Central Team

Andrew has lived in Guildford for over 25 years, where his children attended local schools. Prior to becoming a trustee of Learning Partners he spent a number of years as a governor of Guildford College Group. He also spent a number of years coaching juniors at the local rowing club.

After university, Andrew trained as an accountant with a global pharmaceutical company and subsequently worked as a Director of an international consultancy firm advising banks, investment banks and other financial services companies on how to improve their operational performance.

Dr Jon Cox has been Headmaster of the Royal Grammar School (RGS) since 2007.  Prior to his appointment he held various leadership roles including Second Master, Head of Sixth Form and Assistant Housemaster at Whitgift School.  He was educated at the University of Southampton (PhD Biochemistry, BSc Physiology & Pharmacology) and the Royal College of Music (Certificate of Advanced Performance). 

During Dr Cox’s leadership of the RGS, he has developed and strengthened partnerships with Learning Partners, working closely with George Abbot School and Kings College, Guildford.

Renata is a qualified geography teacher with 26 years of experience working in London schools.

Since 2019, Renata has worked at Saint Cecilia’s Church of England school, where she is Headteacher. Committed to the Self-Improving School System, Renata previously led the Canons Park Teaching School Alliance.

Renata is a member of the Department for Education Secondary Headteachers’ Reference Group and a trustee for the National Association of Able Children in Education (NACE), where she leads the Education Committee.

Jennifer’s professional background is in teaching, education management and school leadership. A qualified teacher, she worked in schools and colleges for 15 years, before joining the examination board AQA, where she is a Head of Curriculum and manages a portfolio of qualifications. 

Jennifer was Chair of the Governing Body at Guildford County School prior to joining Learning Partners Trust.

Andi has lived in the Stoughton area of Guildford for over 20 years. He is married with three boys of secondary-school age.

Andi has worked for British Airways for over 20 years. He currently works in the airline’s Business Transformation team as a Process Effectiveness Manager, managing a team which helps all areas of the airline improve the way they do things whilst being sensitive to the impact these changes have on both colleagues and customers.

Andi previously served as a governor at Stoughton Infant and Nursery School and was Chair of Governors from 2010 to 2018. He was a member of the Children and Learning Committee, Finance and Resources Committee, Strategy Committee and the Headteacher's Performance Management Committee.

Paul Smith is Professor of Composite Materials and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Surrey.  He is an engineer by background and has been working on the mechanical properties of materials for over 30 years.

Paul also has a strong interest in education.  He holds a PGCE, with mathematics as his primary subject.  He also served on the governing bodies of two schools in Guildford (Merrow Infants and Bushy Hill Junior) including a term as chair.

Marcia retired from the headship of Charters School, a large, mixed comprehensive school rated "outstanding" by Ofsted in August 2009, having spent 16 successful years as the headteacher of 2 different schools, each one offering challenge and enjoyment. As a headteacher Marcia was committed to Education-Business partnerships and was the headteacher representative on the board, overseeing all aspects of partnership working, including work experience. Marcia was a member of the Government Implementation Review Unit (IRU), representing headteachers, from 2003-09. This group worked closely with government advising on all aspects of policy implementation. She was also a member of the Board of the School Food Trust from 2007 to 2011 which managed the transformation of school food to ensure more healthy options were available.

Marcia was honoured to be created a Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE) in the New Years Honours List of 2010.

Since retiring from headship Marcia has been working with schools in the south of England as an Educational Consultant in all areas of School Improvement. This has involved chairing Governing bodies, chairing IEBs, mentoring and coaching school leaders and running training sessions for school staff and governors. She was the Regional Director for CfBT until the summer of 2017, overseeing their secondary schools in the Thames Valley Area. She was also a trustee of The Prince Philip Trust in Windsor and Maidenhead from 2011 to 2021, a charitable trust which gives financial support to organisations and individuals in the area. 

Marcia remains passionately committed to education and to supporting schools to do the very best they can to support the students in their care. 

Linda has lived in Guildford for 30 years, she is a Chartered Accountant and holds a PhD in Biochemistry.

Linda spent her executive career in private equity in the city and went “plural” in 2001, now acting as a non executive director or chair of both public & private companies both in the UK and internationally.

Linda was Chair of Governors for Schools, a charity which acted as a headhunter and advocate for governors and trustees for schools & academies. Linda is currently also a member of the trust.

• Kate Cheal, former Trustee

Copies of minutes from board and committee meetings can be viewed upon request. Please contact our governance lead Dominique Morris for further information on dmorris@learningpartners.org

Jack Mayhew brings significant experience of school leadership from both the secondary and primary sectors to his CEO role at Learning Partners.  Jack founded Athena Schools Trust, as Executive Headteacher, and led the merger with the 7 schools of Guildford Education Partnership in 2021, forming Learning Partners Academy Trust.  A teacher for more than 20 years, involved in school leadership for over half that time and a head, of one description or another, for almost 8 years, across three different schools, he is pleased to lead the trust with like-minded individuals and schools seeking a collaborative multi-academy trust model.

Jack has experience of school leadership in a variety of contexts and varying educational stages. He has experience of forming a multi-academy trust team before joining Guildford County – a school he led to outstanding Ofsted status in 2017.

Leading schools where children thrive is Jack's modus operandi for Learning Partners, where schools have a shared vision for education of being ‘better together’. The best way to face the challenges facing schools in the current climate is through collaboration, honesty and high expectations.

Patrick is the Chief Operations Officer for the trust. Patrick was previously School Business Manager for Guildford County School and brings a wealth of knowledge to the trust from previous roles, including as an Operations Manager within the electronics industry and, as a volunteer, as the vice-chair of a national youth organisation. Patrick trained as a Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineer.

Patrick is an accredited School Resource Management Advisor and provides support to schools on behalf of the Department for Education to assist them in making the most effective possible use of resources.

Patrick’s role is to ensure that the trust provides effective support to our schools, enabling them to offer the best possible learning experiences for children and young people.

Kathryn has worked as a classroom teacher in the primary sector teaching for all ages between Nursery and Year 6.  Alongside her role as Director of Education, Kathryn is also a serving headteacher with 11 years headship experience, she has extensive experience of school academy trusts and school leadership.

Kathryn is an accredited NLE and has had the privilege of working with a variety of schools across the South East region in supporting them with varying aspects of school improvement.

Kathryn works to support governing bodies within both the maintained local authority and academy sector cross phase to include primary and secondary.

Kathryn has worked as part of the school improvement team since 2020 and has been able to visit all the schools within the trust, to work with leaders, teachers and staff teams to help them develop the curriculum offer for the trust’s learners.

Alongside her school improvement team colleagues, they aim to support the trust’s schools with providing the very best education they can, for the children they serve.  They do this via bespoke school improvement work and professional development.

Kathryn has worked as a classroom teacher in the primary sector teaching for all ages between Nursery and Year 6.  Alongside her role as Director of Education, Kathryn is also a serving headteacher with 11 years headship experience, she has extensive experience of school academy trusts and school leadership.

Kathryn is an accredited NLE and has had the privilege of working with a variety of schools across the South East region in supporting them with varying aspects of school improvement.

Kathryn works to support governing bodies within both the maintained local authority and academy sector cross phase to include primary and secondary.

Kathryn has worked as part of the school improvement team since 2020 and has been able to visit all the schools within the trust, to work with leaders, teachers and staff teams to help them develop the curriculum offer for the trust’s learners.

Alongside her school improvement team colleagues, they aim to support the trust’s schools with providing the very best education they can, for the children they serve.  They do this via bespoke school improvement work and professional development.

Before joining Learning Partners, Helen has served within leadership teams in schools for 18 years and has leadership experience within secondary, primary and special schools, most recently acting as Headteacher at a local primary school. Helen has also led the work of a Teaching School.

Subsequent to her work in school leadership, Helen held the role of Director of School Improvement at another local trust and has enjoyed many years working across phase to support schools. In recent years Helen has developed and nurtured a wide network, and works alongside the Schools Alliance for Excellence as part of the school improvement team.

Helen is an experienced School Improvement Partner and has acted as a leadership coach on the National College of School Leadership Programme for supporting women in leadership. Helen has a passion to see inclusion embedded within the foundation of our work in schools and sees her role as being someone who builds effective dialogue with schools that provides appropriate challenge and good support to enable schools to realise ambitious goals for their pupils. She seeks to develop and deliver a collaborative approach to school improvement, effectiveness and leadership. Helen remains focused on promoting a positive culture and high expectation in the development of teaching and learning pedagogy across all schools at Learning Partners.

Liv initially began working with young people through directing youth theatre and work as a Teaching Assistant at a Special School following an MA in Drama and Theatre Studies.

Liv was greatly impacted by her work with students with additional needs, and after training as a Drama Teacher and working as a Head of Department, Olivia completed her NA SENDCo qualification.

Liv has been a SENDCo and Inclusion Lead in Surrey schools since 2016, she is also a member of the British Psychological Association and qualified Exam Access Arrangements Assessor.

Rachel has extensive experience in school leadership and improvement, having worked in various Local Education Authorities (LEAs) in senior leadership roles before joining the Trust in 2016. Throughout her career, her focus has always been on driving high standards in education and ensuring every child has access to a high-quality curriculum.

As an experienced member of the Trust’s School Improvement Team, Rachel provides strategic support to senior leadership teams, middle leaders, and subject leaders. She works to develop school leadership in teaching, learning, and curriculum, ensuring that both primary and secondary schools receive tailored support to enhance their teaching and learning provision.

A key part of Rachel’s role is leading the development of the Trust’s extensive Continuing Professional Learning and Development (CPLD) package. This ensures that professional development remains at the heart of teaching and learning, helping to raise standards across all schools within the Trust.

Rachel is dedicated to supporting schools in delivering the very best education for the children they serve. Through bespoke school improvement initiatives and professional development, she works closely with school leaders to drive lasting, meaningful impact in classrooms.

After teaching English abroad, Laura trained as an MFL teacher over 20 years ago and spent 17 years in comprehensive schools as a teacher, Curriculum Leader and Assistant Headteacher, leading languages, curriculum, teaching and learning, and staff development across schools in Surrey, Berkshire and Oxfordshire. 

Laura is a passionate advocate of collaboration across schools and communities, leading primary and secondary MFL networks, delivering CPD to schools and Trusts across the South-east and supporting schools in challenging contexts through a range of outreach programmes. Most recently, Laura worked with the University of Reading to co-create an online course to support overseas teachers with transition to life and teaching in the British education system. 

Laura joins us from GLF Schools where she worked as Director of Practice and Pedagogy, leading curriculum and pedagogical development across their secondary schools. Laura is passionate about developing high-quality, inclusive teaching which gives every child access to a rich, ambitious and well-rounded curriculum. Laura is delighted to be joining Learning Partners and continuing to build on the excellent work in our schools and communities.

Holly joined the Trust in December 2023 as Safeguarding and Mental Health Lead.

Holly has a BSc in Counselling, and a PGDip in Social Work. She has been a registered Social Worker since 2017 and has experience of frontline social work with children and families across Surrey and Berkshire. She has also worked as a Designated Safeguarding Lead across two schools.

Holly is passionate about ensuring that children are safeguarded at school, home and in the community, and is looking forward to collaborating with the Trust’s schools.

Andy King

Anne Cullum

Bethan Willetts

Carol Pearce

Ciaran Beatty

Claire Brunet

Claire Scott

Kirsten Taylor

Pip Utting

Scott Maclean

Tanya joins us with over 25 years experience within both the School Educational Travel sector and Adventure Travel Industry.

Her passion for customer service has always been at the forefront of all her previous roles within sales, operations, administration & project management. Leading & inspiring teams to deliver an experience and creating a desire to return.

Shaun joined the trust in January 2024 as the new trust Data Officer.

With over 30 years IT experience he hopes to bring his  skills and expertise into the education sector.  Working with the schools, Shaun hopes to enable data analysis to allow the trust and schools to work together to improve the education for all pupils. 

Nicola is a Chartered Member of the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) and has a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management.

She joined the trust in September 2023, having previously worked in Human Resources in both state and independent schools, as well over 14 years of HR experience in the hospitality industry.

Nicola believes that people are at the heart of any organisation and having the right people doing the things in the right places is crucial to securing the best outcomes for children in our schools.

Lynsey joined the HR team in September 2022 as HR Advisor moving from the role of SCITT Rectruitment Facilitator for George Abbot SCITT.

Her role in HR is to oversee the Management Information System and provides professional advice and guidance to senior leaders and staff. Previously, Lynsey worked within the field of Human Resources for the private and public sector and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. She also holds a Business Studies and Social Policy degree.

Jodie joined the trust in September 2023, as an Operations Coordinator in the Central Operations Team, before moving to the Central HR team in November 2024. She has a background in HR, Operations and Learning Development within a range of industries, including education, and she holds an honours degree in Sociology with Criminology.

Jodie is a staunch believer in the importance of education and is excited to be able to support the schools that are part of the Learning Partners Trust, and the wider community too. 

Emma joined Learning Partners with over a decade of experience in the education sector, having worked across data, HR, and payroll in multi-academy trusts. Her career began as a Data Analyst before progressing into leadership roles focused on improving systems and processes. Most recently, she led payroll operations and supported a major HR/payroll system implementation.

Emma is passionate about the education sector because of the supportive environment it creates and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact behind the scenes. She believes payroll plays a vital role in staff wellbeing and takes pride in ensuring processes are accurate, efficient, and stress-free.

She was drawn to Learning Partners by its clear vision for growth and the opportunity to support schools through change.

With more than 20 years leadership experience, Sally’s comes to the Trust with many years private sector and more recently, public sector/ Local Government business experience.

Sally Holds qualifications in Leadership, Business Management & Project Management, and brings a strong operational and business delivery approach to the trust and is excited to learn and develop new skills within the education arena.

Sally joins us as Head of Projects and Operational Strategy with a view to reviewing and streamlining systems processes and procedures for major projects and strategy planning.  Sally leads on mergers, transfers and conversions.  Sally is looking forward to delivering positive change and making a difference in her role within the trust.

Ayisha joined the trust in February 2025 as the Project Management Officer. She has a background in management with a master’s degree in health management.

She has previously worked in the NHS as a team manager for a busy GP practice for the last 8 years where she honed her leadership and operational skills.

In her new role as the Project Management Officer,  she will be supporting the Central Operations Team and School Business Managers in project facilitation and coordination.

Ayisha is deeply passionate about the role of education in shaping children’s futures and believe schools are vital in fostering opportunities for young minds to thrive.

Lisa is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), has a degree in Mathematics and has over 20 years of financial management experience in the higher education, charity and retail sectors.

She joined the central team in September 2024, having previously worked as Head of Finance for George Abbot, Sandfield and Shalford. Lisa oversees trust finances, working alongside finance staff across our schools to ensure funds are targeted in areas that best support pupil outcomes.

Nicky is a qualified accountant with over 15 years’ experience, beginning her career in practice as an auditor before transitioning to the private sector. She has since gained experience working across a variety of industries as a Finance Manager.  She has recently returned to work after taking a career break to focus on her family.

Helána is a qualified accountant who joined the trust as School Business Manager at Pirbright Village Primary School in April 2018. She moved to the Central Operations Team in September 2023 as School Business Advisor. Prior to this she worked as Financial Controller in the private sector for over 10 years in a variety of industries.

She took a career break when her children were little, during which time she volunteered at Pirbright Village Primary School as Treasurer of the PTA and also served as Governor at the school.

Katy has recently joined the trust in September 2022 in a new role as a Finance Analyst in the central team.

Previously Katy has worked in both the education and corporate sectors with her previous role being a Finance Officer in another school in Guildford. She holds a degree in Business Information Systems and has recently completed her AAT level 3.

Mirela joined Learning Partners Academy Trust in Feb 2023. After receiving her BA(Hons) degree in Management in Commerce and Tourism, Mirela worked in the Travel Industry for 18 years in various roles, including finance and operations.

In 2017, Mirela trained to become a Teaching Assistant and thoroughly enjoyed her role in a primary school for 6 years, helping children to be the best they can be.

Mirela has found working in the education sector very fulfilling and is delighted in her current role to be able to bring her experience in finance to education.

With over nine years of experience in a finance role, Sumayaa has recently joined the Trust.

She has previously held finance roles at a prominent cruise company and a global technology firm.

She is eager to grow in her position as a Finance officer and aims to enhance her expertise by pursuing further education in the field of finance.

Her proudest accomplishment is being a mother to her three young children.

Ben Sayers is the IT Director at Learning Partners Academy Trust. His team's strategic goal is to "improve teaching and learning through better ICT". The Learning Partners Network Team supports our schools in all aspects of IT, providing tailored support to meet the requirements that our schools face. Our technical staff are skilled in their areas of expertise, with an ICT Apprentice programme to ensure that the team has continuity for the future.

The Learning Partners Network Team is purpose-built to grow as our community and school numbers grow. Our structure is designed to meet schools' needs with IT Technicians onsite, the Service Desk providing remote support and a Development & Infrastructure Team to lead on projects. This structure combines on-site and centralised support staff to better co-ordinate helpdesk tickets and projects for each one of our schools, with our projects being planned together so our schools get the benefits of group purchasing.

Anne comes to the trust with many years experience as a School Business Manager, more recently working across both Guildford Grove and Loseley Fields Primary schools.

Anne’s early career was in sales and marketing for corporate businesses where she managed large multi-disciplined teams in retail and banking sectors.

Prior to moving to Surrey 12 years ago, Anne worked for the charity Homestart as a Scheme Manager and it was here that her interest in working with families and children inspired her to work in schools.

Anne recently completed a Diploma in School Business Management and is looking forward to leading the operations team to drive efficiencies and make improvements to the management of estates, compliance and governance.

Georgina Cameron joined the Trust in April 2025, bringing with her a strong background in executive support and school administration. Prior to joining the Trust, Georgina worked as an Executive Assistant at one of London’s leading executive search firms, where she developed exceptional organisational and communication skills while supporting senior leadership.

Her career also includes valuable experience working in administration within a secondary school—a role she thoroughly enjoyed for its strong sense of community and teamwork. It was during this time that she developed a deep appreciation for the positive impact a supportive school environment can have on both students and staff.

Georgina is passionate about contributing to the success of the Trust by fostering collaboration, efficiency, and a shared commitment to educational excellence.

Clare joined the Trust in April 2025, bringing over 20 years of experience in the planning and engineering sector. With her background as a transport planner and engineer, she has spent the past 23 years working across both private and public sectors, developing strategic solutions and innovative approaches to urban mobility and infrastructure.

As Operations Coordinator in the Central Operations Team, Clare is excited to contribute her expertise to the Trust. She is passionate about fostering collaboration and efficiency, ensuring seamless operations that support both the team and the schools within the Trust.

Committed to making a positive impact, Clare looks forward to working to support a thriving learning environment in line with the Trust’s values.

Doug is a full member of the Chartered Institute of Building. He has a university honours degree in Building Construction & Management.

Doug joined the trust in 2022 having previously worked as a project manager in the construction industry for 25 years. He has a wealth of experience in delivering complex construction projects on time and within budget.

Claire joined Loseley Fields Primary School in 2016 as Finance and HR Assistant, moving more recently into the role of School Business Manager at Guildford Grove Primary School in February 2024. She joined the trust’s Central Operations Team on a part-time secondment in February 2025, supporting the delivery of the trust’s Estates Strategy.

Claire’s early career was in the finance sector, working initially in the industry reviews of pension and mortgage endowment policy mis-selling, and latterly in a business management role within client relations.

This was followed by a career break to spend time with her young children, where she first became involved at Loseley Fields as a reading volunteer.

Sally joined George Abbot School as Premises Manager in 2018 and moved to the trust's central operations team in 2024, to assist the schools with Health and Safety compliance. She holds a NEBOSH qualification in Health and Safety and is a member of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. 

Previously she has worked for PPP Healthcare and DHL, within Premises, Project Management and Training roles. Before joining George Abbot, she ran the retail side of her family's business selling bathrooms and kitchens, winning bathroom showroom of the year. She is looking forward to working with all the schools within the trust, supporting them with Health and Safety compliance. 

Dominique joined the trust in February 2024 in the Central Operations Team as a Compliance Manager before becoming Governance Lead in November 2024.  Prior to this, Dominique was the manager of a busy horse-riding stables, ensuring compliance with all legislation and regulations as well as coaching and encouraging education within the sport.

Dominique is also a qualified solicitor; she has worked in family law so is used to fighting for the best outcomes for children.  Dominique is looking forward to working as a part of the Trust to ensure that schools are supported in providing children with the best education

Holly joined the Trust in January 2024 in a new role as the Compliance Administrator in the Central Operations Team.

Prior to this, Holly was the Office Manager and PA to the director in her family-run construction company, during which she also took a work break to raise her four young children.

Holly has a strong background in retail management and alongside her role, Holly is studying for a diploma in Governance, Risk Management and Compliance.

Holly has attended two of the schools within the trust herself. The ethos and values of the schools have stayed with her into adult life and she strongly believes and supports in the trust’s mission ‘Working together to make schools better for children’; as a team, we can all achieve this.