Governance

The Trust Board adheres to the Articles of Association of the Trust and each sub-committee to the Trust Board has specific Terms of Reference that ensure good governance practice at all levels. Each school has a ‘School Board’, which is one of the sub-committees, and as such reports to the Trust Board of Trustees. At the bottom of the page you will find documents pertaining to the work of the Trust Board.

The diagram below outlines the current structure and lines of communication - a structure which is worked towards during the initial months of a school joining the Trust:

Our members and trustees are a committed and talented group who bring a wealth of experience with which to support the Trust. 

Below you will find further details. Those members and trustees marked with an asterisk are also trustees of the Holborn Estate Charity (HEC).

Members of Danes Educational Trust

HEC appointees:

Linda Clarkson MBE Chair of Members
Education & Management
Chair of St Clement Danes Academy Trust since opening in June 2011. Vice Chair of St Clement Danes School Charitable Foundation from 2007 – 2014.            

Mike Bruce
Finance & Management
A former Trustee, appointed as a member in 2019. Now retired, was formerly the Director of Information Technology at Moore Stephens LLP a firm of chartered accountants in London.

Rosemary Hadfield MBE   
Education      
20 years teaching in the UK and abroad in the primary sector. 30 years association with St Clement Danes as a parent, governor and formerly Chair of Governors. HEC Trustee.        

From Danes Educational Trust Board:

Kath Unger
Human Resources
30 years in HR within the civil service before moving to the private sector in 2010 as HR Manager for a Hertfordshire based Insurance Broker. Associated with St Clement Danes School as a parent and then a governor from 1998 to 2012.

Rachel Gauke
Legal & Regulatory
Solicitor working at a legal publishing company, writing practical guidance for lawyers. Specialist in corporate tax law, with experience as a practitioner and professional support lawyer having trained as a solicitor at Linklaters LLP. 

Danes Educational Trust Board 

Member appointees:

Kath Unger Chair of Danes Educational Trust Board
Human Resources

Rachel Gauke
Legal & Regulatory Vice Chair of Danes Educational Trust Board

Co-opted (by Trustees):

Nils Blythe
Chair of Business Committee
Executive Director, Communications, at the Bank of England (2011-2014), following a career at the BBC where, until 2011, he was the BBC Business Correspondent.

Rob Carpenter
Chief Executive of the Inspire Partnership, a multi-academy trust of 9 primary schools. He is also a NLE and senior partner with Challenge Partners, Rob has experience of school leadership in a range of contexts, including schools in special measures and schools serving a high proportion of disadvantaged pupils. Rob is also a member of the ASCL Council as a primary representative. In 2016, Rob worked with the DfE and Teaching School Council to review primary teaching.

Tim Coulson
Chair of Education Committee
Chief Executive of Unity Schools Partnership, a multi-academy trust in Suffolk and East London of 16 primary, 7 secondary and 2 special schools, with approval to open two further special schools and a primary school. He was previously the Regional Schools Commissioner at the Department for Education for the east of England and north east London.

James Freedman
An experienced entrepreneur who has founded businesses in the technology and media sector, most recently selling Zone, a leading digital agency, in 2017. He sits on a number of boards of both commercial companies and charities.

Carolyn Garner
Currently UK Tax Manager for an international manufacturing company. An experienced finance professional, who has also served on the Board of Governors of an FE college during a period of expansion.

Rachel Gauke
Solicitor working at a legal publishing company, writing practical guidance for lawyers. Specialist in corporate tax law, with experience as a practitioner and professional support lawyer having trained as a solicitor at Linklaters LLP. 

Kathryn Hardwidge
Chair of Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee
Currently the Group Internal Audit Manager at Jisc, the UK national research & education network. An experienced chartered accountant who has also served as the finance governor for Croxley Danes School. 

Lynn O'Connor
A global diversity and inclusion specialist with over 20 years experience working in and with large corporate organisations in Financial Services, Oil & Gas Technology, Energy, Motor, and Insurance sectors which include HSBC, BP, Centrica, Perry Group and RSA. 

Pankaj Shah
A senior business and regulatory programme manager until 2018 with over 25 years experience of project delivery and business change at major asset management and banking firms in the City. Qualified initially with Arthur Andersen as Chartered Accountant. 

Dr Josephine Valentine OBE
CEO
Headteacher at St Clement Danes between 1998 and December 2017. NLE since 2008, providing school to school support for six secondary schools in Hertfordshire through Executive Headship or leadership coaching. 

Chairs of Danes Educational Trust School Boards

Jon Buoy, Chancellor's School Board

Terry James, Croxley Danes School Board

Louise Soden, Onslow St Audrey's Interim Action Board

Martin Day, St Clement Danes School Board

Christine McLintock, De Havilland Primary School Board and Jupiter Primary School Board

Rama Venchard, Ascot Road Primary School Board and Lanchester Primary School Board

Andrea Williams, Elstree Screen Arts Academy School Board