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About Us

The Improvement Board

A local governing body within Reach South Academy Trust consists of the following:

  • 4 Trust appointed members
  • 2 Elected parent members
  • 2 Elected staff members
  • Headteacher

Additionally, there can be up to 3 Co-opted members.

Currently, there is an Improvement Board in place which consists of Trust Appointed Governors and / or those appointed by the GB / Improvement Board.

The Improvement Board consists of:

  • Independent Chair
  • 2 Trustees, Reach South Academy Trust
  • Deputy CEO, Reach South Academy Trust
  • Director of Inclusion, Reach South Academy Trust
  • Director of People, Reach South Academy Trust
  • 1 Member of the former LGB
Our Governors:

Lyn Dance OBE

Chair and Safeguarding, Looked After Children and Attendance Governor

 Appointed by: Trust Board

Term Dates: 01.08.22- 01.8.23

Attendance 2022-23: 3/3

Registered Interests: Trustee of Charnwell Centre (Apr 19), Chair of Gloucester Alternative Provision AP, Governor of Gloucester College (Sept 22) and Member of Beckmead Trust (July 22)

Lyn Dance has worked in special education for over 40 years as a teacher, deputy head, headteacher and CEO of a multi-academy trust. She is also a School Improvement and Leadership Consultant. Lyn has an OBE for services to education and is passionate about advocating for children with special educational needs and their families. She is experienced as a Governor for a variety of schools and a college,  a Trustee for an academy trust and a Trustee for a charity.  

Alex Crossman

Trustee

Appointed by: Trust Board

Term Dates: 01.08.22- 01.8.23

Attendance 2022-23: 3/3

Registered Interests: Headmaster – The London Academy of Excellence

Alexander Crossman is Headmaster of The London Academy of Excellence, one of the highest performing academic sixth forms in the United Kingdom.

Alex’s career in education has included being a Deputy Head at a sponsored academy in Brixton, the founding Head of one of London’s most successful free schools and the Chief Executive of an education consulting firm based in the Middle East but operating worldwide. Teaching is Alex’s first calling but his second career. Previously, he was a managing director with global responsibility for strategy at one of the world’s leading investment banks. Alex’s commercial career has involved operating in over 40 countries worldwide.

Alex graduated with a first class honours degree from the University of Oxford and with distinguished higher degrees from the London School of Economics & Political Science and the UCL Institute of Education.

Alex is also an appointed member of the advisory board at the Centre for Innovation and Learning at Eton College.

Olivia Frings

Director of People

Appointed by: Trust Board

Term Dates: 01.08.22- 01.8.23

Attendance 2022-23: 2/3

Registered Interests: Daughter is a Trust Payroll Co-ordinator and Son is an Administrator at Drake Primary 

Olivia is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Personnel Development as well as a trained Mediator and Coach. She has two Postgraduate Diplomas in HR and Management and a Master of Business Administration (MBA). She has 27 years’ experience working in HR and Business across the public sector of which 17 years has been in senior leadership roles which have involved the establishment of several organisations.

Jon Hamp

Executive Headteacher and Director of Inclusion

Appointed by: Trust Board

Term Dates: 01.08.22- 01.8.23

Attendance 2022-23: 3/3

Registered Interests: tbc

Jon is the current interim Headteacher of the Peak Academy and Executive Headteacher at The Springfields Academy in Calne and Salisbury (Springfields South at Sarum) He is also Reach South Director of Inclusion.  He is a strong Leader of special education and has built highly effective leadership and management teams. Jon has both significant experience of leading improvement in a special school, and has additional breadth of experience of mainstream secondary education at SLT level and community education.

Amanda Hicks

Former LGB Member and SEND Governor

Appointed by: Trust Board

Term Dates: 01.08.22- 01.8.23

Attendance 2022-23: 3/3

Registered Interests: Spouse is employed by Unison (2006)

Lady Penny Marland 

Trustee

Appointed by: Trust Board

Term Dates: 01.08.22- 01.8.23

Attendance 2022-23: 3/3

Registered Interests: Director of Richard Lamb Ltd (Dec 20) Trustee of Amber Foundation (Oct 17) and Trustee of Chalke Valley History Trust, (May 12)

Lady Marland was a Probation Officer for 20 years, recently retiring from the NPS (February 2022). She is a Trustee of The Amber Foundation and the Chalke Valley History Trust. She is President of South West Mencap. Previously she has been a governor of three schools between 1997 and 2016.

Christopher Toye

Deputy CEO

Appointed by: Trust Board

Term Dates: 01.08.22- 01.8.23

Attendance 2022-23: 3/3

Registered Interests: Trustee of Anglo Portuguese School of London (01.09.20)

Christopher Toye is an experienced educator with more than thirty years experience as a teacher, Head teacher and Executive Headteacher. He has worked in a number of SEND settings, including Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, Speech and Language needs, and Autism. He has been a National Leader of Education since 2013.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact Us

The Peak Academy
Drake Lane Cam
Dursley
GL11 5HD

T: 01453 542130