Information about our trustees

Gary has lived in Shrewsbury for the last 23 years with his wife and two children who were both educated locally.  Gary was appointed as Chair of Trustees in 2017 having previously served as a Parent Governor and then Chair of The Priory School Local Governing Body.  Prior to this he was the Chair of the Governing Body of a large local primary school for six years.

Prior to taking early retirement Gary has 36 years’ experience of senior NHS management and understands public sector finances, HR and recruitment.  He has also worked for a private company providing services to the NHS.  Gary ensures the highest standards of governance at both Trust and Local Governing Body level to ensure that we provide the highest quality of education for all our pupils.

Patrick retired to Shrewsbury in 2017 after a 37 year career in banking and finance. He worked mostly in London, but also spent several years in Paris and New York. He served for 15 years on the governing body of a small independent school in Kent (ages 3-18), including 5 years as chair of the Finance Committee. More recently, he spent two years on the Local Governing Body at The Priory School. Although not an educationalist by profession, over the years he has developed a great interest in the education of young people.

Don was previously a Governor of Priory School involved in creation of the Multi-Academy Trust and agreed to become a Trustee on its inception in 2016. As a retired professional Civil Engineer and Project Manager, Don has extensive experience of using and interpreting data to guide decision making and brings this experience to the Trust. Don’s focus is on sustainable growth of the Trust whilst maintaining a secure financial base.

Ann was born and educated in Shropshire. After gaining a degree in Geography and Maths she began her teaching career in Oxfordshire, finally returning to Shropshire. Ann has a broad range of experience within education, holding a variety of Senior Leadership posts focusing on school improvement and achievement. Throughout her career her aim has always been to broaden and enhance the life chances of young people.

Sasha joined the Trust in April 2018. He qualified as a Solicitor in 2002 and has worked mainly for several UK top 30 Law Firms in the area of Defendant Insurance and Healthcare and Regulatory Law. Currently he works for an arm’s length body of the Department of Health and Social Care as a Claims Audit & Service Improvement Manager based in Canary Wharf, London. With his experience acting for private, commercial and public sector clients he will strive for the highest standards of governance at Trust level for the MAT to continue to grow.

Peter is a director of an international company in building materials sector with responsibility for HR, organisation development and compliance issues. He has over 25 years of experience in human resources with substantial knowledge of policies and procedures, change management and people development. Peter joined the Trust in 2018 and will use his HR and business knowledge to support the growth of the Trust.

Naomi is currently an Admissions Tutor, Business Teacher and Head of Volunteering at Shrewsbury School, having previously been a Housemistress for 70+ girls.  Prior to this Naomi was a Deputy Headteacher (including one term of Acting Headship) at Adcote School and has held various roles at other senior schools in Bath and Bristol before moving to Shropshire.  Naomi’s overriding interest is the welfare and wellbeing of pupils and their ability to learn in a fully functioning education environment that provides high standards in all areas.

Geoff is currently an Assistant Headteacher at a secondary school in Telford where he has a broad range of academic and pastoral responsibilities.  He has previously held leadership roles in schools in New Zealand and Leicester.  He began his work within the Trust in 2018 as a local governor at Coleham Primary School and spent three of these as Chairman.  He aims to help the Trust achieve its aim of “Every individual is in a great school” through the sharing of outstanding practice across both the primary and secondary sectors.

Darren is currently Head of Shrewsbury High School where he has held a variety of leadership positions over the last 17 years. With 30 years of experience in schools in the UK and overseas, Darren has a broad range of experience at every level of school leadership, both academic and pastoral. He has recently completed a master’s degree in educational leadership and management and is Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute. He is a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching and an experienced football coach. As a member of the local governing body of Coleham Primary School since 2020, Darren has gained experience of working with the school’s leadership team and within the Trust. Darren believes “that the transformational powers of an outstanding education should be every child’s experience” and he aims to support this ambition within the Trust.