Trustees are responsible for the strategic direction, broad policy framework and oversight of the Trust and all its schools. They take decisions that are in the best interests the MAT as a whole and are not representative of any one of the constituent schools. The Trustees are also Directors of the Academies Trust which is a company limited by guarantee and registered as such at Companies House.
Canon Craig Huxley-Jones
Chair of the Trust Board
Before moving to be Canon Precentor and Director of Congregational Development at Gloucester Cathedral, Canon Craig spent 17 years in education, teaching theology, philosophy and ethics to A Level and Oxbridge entry. In 2007 he moved to Benenden School where held a variety of pastoral roles including Deputy Housemaster and Head of Year, before his appointment as Chaplain in 2012, when he partnered with a local Church of England Secondary Academy, supporting and advising on their chaplaincy provision. in 2019, he was appointed Senior Chaplain of Christ's Hospital, the country's leading charitable school and largest bursary charity, where he transformed the provision for bereavement care and sub-clinical pastoral support. He also advised the lead bishop for chaplains in the Diocese of Chichester on chaplaincy provision in education, forming the first Chapter of Education Chaplains. Canon Craig is passionate about the unique ability of a Christian education to point towards the God-given dignity of every child and to help them discover their unique purpose.
Charlotte Rawlings is an experienced Chair of Governors initially at Minsterworth C of E Primary School. Charlotte previously ran a pre-school that achieved the ‘Outstanding in all Areas’ judgement following an Ofsted inspection. As a result she was then was appointed EYLP (Early Years Lead Practitioner) for Gloucestershire.
In 2018, Charlotte was appointed Trust Governor and Chair of Governors of a small but experienced IGB team and successfully led the Interim Governing Body at Coaley C of E Primary School and oversaw its transition to a Full Governing Body.
Charlotte spent many years of her career as an interior designer, providing design consultation and completing design projects for high profile clients across the UK, with several projects featuring in major design publications such as House and Garden magazine. Charlotte is knowledgeable in working closely with Rapid Action Plans for School Improvement.
Charlotte is married with four children and is a committed Christian.
Tim Brock is the Head of Governance and Compliance at the Greenshaw Learning Trust. He supports and advises the Board of Trustees, the Trust Senior Leadership Team, Local Governing Bodies and Headteachers in the development and effective operation of the governance of the Trust, and the development and application of policies and procedures.
Following strategic work regarding The Military Covenant, and through direct work with service personnel who are school governors, Tim is also a member of the Service Children Progression Alliance Management Group.
Tim joined GLT from Oxfordshire County Council where he worked for 5 years as Head of Governor Services as part of the school improvement team. Previous roles with Beam Suntory, Bass PLC, The Forestry Commission and as a policy advisor to The Under Secretary of State for Employment have helped to shape his career.
Tim was a Governor at St James’ Church of England Primary School in Cheltenham from 2009 to 2018. He chaired their Ethos Committee and was Chair of Governors for four years. The school became an academy and joined The Diocese of Gloucester Academies Trust in 2017.
Tim grew up in Worcester and now lives in Cheltenham, he is happiest when inspiring others and cherishes honesty, passion and integrity.
Rob Stokes is a Chartered Accountant and Director for Optimum Professional Services Ltd and Regulatory Accounting Limited. Rob works with a growing number of both standalone academies and multi academy trusts and is responsible for expanding the firm’s offering in respect of education and academies. In addition to organising Academy seminars, he attends EFA working group meetings and training session as well as working alongside the Gloucestershire and Worcestershire Association of School Business Managers. Rob also maintains an audit presence with commercial clients and charities.
As a member of the senior leadership team, Rob supports the strategic development of the company as well as being directly responsible for both the audit team and outsourcing team.
Prior to joining his current company, Rob worked for Randall and Payne, Morgan Waugh Haines LLP & Waugh Haines Rigby Limited as a Director, Senior Accounts Manager and Senior Statutory Auditor where he was responsible for the training, standards and compliance of 30 staff across the accounting practice and audit practice.
Stewart has worked in the Education Sector since completing his teaching degree. Initially as a primary school teacher, then seconded as part of the school improvement team for East Sussex as an advisory teacher for IT and then as a deputy headteacher for 8 years. Currently, he is working for the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) since relocating to Gloucestershire in 2016. His roles in the ESFA have included academy financial oversight and intervention, academy governance and currently programme management for a national portfolio supporting School Resource Management.
Stewart is also an experienced school governor having served on boards during his teaching career and most recently as Chair of Governors at a maintained foundation school in Gloucestershire.
Throughout his career, he has had a keen interest in supporting the development of colleagues through line management and mentoring responsibilities; this has been further developed by successfully completing a formal Coaching and Mentoring qualification.
Rob enjoyed a long career in education before retiring. Initially, he taught physics in three
very different state schools before becoming a deputy head. During a seventeen-year period
he was the Principal of two contrasting community colleges, one in Leicester and one in
Cambridgeshire. He then became a school leadership consultant working on improving
failing schools and setting up new academies. For the last four years of his career, he was
Head of School Strategy for the Church of England, supporting policy development of all C of
E schools nationally. His academic work has focussed on school leadership and his wider
interest focusses on the strategic development of the state school sector.
Rob was previously a lay reader in the Peterborough Diocese and has served on the PCCs in
four churches. He is married, has four grown up children and lives in Cheltenham.
Jane Borgeaud joined the Diocese of Gloucester on 1st September 2023 as the Diocesan Director of Education. Prior taking up this post she was Programme Co-Leader at the University of Winchester, leading an Initial Teacher Education programme of over 700 students. Her career began in Hackney, in East London, as a teacher and senior leader. Her career has spanned a wide variety of school improvement activities developing leadership and teaching and learning across a diverse range of primary, secondary and special schools. She is firmly rooted in faith, having led REInspired Caversham, an ecumenical project enabling Christians from local churches to be involved in RE lesson delivery in local schools. She has also served on the PCC and as a Deanery Synod member at her church, and run Messy Church and Scripture Union Holiday Club projects. She has served as a governor in a variety of capacities, most recently serving two terms of office on the Premises and Finance and Pupil and Staff Welfare committees at the Heights Primary School in Reading, a new primary school which she helped to found.
Catherine is an Ofsted Inspector with previous experience as Her Majesty's Inspector and Senior Her Majesty's Inspector in the South West. Prior to joining Ofsted, Catherine held senior management positions in schools, including eight years as headteacher in Church of England schools. She also has particular experience of working with pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
For a number of years, Catherine held the role of Quality Assurance Lead for the schools in the Diocese of Gloucester Academies Trust and also has experience of being a governor and Trustee for another Multi-Academy Trust in the region.
Catherine lives in Gloucestershire and especially enjoys spending time with her four young grandchildren.
A qualified Chartered account, Tom has 30 years of experience in financial services holding board positions at FTSE 100 companies, including 10 years at Prudential Group as Head of Audit for Prudential UK and Europe, Head of Audit for M & G Investments and Chief Risk Officer for Prudential UK & Europe. He was previously Global Head of Audit of the Willis Group, Head of European Risk for Charle Schwab and Group Compliance Officer of HBOS Clerical Medical. He is currently Chair of the Audit, Risk and Compliance committee for Malvern College and their international schools.