Academy Trustees

An academy trust is a charitable company set up to run an academy and is responsible for the strategic direction of the academy. Academy trusts have 2 layers of governance: the members of the trust and the board of Trustees. At Cawston Grange Primary School the board of Trustees meet at least 4 times a year. Some functions are delegated to the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee and the Pay committee.

Members -The members are similar to shareholders and have ultimate control over the direction of the academy trust. They ensure the charitable company achieves its objectives, sign off the financial accounts and annual report, and appoint some of the trustees.

Trustees – The trustees are responsible for the 3 core strategic functions (strategic direction, holding school leaders to account for educational performance and overseeing the financial performance of the school).

Our trustees bring a wide range of skills and experience to the table ranging from accountancy to education to industry. The Trust Board comprises of the Headteacher, staff, parents and representatives of the community or people co-opted onto the Board because of a particular skill, e.g. finance. The term of office for governors is four years.

Current Academy Trust Members

Member	Term of office start date	Interests declared
Mary Gill	11/10/2021	Employed by WCC
Alison Kunze	08/02/2021	Employed by local Academy
Jacqueline Day	06/08/2023	None
Jean Sinclair	06/08/2023	None
Charles Robards	18/01/2024	None

Current Trust Board Members

Trustee	Appointment	Role	Committee	Term of Office from	to	Declarations of Interest	Meeting attendance 2022-23
Kate Worthington	Ex-officio by virtue of office	Headteacher Accounting Officer		01/09/2021	ongoing	None	12 of 12
Dean Harrison	Member appointed	Chair of Trustees Health & Safety link	FAR, Pay	27/03/2018	26/03/2026	Employed by Network Rail, spouse employed by the DfE (non-operational).	11 of 11
Martin Guerrieria	Parent Election	Pupil & staff wellbeing link	P&S, Pay, HTPR	18/09/2023	17/09/2027	None	10 of 10
Tom Reed	Parent Election			01/03/2023	28/02/2027	Employed by DfE, spouse employed by Examination board	4 of 4
Dean Richards	Co-Opted			01/03/2024	28/02/2028	None
Jacqueline Brook	Co-Opted			14/03/2024	13/03/2028	None
Jeremy Brown	Co-Opted	SEND Link		08/07/2024	07/07/2028	None

Previous Board Members

Trustee	Appointment	Term of Office from	To	Declaration of Interests	Meeting Attendance 2023- 2024
Gwion Russell	Co-Opted	18/04/2023	08/04/2025	None
Jean Shaw	Member Appointed	28/05/2021	10/05/2024	None	5/9
Ashley Raynor	Member appointed	15/04/2021	18/12/2023	MD of children’s clothing company, partner is a financial controller for RBS & NatWest Bank and owns a Consulting company.	1/5
Joanna Marie Wyle	Parent Trustee	12/03/2019	12/03/2023	Director of IT company	2/5

Dean Harrison

I have been the Chair of Cawston Grange Primary School since 2022 and first became a trustee in 2018. During this time, I have undertaken a number of different roles including chairing the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee. I now have two children who enjoy attending the school. My professional background is in Governance, Risk and Compliance so I understand the value effective governance (and support) can bring to organisations. I am responsible for ensuring that the Board of Trustees are appropriately trained and have the necessary skills and expertise in order to carry out our duties.

Tom Reed

My wife and I live locally and we have two children in years 1 and 3. I’d like to think that means I have a good sense of school life and what matters to parents/carers and our community. In my professional life, I’m a civil servant that helps Further Education Colleges improve their education outcomes and finances. As a parent elected trustee I will always be interested to speak with and represent parents. I can be contacted via reed.t@welearn365.com

Dean Richards

I’ve lived locally in Cawston since 2019 and became a Parish Councillor here in 2022. I was also a Trustee previously at Age UK Coventry & Warwickshire. I’m passionate about local community engagement and believe places that are active and engaged on a local level thrive compared with those that aren’t. People really make the difference.

Professionally I come from an economics and finance background having worked in senior management positions in some of the UKs biggest companies, before setting up my own business. I am a qualified Chartered Accountant and have a Masters in Economics. I believe a good education is probably the greatest device to any young person in opening up life’s opportunities.

Martin Guerrieria

After moving to the area in 2016 I now have two children at the school, and both are clearly benefiting from the wealth of learning and personal development available. Cawston is a fantastic community and I’ve been inspired to get involved and support the governance of a school clearly central to the identity of the neighbourhood. I bring a questioning scientific background as part of my own education, and currently work in the market research industry, helping clients establish successful brands and improve their communications; skills that I hope will benefit the school and governance structure.

Jackie Brook

Professionally I have largely worked in Special Education but have held Headships in both Special and Mainstream Primary Schools. I have also had secondments to Coventry LEA as a Teacher Advisor for Assessment, Education Officer for Special Educational Needs and supported another Primary School which was experiencing difficulties.

I am now retired but for three years I worked part time as a Tutor in Early Years at Warwick University.

Having this Educational background and helping in Early Years over the last 12 months I have been very impressed with the positive Ethos in the school and the skill and expertise of the staff which is why I would like to do more to assist as a Trustee.

Jeremy Brown

I am currently Head of Service & CAS at Rugby School and have worked in education in Peru, Kenya and the UK. I’m committed to fostering community engagement and supporting the development of young learners. As a trustee, I aim to contribute my experience in partnerships and service programmes to help the school continue its excellent work in nurturing both academic success and personal growth. I’m passionate about ensuring a well-rounded, inclusive education for all. I live in Rugby with my wife and two children.