Governance

Slide Background

Futura Learning Partnership is governed by a board of trustees. They are supported by an Academy Governance Committee in each individual school to ensure that we provide high quality education for all and spend public money appropriately.

Our trustees are appointed by the trust’s members and are accountable to the Department for Education and external government agencies.

The board, with the support of its committees, sets the trust’s strategic direction. Most operational activity is delegated to the executive leadership team.

CONTACT

Email: trusteesclerk@futuralearning.co.uk

OUR MEMBERS

Jaideep Barot

Jaideep Barot is Headmaster of Bristol Grammar School and previously worked at Marlborough College, Godolphin & Latymer, and Westminster School. He began his teaching career in 1998 after a brief career with Goldman Sachs in London. Jaideep is a governor at schools in Wiltshire, Manchester and Shimla (India), and he is also an ISI school inspector, and Chair Elect of HMC (for 2024-25). He was a Futura Trustee until March 2023, when he became a Member.

Geoff Blakeman

Geoff has considerable experience as a Governor since being appointed in 1985 at Tickenham School and since 1992 at Clevedon School, serving as Chair of Governors in both schools, going on to be the founding Chair of Clevedon Learning Trust. Geoff is a retired Magistrate, serving for 13 years on the Somerset Bench and for 10 years was a Churchwarden at Tickenham Church. He served as a Member of Clevedon Learning Trust from 2015, before becoming a member of Futura Learning Partnership in 2023.

Diocese of Bath and Wells

Diocese of Bath and Wells has been a member since 1st September 2015.

Peter Rilett

Peter Rilett was the senior partner of KPMG’s Bristol office. A qualified chartered accountant, he has significant experience in the property, construction, printing and leisure sectors. Since retiring, Peter has held a number of board and chair positions in housing, transport, health, business and education, including North Bristol NHS Trust, City of Bristol College, St Monica’s Trust and Bristol Grammar School. He is a member of the Society of Merchant Venturers and was its master in 2012.

OUR BOARD

Andrea Arlidge: Chief Executive

Andrea is the founding chief executive of Wellsway Multi Academy Trust, which was set up in 2014 and became Futura Learning Partnership in September 2021. She has extensive educational experience, including 16 years’ successful headship in three secondary schools. Andrea is a National Leader of Education and holds an Honorary Doctorate awarded by Bath Spa University. She plays a full role as a system leader in the West of England and is a governor at Bristol Grammar School and City of Bristol College.

Malcolm Broad MBE: Chair of the Trust Board

Malcolm is a former Senior Commercial Manager with HSBC Bank plc. Alongside his banking career he has more than 20 years’ experience as a governor and/or trustee in the maintained and independent sectors. He is a former National Leader of Governance 2016-21 and currently also chair of governors at Sexey’s School, Bruton. Malcolm co-founded Ablaze, an independent charity tackling inequality of opportunity for young people in the West of England which won the coveted Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2011. He is chair of the trust finance and estates committee and chair of Futura Commercial Services. Away from education Malcolm holds directorships with the Baptist Insurance Company plc and Bristol Baptist College. Malcolm was awarded an MBE for services to education in Bristol in December 2007.

Hilary Neal: Vice-Chair of the Trust Board, People

Retired as a Senior Civil Servant in 2011, Hilary had a long career in advice and administration for a wide variety of Government policy areas, particularly the environment, local government and biodiversity conservation. As Deputy Director at the Government Office for the South West, she was responsible for managing the strategic relationship between central Government and local partners, particularly in the West of England area. Since retiring she has devoted herself to supporting charitable organisations at a strategic level – including Curzon Cinema and Arts in Clevedon and Quartet Community Foundation. She is the Independent Chair of South Gloucestershire’s Compact Group that encourages the supportive partnership relationships between the voluntary and statutory sectors in that area. She was Chair of Governors at Mary Elton Primary School, joined the Board of Clevedon Learning Trust in 2017 and, as vice-chair, helped steer discussions towards the merger to form the new Futura Learning Partnership. In addition to acting as vice-chair of the Trust Board, Hilary also chairs the governance committee.

Kaye Case: Education and Standards

Kaye sits on the trust education and standards committee, having trained as an Early Years and Primary Specialist. She has spent all her working life teaching in Primary schools, working with every age range and teaching every subject. The last thirteen years of her full time teaching career was spent as Head Teacher of two Primary Schools. During her second Headship, she trained as an Ofsted Inspector and inspected schools in many different parts of the country. She also worked as an associate Advisor for North Somerset. This involved close mentoring of newly appointed Head Teachers. On leaving full time Headship Kaye became Joint Head Teacher of North Somerset’s Virtual School. This involved holding responsibility for the education of all Children in Care across the County as well as those fostered outside the authority. For the last six years Kaye has been employed by the Adoption Team in North Somerset to support the education of many traumatised adopted children and their parents. During this time she also served as a governor of Bristol Grammar School

Michael Flay: Audit and Risk

Michael has 20 years of leadership and management experience across the leisure industry, public sector and third sector. He holds a chartered fellow status with the Chartered Management Institute, recognising his exceptional strategic management and leadership skills. He is the Head of Governance at the University of Bristol, one of the most popular and successful universities in the UK. Michael’s experience includes cross-sector governance, executive stakeholder management, risk management and project management. Michael also has previous voluntary experience in the role of general secretary of a regional sporting organisation, with knowledge of oversight and scrutiny of safeguarding measures. He is a member of the trust audit and risk committee.

Marlene Morley CBE: Audit and Risk, Chairs’ Forum

Marlene is Chair of the audit and risk committee. She brings to the role her wide experience at the MoD, where she led major projects specialising in people and organisational change. She was awarded the CBE in 2010. Marlene is on the skills group of the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership and is leading on the Employability Chartermark, aimed at improving the work readiness of young people leaving school.

Michael Perry: Finance and Estates

Michael has worked for a number of multinational professional services and UK and US stock exchange listed organisations in finance functional leadership roles. He has worked with Board and Executive management at all levels of these organisations, all of which were undergoing significant change. Through these roles he has provided challenge and support and has also led key initiatives and projects. He left full-time employment in September 2020 to set up his own consulting business but also to find time to pursue voluntary roles and, in addition to his role within Futura Learning Partnership, he is the trustee Treasurer for a South West based cancer charity (It’s in the Bag) and the Royal West of England Academy. Michael sits on the trust finance and estates committee.

John Purcell: Audit and Risk

John enjoyed a 33 year career in sales/customer management across different sectors, culminating in Sales Director and Account Director roles. He is used to working at board level, building working relationships throughout all layers of organisations. Skills gained include people management, risk management, budget/finance management and strategic planning. John’s experiences as a Foster Carer and as Chair of Governors at an Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (EBD) School (11-16), awoke an interest in children less fortunate or disadvantaged; looking to ensure they get all the opportunities they require to be the best they can be. John brings over 20 years’ experience in Governance Roles, and sits on the governance committee.

Conor Ryan: Education and Standards

Conor is chair of the trust’s education and standards committee. An educational policy and communications specialist and writer, he is currently director of external relations at the Office for Students. He is also a National Foundation for Educational Research trustee. Conor has worked extensively for other national education organisations including the Sutton Trust. He was David Blunkett’s special adviser while he was secretary of state for education and he worked in 10 Downing Street as Tony Blair’s special adviser on education.

Claire Savory: Education and Standards

Claire is the Director of Education and Deputy CEO at the Gloucestershire Learning Alliance, a multi-academy trust of eight primary schools. Her leadership experience spans 20 years and as a head teacher she has achieved outstanding judgments in three Ofsted inspections. Claire is a National Leader of Education working across the South West, a facilitator for the NPQH and NPQSL qualifications, and is supporting the new regional school improvement network group. She is a member of the education and standards committee.

John Thompson: Finance and Estates

John has held senior management roles in engineering, environmental, construction, operations, customer facing repair and maintenance businesses with over 20 years’ experience in empowering and leading large teams to deliver award winning services. John is the Chief Operating Officer of Wessex Water and an Executive Director on the board of Wessex Water Services Limited, Director of the Wessex Water Services Pension Trustee board and a member of the Environment and Public Value Committee. John’s varied career has given him a breadth of experience in the oil, gas, aviation, defence and water industry sectors, with a proven track record of creating a positive inclusive team culture, supporting people development and providing strong commercial growth. An active community volunteer and a qualified rugby coach and referee. John sits on the finance and estates committee.

Natalie Wilcox

Natalie has worked in schools for 23 years as a French and German teacher, school leader and most recently Head Teacher. Her passion lies in reducing barriers to education for children from disadvantaged backgrounds and ensuring that they are given the opportunities that they need to be successful.

She is also one of the south west regional leaders for WomenEd, a grass roots organisation supporting female teachers into leadership. Through this organisation she has delivered at national conferences and regional workshops, as well as working one to one coaching female leaders.

Natalie has been a governor for around 20 years in a number of schools, most recently as chair of a primary school. She is looking forward to taking up her new role as Director of Secondary Education for Lighthouse Schools Partnership in September 2023.

Sian Yates: People

Sian Chairs the people committee, and has worked in HR roles in financial services, insurance, and fin-tech organisations for more than two decades. She is currently global Head of People Services and Delivery at Computershare in Bristol. Sian has over 10 years’ experience as a school governor for Victoria Park Primary School and is also a trustee for the Cathedral Schools Trust.