Trust Board (ID 1380)

• Andrew Bailey
  Chair of Trust Board, member of Finance, Audit & Risk
  Andrew Bailey

  Area of Expertise: Strategy & Marketing

  Andrew has extensive experience of helping businesses and people achieve revenue and profit growth through a combination of Strategy, Marketing, Pricing and commercial management. He considers himself a practitioner first and so knows what works and what doesn't in real situations.

  After a corporate career spanning 20 years across many business functions and leading at senior levels he started his own business. Andrew works with many businesses from Corporate Multi-Nationals (Molson Coors, Aggregate Ind., Cott, STG (UK) to SMEs, private and public sector (East Midlands Development Agency, Advantage West Midlands, Dept. Business Innovation and Skills) in a range of industries from consumer goods, construction, drinks and tobacco to online retailing, IT, printing, leisure, professional services and education.

  He has published an e-book on Amazon, is writing his second book on Pricing, Value and Negotiating and is asked to contribute to other publications. His knowledge, tools and techniques are available through a published on line mentoring Programme. He regularly speaks at events and seminars on Pricing, Value and Negotiating. Holding an MBA from Nottingham Business School, Andrew is also a guest lecturer at the Business School amongst others and teaches to undergraduates, business students and company executives on the Executive Education Programme. He has been recognised and awarded Fellowships of a number of business organisations including the Chartered Inst. of Marketing, the Institute of Directors and Chartered Management Institute. In addition he is a qualified mentor and coach, Non-Executive Director and he is also a judge for the IoD ‘Director of the Year Awards'.

• Andrew Lobley
  Chair of Finance, Audit & Risk
  Andrew Lobley

  Area of Expertise: Business

  Andrew has spent all of this professional career in the water industry, working for three different water companies in roles spanning Operations, Engineering, Drinking Water Quality, Asset Management and Regulation. He is currently Operations Director for South Staffs Water and Cambridge Water overseeing the delivery of clean, safe water to nearly 2 million customers.

  Originally from Yorkshire, Andrew holds a degree in Geographical Science and in 2009 achieved a PhD in Civil Engineering from Swansea University.

• Gill Martin
  Chair of Educations & Standards
  Gill Martin

  Area of Expertise: Education

  Gill is a Modern Language graduate and since completing her PGCE has worked in secondary education in various pastoral and academic roles including Curriculum Area Leader for MFL, Head of Year and House Learning Manager. When she was promoted to the Senior Leadership Team, she had whole school responsibility for Data, Reporting and Assessment as well as line management responsibility for academic departments within the school. She is very proficient in the analysis and use of data and recognises the importance of using data to benchmark and measure improvement within the classroom and beyond.

  In 2013 Gill became the Director of the National Forest Teaching Schools and in this role, has successfully developed partnerships with schools in the local area, promoting collaborative working in the areas of Initial Teacher Education and Professional Development for all staff, primary and secondary, teaching and support staff. She is also responsible for NQT and second year teacher development and is regularly involved in school to school support work in the local area.

  In 2013 Gill successfully sought accreditation for her school to become a SCITT and as SCITT Director has successfully developed partnerships and built a team to lead on an ITE programme which will hopefully support the national agenda relating to the recruitment and retention of teachers.

  Gill is a trained Ofsted Inspector for both school and ITE inspections.

  BA Honours in German with French (2:2); PGCE.

• Tracey Coles
  Member of Education & Standards
  Tracey Coles

  Area of Expertise: Education

  Tracey retired from primary school headship in December 2022 following 44 years in primary education, 23 of those years as a Headteacher, initially of a one form entry primary school and latterly a three form entry primary school.
  

  She continues to keep abreast of educational developments as a School Governor, a role she has enjoyed in various guises continuously since 1985. Currently Tracey is a Governor in a local secondary school where she has continued to serve for 20 years, and a Community Governor in a local primary school.
  Other roles Tracey has held during her career include External Adviser for Head
  Teacher Performance Management, Primary Strategy Consultant Leader for
  Staffordshire schools, School Improvement Partner in Dudley MBC. She conducted
  these roles part time whilst still a serving Headteacher using her experience to
  improve schools that she worked with whilst also enhancing her own school.
  Tracey's career also includes serving as an External Improvement Adviser for a
  West Midlands Local Authority supporting 22 very diverse schools in their school
  improvement journey. Education, especially primary education, is still a passion. Tracey has always believed in the power of collaboration, building teams in the schools in which she has worked as a leader. She has a clear understanding that each school is unique and has found that by using the strengths of those in teams or networks, capacity for growth and improvement increases, built on a culture of trust and clarity of purpose. Coupled with high quality CPD, teachers and leaders can develop teaching and learning and learners can enjoy a vibrant, engaging and interesting curriculum offered to them.

• Alex Hinchcliffe
  Member of Finance, Audit & Risk
  Alex Hinchcliffe

• Joe Roberts
  Walsall FC Foundation representative, Member of Education & Standards
  Joe Roberts

  Area of Expertise: Education

  Joe has been working at Walsall FC Foundation for over 8 years, I am currently the Manager for Education, within this role he oversees all the programmes that run within Primary Schools which include; the School Partners Agreement, Cyrille Regis Legacy Trust Strike a Change, Assist to Achieve, Kids Cup and Premier League Primary Stars. Within the Education department Joe manages a team of 12 staff on a weekly basis, running regular CPD and Training. Managing funding bids and the finances of the department also fall within his jobs roles. Additionally to this he is responsible for writing impact reports for programme funders.

  Prior to becoming Education Manager he was the foundations Premier League Primary Stars Co-ordinator and previous to this a PE lead within schools for 5 years. While working at Walsall FC Foundation he has also coached within the Academy and Development Programmes, gaining qualifications and coaching badges within the world of football.

• Laura Scigala-France
  Member of Finance, Audit & Risk
  Laura Scigala-France

  Area of Expertise: Finance

  Laura Scigala-France is a commercially minded finance leader with a passion for making numbers meaningful. As Head of Finance at Burton and South Derbyshire College, she combines strategic thinking with a hands-on approach. With over 10 years of post-qualification experience, Laura has worked across both profit and not-for-profit sectors, bringing a wealth of insight and adaptability to every challenge.

  Laura is a CIMA-qualified accountant, serving as an Associate Member of CIMA, holding a 1st class BA (Hons) in Accounting and PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner certification, Laura loves turning complex financial data into clear, actionable strategies. She is committed to continuous improvement and strong governance, serving as a Board Trustee for The Central Cooperative Learning Trust, supporting its Finance and Audit Committee and chair for the Pay committee, ensuring sustainable growth in education and talent retention.

  Known for her collaborative style and practical problem-solving, Laura values integrity, transparency, and empowering teams to succeed. Outside of work, she enjoys family life, learning, mentoring, and contributing to initiatives that make a positive impact.

• Todd Walton
  Member of Education & Standards
  Todd Walton

  Area of Expertise: Information Technology

  Todd brings over a decade of experience in delivering and overseeing technology services across the education sector. As an IT Manager supporting more than ten schools, Todd has developed deep expertise in designing, implementing, and maintaining systems that enhance teaching, learning, and school operations. He also holds industry-recognised credentials including Cisco CCNA certification and is a Google for Education Champion, reflecting his commitment to high-quality, secure and innovative digital environments in schools.

  Alongside his operational leadership, Todd works as both a Project Manager and Sales Manager for a specialist education-focused SaaS provider, giving him valuable insight into strategic development, product delivery, and the wider educational technology landscape. His combined experience enables him to understand not only the technical requirements of schools, but also the long-term digital strategy needed to support improvement and growth across multi-academy environments.

  As a Trustee, Todd is committed to strengthening the Trust's digital resilience, supporting sustainable IT strategy, and ensuring that technology continues to positively impact pupils, staff, and school communities. He is particularly passionate about the role of technology in safe and effective school environments and is an advocate for strong safeguarding practices within all digital systems and processes.