Governance

Richard Middlebrook is currently the CEO and Executive Headteacher for Alsager Multi Academy Trust. A cross phase MAT consisting of Alsager School, Weston Primary School and Alsager Highfields Primary School. He is also the Senior Leader for the Cheshire and Wirral Maths Hub, which is based at Alsager School and Our Lady of Pity Primary School in the Wirral. Richard was designated as a National Leader of Education in 2016 and has worked with and supported various schools across the region in this role. He was a National Teaching Awards winner of Secondary School Headteacher of the Year in 2016.

Richard has been teaching for 29 years across the north west, he has taught RE and taken on various leadership roles in schools in Oldham, St Helens, Wigan and Trafford before becoming Headteacher at Alsager School in 2011. When working in Trafford as a Deputy Headteacher, he became heavily involved in the Manchester Challenge project, working with and supporting various schools across the region. He is a huge believer in system leadership and collaborative working to raise standards and improve outcomes for all young people.

Karen has been involved with The TRUE Learning Partnership from its inception and is firmly committed to building strong, inclusive, and sustainable communities. As Chair to the Board of Trustees she brings 14 years of experience in school and trust governance and 19 years of experience working within the education sector in roles to fit around family commitments. Karen and her husband owned a successful retail business for 14 years before moving to the UK from the USA in 1992, she was a practice manager in the private health sector across multiple sites. Karen and her husband have 3 sons, now in their 20’s, she is also a firm believer in lifelong learning and is currently a student at the Open University pursuing an interest in Sociology.

Thomas is an Independent Financial Advisor. He became a Financial Services Authority authorised and regulated Financial Advisor in 2002, and created his own Financial Services company in 2005. Thomas's company, One & All Financial Services, now has advisors based in 4 offices across the UK.  The bulk of his work falls under the remit of "Financial Planning" on a personal and business basis, including mortgage advice, pensions, retirement planning, cashflow reviews and insurance.   

Alan has many years’ experience in economic development, including the management of regional strategy development agencies in London and Greater Manchester. Throughout his career, he had responsibility for strategy and project development in 3 major industrial sectors and worked in over 40 countries. Alan has also been involved in local race relations and other community organisations as a volunteer, and local politics. He has been appointed to a series of School Governing bodies over 20 years, including a Special Needs school, Infant/Junior schools, a State Comprehensive and a Grant aided Grammar school. He has also been a Chair of a Governing Body and more recently, been a member of the Governing Body for Poynton High School. Alan retired in 2013, and now his activities include Tai Chi practice, Pilates and painting with local art groups and classes. 

Karen has a wealth of managerial experience and over 24 years’ service with the Environment Agency, currently working as an Environment Planning and Engagement Manager. She is also part of the Environment Agency’s Area Leadership Team for Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire. Over the years Karen has led and managed several departments across the North West, with large teams of staff and budgets. Karen studied at Poynton High School, before achieving a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Studies at Sunderland University. Since then, Karen has achieved Chartered Manager status and completed a Level 5 Certificate in Management and Leadership. Karen is also a trained media spokesperson, a trained Incident Duty Manager and represents the Environment Agency at Gold Command/Strategic Coordination Groups (SCG) during Major Incidents. 

Andrew is head of SHEQ and legal compliance at Beaumont Morgan. He has experience in identifying and controlling risks and hazards; formatting and presenting CPD training; site inspection and audit; development and implementation of management procedures and policies; job safety analysis and implementation of emergency plans and procedures. In his role he has developed and delivered training programmes, created an integrated management system and implemented a model for behavioural enhancement and a positive cultural enforcement across all aspects of Healthy, Safety and Environmental Management. Andrew is a member of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management and the Institute of Industrial Accident Investigators. He has achieved various qualifications including Diplomas in Legal Studies, Psychology and Occupational Safety and Health Management, and National Certificates in Occupational Safety and Health and Environment Management.  

Lesley is a retired Primary School Headteacher, leaving Micklehurst All Saints, Mossley in 2011. She has a Masters degree in Educational Leadership from Manchester University. Prior to taking up the headship of Flash Primary School in 2005, she taught at Disley Primary School from 1991. Lesley was actively involved in the development of the Poynton High School bid for Creative Arts College Status alongside the High School Expressive Arts department. She is currently on the Governing Board at both Disley Primary School and Whaley Bridge ERS Primary School and has a vast experience of Ofsted inspections from her various roles.Lelsey is married with two daughters, who both attended Disley Primary School, followed by Poynton High School. Lesley volunteers for the National Trust at Lyme Hall, and is a Warden at St. Mary's Church, Disley. 

Shiona is a director of a business providing consultancy services to the life science industry, including start-up companies. Having qualified as a Solicitor, Shiona worked as an in-house lawyer for AstraZeneca - a FTSE 100 company -  for over 25 years, gaining extensive experience in the biopharmaceutical industry.  Working as a senior member of global cross-functional teams, Shiona was required to provide pragmatic and constructive advice to facilitate the achievement of strategic goals. She is experienced in the identification, assessment and mitigation of legal risks across a spectrum of activities and is closely acquainted with the requirements of corporate governance.
 

My professional background is primarily in HR. I spent 20  years working for Xerox, starting as a trainer then moving into HR, but ending my career there as a Customer Satisfaction and Quality Manager. I then moved to AstraZeneca, initially as an HR Business Partner and eventually as a Communications Manager. I feel that the opportunities I had with both these leading employers significantly improved my communication and interpersonal skills and my understanding of people and of business. 

Martin has been a secondary school teacher for over 20 years. He has been involved in the strategic leadership of schools for over 15 years. He is currently in his second headship in a large 11-18 comprehensive school. He has been involved extensively with Ambition Institute throughout his senior leadership career.  He believes passionately in improving the life chances of young people through effective collaboration. 

Grenville joined TTLP as he was looking for an opportunity as a Trustee in a Multi-Academy Trust that has ambitions for growth and committed to excellence and where he would be able to use his skills and experience to add real value to the Board.

His non-executive and trustee experience from across sectors contributes to the much wider strategic agenda well beyond his professional background in finance, governance and risk management. Following a career across the public sector (local government, NHS and civil service) and with a passion for cross sector collaboration and innovation, Grenville moved out of full-time employment almost 10 years ago to manage a dynamic portfolio career - non-executive/trustee roles, interim work and consultancy assignments. During this time he has accumulated over 50 years of non-executive/trustee experience including chairing Finance, Business Performance, Audit & Risk, Governance and Remuneration Committees across sectors. 

Grenville has experience leading the on-going development of an independent Audit and Risk Committee within the education sector, steered its risk-based work programme across the spectrum of the overall framework of governance and control, exercised scrutiny of financial plans and in-year monitoring reports, overseen financial accounts closure to agreed deadlines, recruited other independent members, appointed both external and internal auditors and overseen their performance.
 

Within his consultancy work he has been engaged by a few academies and undertaken due diligence work for prospective mergers; governance and financial control review and driving forward improvements including setting up and chairing Audit Committee and developing a comprehensive scheme of delegation; board development and training, and development of risk register.
 

Grenville currently has other non-executive roles in health, social care and housing and is an independent member of the Audit Committee for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.