governance

GOVERNANCE

Hamwic Education Trust is governed by a board of trustees who direct the organisation’s work.

We believe in transparency and accountability throughout the trust, including its schools and partnerships. Our trustees provide support and challenge, as required, to ensure we continue to match our vision and values.

Hamwic Education Trust Board

Trustees are as follows:

Alice Wrighton

Trust Board Chair

Ruth Leach

Lucy Knox

Gary Plummer

Harriet Kemp

Nicola Bull

Darren Foy

Hamwic Education Trust Members

Members are as follows:

The Ven Antony MacRow-Wood

Chair

Nigel Reichelt

Corporate member

Christopher Elliott-Newman

Matthew Rumble

Alice Wrighton

Trustees and Members Bios

Alice Wrighton:

Alice was a senior leader in Hampshire Sixth Form Colleges for 20 years prior to her retirement in 2018, leading quality improvement and managing organisational change in close collaboration with leaders from all sectors of education. Before moving into senior roles, she taught History, Law and Languages across the 11-18 age range.

Alice has lived and worked in the Southampton area for most of her life.  She believes that everyone should have access to high quality and inclusive education within their own neighbourhood and that this is best provided within strong, locally based learning communities.   She enjoys choral singing, reading, walking and cycling, and is a keen Saints FC supporter.

 

Lucy Knox:

Lucy is the Chief Financial Officer of Insensys Limited, a local engineering business in the renewable energy sector.  Prior to this she was a partner at Deloitte in London advising a range of companies on audit, accounting and other areas of financial due diligence. Lucy is also an independent member of the Audit Committee of the Southern Coop.

 

Ruth Leach:

Qualifying as a teacher in 1995, Ruth taught for 6 years in Yorkshire and Dorset before moving into leadership as Deputy Head of Hayeswood First School. Prior to retiring Ruth was the Headteacher at Springdale First School for ten years and the Executive Headteacher at Turlin Moor Community School for two years.

Prior to working in education, Ruth worked in medical research. Currently she works as an educational consultant, providing support for school leaders and as a Professional Tutor for trainee teachers and those in their NQT year.

 

Gary Plummer:

Born in Poole, Gary has lived locally all his life.  After finishing “A” levels, he started working for a large financial institution locally and then went back to university part time to gain his degree, professional qualifications and finally a post-graduate qualification in Law.   He continues to work for the same company 28 years on and is now responsible for various legal, tax and regulation aspects of the business.  He has led a local governing committee within a trust school for many years prior to taking up the role of Trustee in 2021.

 

Nicola Bull:

Nicola works as an Education Director and leads Teaching and Learning across one of the largest UK Trusts. Prior to this, she worked as the Director of Education in a ten-school academy trust overseeing primary, secondary school and sixth form college improvement.

Additionally, Nicola has held two secondary headships, including leading a significant change project of merging two schools and achieving significantly improved outcomes for children in both schools.

Nicola is passionate about delivering the best educational experiences for children through creating a culture of care in which young people feel safe, valued and supported to achieve more than they thought possible.

 

Darren Foy: 

Darren is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor with 30 years’ experience in the real estate and built environment, advising clients on the most effective means to procure, manage, maintain and dispose of real estate assets.

His clients span both private and public sector, including education clients.  He currently working with a multi-national life-sciences client as Global Commercial Lead in support of its manufacturing expansion programme across North America, Europe and the UK.

He is a local resident of Southampton and supportive of the Trust’s ambitions for its academies, the pupils and communities they serve.   Darren also enjoys volunteering for local interest groups, in the past having served as Chairman of a running club and also as a Foundation Governor of a local primary school.

Nigel Reichelt:

Nigel has lived in Southampton since going to University there in 1982.  He works as a Software Development manager in a large Enterprise IT company, which he joined immediately after graduation. He is married with 3 adult children

Nigel became a School Governor at Hollybrook Juniors in 2006. Over the next 14 years, he supported the school as Vice-Chair and Chair of Governors. He was the Chair across both Hollybrook Infant and Hollybrook Juniors when an executive Head Teacher and combined Governing Body were put in place. Nigel was a governor when Hamwic was formed from the Upper Shirley Learning Community.

Since 2023, he has been the representative member of the Diocese of Salisbury for Hamwic