interests
Trustee Suzannah Mary Reeves Chair of Trustees Foundation / Trust 20/10/22 20/10/26 Pinnacle Learning Education Trust – Associate Principal, various roles from September 2007. Manchester City Council, Local Government Councillor, Old Moat Ward, May 2010

Trustee Andrew Mullen Vice Chair of Trustees Foundation / Trust 01/09/22 01/09/26 University of Manchester, Higher Education, Deputy Director – People and Organisations Development, January 1990. Booth Centre, Charity working with people affected by homelessness. Trustee and Vice Chair of Board of Trustees, September 2013
Trustee Bushra Jamil Foundation / Trust 01/09/22 01/09/26 Parkreed Uk Ltd, Car lease company, Director, 1st May 2017. Revival Consultancy Ltd (Dormant Company) Management Consultancy, Director, March 2011

Trustee Carol Culley Foundation / Trust 01/09/22 01/09/26 Manchester City Council (MCC), Local Government – Deputy Chief Executive & City Treasurer, interest since 2001 – City Treasurer since 2016 | Manchester Professional Services Ltd (01997391), provides company secretary service, interest since 2008 | Modesole Ltd (02379363), wholly owned by MCC, since 2018 | Destination Manchester Ltd (05360083), Convention centre – wholly owned by MCC, interest since 2017 | Manchester Central Convention Complex (00953285), Digital and film studio – wholly owned by MCC, interest since 2016 | Manchester Creative Digital Assests Ltd (10300159), buying and selling off own real estate, interest since 2016 | The Manchester Mortgage Corporation Ltd (01045374), housing – JV with MCC, interest since 2016 | Northern Gateway Operations Limited (10724138), non-trading company, interest since 2017 | Manchester Parking Ltd (03774834), non-trading company, interest since 2018 | Matrix Homes (General Partner) Lt (08980059), housing JV, interest since 2016 | Manchester Knowledge Capital Ltd (06847507), consultancy activities other than financial management, interest since 2016 | Manchester Place, Local Government – Deputy Chief Executive & City Treasurer, interest since 2016 | We Love Manchester Emergency Fund (TRUSTEE), charity, interest since 2017 | The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (TRUSTEE), Accountancy Body, interest since 2021 | Cipfa Business Ltd

Trustee Dale Edward Bassett Foundation / Trust 01/09/22 01/09/26 Ark Curriculum Plus, Education Services Provider, Board Member, February 2021. National Baccalaureate Trust, Charity/campaigning organisation, May 2015

Staff Damian Owen Chief Executive Officer & Accounting Officer Ex-officio by virtue of office as headteacher/principal 01/09/22 01/09/26 No relevant interests to declare

Trustee Elizabeth Franey Foundation / Trust 01/09/22 01/09/26 Senior Civil Servant at the DFE, currently working on SEND and AP Policy

Trustee Ella Charlotte Overshott Foundation / Trust 01/09/22 01/09/26 Pecan Partnership Ltd, Culture, change and performance consultancy. Director April 2013. Parent of Children at Parrs Wood High School

Trustee Emma-Jane McLaren Foundation / Trust 01/09/22 01/09/26 No relevant interests to declare (employee at Propsere Learning Trust)

Trustee Sandra Milne Foundation / Trust 01/09/22 01/09/26 The University of Manchester, Higher Education and Research, Employee, November 1995

Trustee Thomas McDonald Foundation / Trust 01/09/22 01/09/26 Spouse, Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester, appointed May 2017

Chief Finance and Operations Officer: Mrs L. Staunton

The Greater Manchester Education Trust is committed to ensuring equality of education and opportunity for all students, staff, parents and carers receiving services from the Trust, irrespective of race, gender, sexuality, disability, faith or religion or socio-economic background. We aim to recruit governors from diverse backgrounds in order to support our schools in the development of cohesive communities. We collect data to help us monitor the diversity of our Trust board and members as well as the membership of our local committees, however the data sample size is too small to publish without breaching personal privacy.


Attendance at Meetings


Quality Marks, Awards and Affiliations

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