The Members are the guardians of the Trust's constitution, determining the principles of the Trust's governance structure and providing oversight and challenge of the Trustees to ensure the charitable object of the Trust is being fulfilled.

The Members are distinct from the Trustees and are appointed in accordance with the Trust's Articles of Association.

Whitefield Academy Trust’s Executive Team is accountable to the Board of Trustees.  Our Trust Board, which comprises individuals representing the education, business and charitable sectors and a parent from each of our schools, is responsible for setting the overall vision and strategic direction of the Trust and ensuring it meets its statutory and financial responsibilities.

The Trustees work closely with the Chief Executive Officer acting as a critical friend in order to raise levels of performance and ensure the Trust’s schools and services properly meet the needs of all those they serve.

The Board of Trustees has established five committees has given these committees the authority to carry out some of its functions, the details of which can be found in the scheme of delegation and the terms of reference for each committee.

•             Finance, Audit and Risk (minimum of 6 meetings per year)

•             Quality of Education (minimum of 3 meetings per year)

•             Safeguarding (minimum of 3 meetings per year)

•             Remuneration (meets as required)

•             Nominations (meets as required)

The membership of any committee may include persons who are not Trustees, provided that a majority of members of any committee are Trustees.

All current Trustees may be selected to form an ad-hoc committee if and when required to deal with matters relating to a specific incident or individual, such as considering a complaint or a personnel matter.

Please find details below on the appointment, roles, declaration of interests and attendance of current Members and Trustees at Whitefield Academy Trust, including persons serving at any time during the current or previous financial year. 

The Board of Trustees delegates to the Chief Executive Officer responsibility for delivery of the Trust’s strategy and for the implementation of the policies of the Trust, and for the day-to-day running, internal organisation, management and control of shared Trust services.

The Board of Trustees delegates to the Principals of each school in the Trust the responsibility for the day-to-day running of the school, including the internal organisation, management and control of the school and the direction of teaching and the curriculum, and for the implementation of the policies of the Trust.

Key information about the Trust, including the register of interest, Articles of Association and our scheme of delegation can be found in the Key Information section of this website by clicking here

The Trust’s Accounting Officer is Kirstie Fulthorpe

The Trust’s Governance Professional is Mel Brown

You can contact our Trustees or Members or request copies of the minutes of meetings by contacting governance@whitefieldacademytrust.org.uk.

Whitefield Academy Trust is committed to providing fair access to our information for everyone. This information can be made available in alternative formats, by contacting governance@whitefieldacademytrust.org.uk.

* Attendance at full board meetings

Biographies of Members and Trustees

Angela Barry OBE

Prior to retiring from her full time, permanent role in August 2017, Angela was the founding Executive Head Teacher/CEO of a Multi-Academy Trust in South East London and Kent.  She has been part of the teaching profession for 36 years; twenty five of which have been as either a Head Teacher or as an Executive Leader in a wide variety of diverse schools.  She feels extremely honoured to have been a school leader; a role that she undertook with integrity alongside an incredible sense of being a ‘servant leader’, operating through a moral imperative to improve life chances for young people. 

Angela was awarded an OBE for her services to education in January 2022.

Rachel Bilson

Rachel is currently a senior manager at the University of the Arts London, where she oversees the strategy and operations for surplus generating courses for international students. The surplus generated is used to enhance the learning experience and environment for all students. 

Rachel has over 20 years' experience in a wide range of education settings from teaching English in Asia to coordinating teacher recruitment campaigns for the Department for Education and managing placements for social work students. Rachel intends to apply her expertise in educational management to support Whitefield's visions, values, and ethos. 

Tommy Cullen

Beginning his career in an educational setting in 2009 as a Finance Assistant whilst studying accountancy, by 2016, Tommy was acting as Finance and Business Manager for a Multi Academy Trust comprising of 9 schools. 

In 2017, Tommy joined a Multi Academy Trust comprising of 8 schools in Kent of which he took up post as COO. In addition Tommy acts as the Chief Finance Officer of the Trust and is responsible for overseeing the operational departments of the Trust. With a passion for strong governance.

Tommy has worked closely with the DFE and ESFA on a number of projects, peer to peer mentoring programmes and continues to support them on a number of pilot schemes. Currently, he is an active member of the ESFA user group supporting a wider network of MATs across the country.

Kirstie Fulthorpe BEd (Hons), NPQH, FCCT, FRSA

Kirstie Fulthorpe joined Whitefield Academy Trust as its Chief Executive in September 2020.  In that capacity she also serves as a Director on our Board.  Kirstie has extensive teaching and leadership experience, having worked in education for over 30 years.

Before joining Whitefield Academy Trust, Kirstie was the Director of Education and Children’s Services for the National Autistic Society. Previously, Kirstie was one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors for Ofsted, a Regional Director for Oasis Community Learning and a Principal for the Harris Federation. She has contributed to national and international training and development and has particular expertise in early years education, primary and Special Educational Needs.

Melissa Green

Melissa Green is a parent trustee and a former primary school teacher and worked with children and young people from 1999 to 2015. She is currently an Associate Lecturer teaching undergraduates and a Doctoral Researcher undertaking an EdD at The Open University. Additionally, she is a Trustee at The Limes Community and Children's Centre. She is the mother of two young boys. Her eldest son is autistic. Mel hopes her knowledge of education and Special Education Needs (SEN) will be a useful resource to Whitefield Academy and assist them in continuing to support autistic children and provide educational experiences for all children.               

Zakir Karim

Zakir is the Managing Director at Karim Consultancy, a boutique management consultancy practice. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant with extensive experience in the financial services sector. Prior to starting his own practice, he worked in large organisations including EY, KPMG and UBS. His areas of expertise are in compliance, culture & governance, and risks & controls.

Zakir is currently a school governor at a school in Waltham Forest. He was previously the Vice-chair of the governing body and Chair of the Resources Committee at a school in Enfield.

Ken Lloyd

Ken is an experienced governance consultant with extensive experience in educational governance and in organisational assessment and improvement. He’s a well-established advisor to trusts and an experienced chair for maintained and academy secondary schools. He is an active National Leader of Governance (NLG) supporting trusts and their chairs.

Ken was previously a local authority chief officer and strategic director and understands in depth the corporate governance and management of public, professional, and educational organisations.

Amy MacLaren

Amy is Director of External Relations at the British Science Association (BSA) where her remit covers PR, digital and social media, marketing, partnerships and fundraising, policy and thought leadership. Her team are responsible for increasing awareness of – and support for – the organisation, its work and impact amongst stakeholders.

Amy has extensive experience in external relations, stakeholder management and partnership building, including working with business leaders, policy makers, opinion formers and VIPs.  She joined the BSA in June 2014 from award-winning communications consultancy Four Communications, where she led the Campaigning division.  There, her clients included a range of management, leadership, employment and skills organisations, science organisations and campaigns, voluntary organisations and women’s and diversity issues.

Amy has previously worked in education (for Pearson Edexcel) and the arts. She is a Trustee of the Daphne Jackson Trust.

Jasvinder Paik BA (Hons), MBA, FFA, FIPA

Jasvinder’s connection with Whitefield Academy Trust stretches back many years when his son joined Whitefield School in Reception.  He became a Parent Governor for Whitefield School in 2012 and joined Whitefield Academy Trust as a Director in 2019.  A retired financial analyst, Jasvinder has over 40 years’ experience of budget setting, monitoring expenditure and compliance with DOA compliance.

Sara Rusling

Sara is currently the Group Head for Africa Climate and Humanitarian at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).  She leads a large team and is responsible for strategy, policy, partnerships and major international aid programmes.

Sara has been a civil servant for over 15 years, working in a range of Departments including the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Home Office and Department for International Development.  She has extensive experience of policy and strategy leadership, as well as overseeing major Government programmes including overall responsibility for ensuring robust financial management and safeguarding.

George Scott

George is a legal and risk management professional with expertise in the financial services sector. His particular areas of expertise include risk management, financial regulation, governance and compliance.  His current roles include executive coach, Non-executive Director and risk consultant.

For 17 years George was General Counsel, CRO and an executive Director of Pacific Life Re, the global life reinsurance Division of US mutual insurance company, Pacific Life.  George was instrumental in the growth of the Division into a leading participant in the life reinsurance market across 4 continents and in building its respected legal and risk function.  George qualified as a solicitor in 1995 and previously held roles specialising in M&A and corporate finance transactions at Ashurst, Nomura International and RSA. 

George also serves as a Trustee at Wickersley Partnership Trust, a multi-academy trust operating 14 primary and secondary schools in South Yorkshire.  He volunteers at his local Citizens Advice and Foodbank in Wokingham, Berkshire.

Neil Swift

Neil is currently the Chief Executive at the Single Source Regulations Office (SSRO), an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence, which plays a key role in the regulation of single source, or non-competitive defence contracts. Neil joined the SSRO in 2015 and was appointed Chief Executive in May 2018 having previously been the Chief Operating Officer.

Neil started his career as an engineer with British Aerospace before changing direction to train as an accountant with KPMG. After a move to the public sector, Neil worked in several frontline operational finance roles including as Deputy Director of Finance at a large NHS Trust in London.  Neil joined the Audit Commission in 2003, initially as a Senior Manager and Health Policy Lead, where he worked on a range of national studies and publications before becoming Head of Technical Support for the Commission’s Audit Practice in 2007. He was appointed Associate Controller Corporate Resources in 2012 and was responsible for the delivery of all support services during the transition to and eventual closure of the Commission.

Robert Turner

As a seasoned professional with over thirty years working in the education sector as a teacher, school leader and adviser, Robert brings substantive experience to this role.

With recent training in many aspects of educational and charitable governance and successful impact over a number of years in a range of non executive roles.

He has held senior advisory positions for two London Boroughs, senior governance/compliance appointments on the central teams of two national multi academy trusts and was a consultant on the Department for Education National Challenge programme supporting challenging inter city schools in Manchester.

A current and previous chair of academy trusts, Robert has been a successful chair of a number of local school governing bodies including several interim chairing roles in ‘turnaround’ capacities in both the state and independent sector.

In addition, he has also been a nominated governor for safeguarding, finance/estates and the quality of education.

He has served as a director of the underpinning charity of an independent school and, outside of education, was a lay member of the Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Committee for Justices of the Peace where he was Vice Chair of the South East Region Conduct Committee.

Vicki-Ann Washington

Vicki-Ann is disabled parent and has two wonderful children who attend specialist and mainstream schools.  Vicki feels lucky that she can see and experience both sides of the educational world.

Being a parent with disabilities and who has a child with complex needs, she understands and appreciates the complexities and the impact it has on families.

Vicki-Ann feels honoured to have been nominated as a Trustee and undertakes to do her upmost to support not only the Trust Board, but the schools, parents and most importantly the pupils.

Vicki’s son joined Joseph Clarke School only a couple of years ago and she appreciates the support and staff dedication that her son has received in school, and for being part of a wonderful school community.

Vicki’s experience and interests lie within Special Educational Needs (SEN) as she knows the SEN world can be a minefield and can be difficult to navigate. Vicki wholeheartedly believes that every child should have the best possible education to be able to navigate their own path in life and reach their full potential.  Vicki has undertaken to do her best in whatever capacity she can to support this.

Julian Wood

During the past 25 years Julian has advised on, structured, and led numerous economic & social infrastructure investments – variously, as corporate executive, sponsor-side principal, and development / corporate & investment banker. In addition to strong commercial, business development and financial analysis credentials, his experience includes the identification and mitigation of core project and transaction risks. Currently an independent consultant, Julian has held recent interim executive roles as: Commercial Head to a UK energy giant’s business-solutions arm; and prior to that, Investment Funding Head to Europe’s leading rail asset lessor. A recurring mandate, he serves as Independent Evaluator to a multilateral institution’s Innovation Fund for low-carbon technologies, helping select the recipients of this public-sector capital.

Julian’s motivation to support the Trust is influenced by family experience with the social and educational difficulties faced by children and teenagers with special needs. Having also spent two terms teaching two Sixth Form year-groups Economics at an inner-city London school and preparing the students for external exams, he has a clear understanding of how specialised intervention can help improve future adulthood life-chances.