Patron

The Lord Dear, Kt, QPM, DL, LLB

Until his retirement in 1997, Lord Dear was “one of the best known, and most respected, police officers of his generation” (Quote — Sir Robin Day). He served in Cambridgeshire and Nottinghamshire (and West Midlands) Forces, the Staff College, and the Metropolitan Police before becoming Chief Constable of the West Midlands in 1985. He was HM Inspector of Constabulary from 1990/97. He was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery 1979, the Queen's Police Medal for Distinguished Service 1981, was invested Knight Bachelor in 1997, and granted a Peerage in 2006.

Lord Dear is currently Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire, and has had a variety of Board level appointments both as chairman and non executive director. He has also served on several Home Office Committees and Working Parties.


Trustees

John Botten

John Botten was previously a main board director of IBM UK and at one time was Director of Education and Training. John holds and has held a number of main board appointments ranging from the UK Forensic Science Service to IT Services to Security.

Frank Green

Principal and Chief Executive Officer of The Leigh Technology Academy in Dartford, Frank is married and has 3 grown up sons. Leader of innovation in SSAT Vision 2020 programme, heading up a federation of 7 schools in Kent.

Martin Heyman

Managing Director of Evolved IT

Martin Heyman is Managing Director of Evolved IT. Martin spent 11 years in the army as a Commando specialising in Bomb Disposal.  After leaving the army, Martin worked as a Microsoft and Cisco trainer, Managed the IT Support Team of Telstra in the UK, and penultimately worked for Stelios Haji-Ioannou within the easyGroup, where Martin was the ICT Solutions Architect for Stelios’s flagship companies’ easyMoney, easyInternetcafé and easyCinema. After leaving the easyGroup he saw a niche within the Education vertical for affordable IT consultancy — with this in mind Evolved IT was born.

Melissa Stockdale

Melissa Stockdale is a mother of two children as well as a Headmistress and owns her own independent school. She is also one of the leading lights in the Montessori educational system.
"Melissa has run her own independent school for 20 years and a Montessori Teacher Training college for 15 years. She also acts as an educational consultant to others schools, mentoring and tutoring teachers in placements. She is an examiner and lecturer working on behalf of Montessori Centres International and a leading light in the Montessori Education System."

David Triggs

David is currently Principal of Greensward College, Essex, Chief Executive Officer of the Unity City Academy, Middlesbrough, reporting directly to Lord Adonis, and Consultant to the Hasmonean High School in North London. David has vast experience of school improvement and transformation, bringing around schools stuck with low expectations and poor attainment, revolutionising results and attendance.

David Triggs is a leading Headteacher and Chief Executive Officer of some six schools including Greensward College, Unity City Academy, Thamesbridge Academy, Hasmonean Schools and others. Mr Triggs is regarded a thought leader in the educational system and acts as an advisor to the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and the DfES.