Andrew Smith – Member

Andrew was born in Burslem and after studying law at Cambridge spent most of his working life in Stoke-on-Trent, including a long spell as solicitor and then Head of Business Services at a national legal practice based in Staffordshire. 

Andrew has extensive experience of school governance.  During his time as Chair at Abbey Hill School and Performing Arts College the school was graded twice as “outstanding”. As well as negotiating with the LA to secure a newbuild school as part of “Building Schools for the Future”, he also served as Chair of Stoke-on-Trent Schools’ Forum. 

As the founding Chair of Orchard, Andrew helped to lead the Trust Board through its formative years and the pandemic. He continues to take an active interest in its flourishing now as Chair of the Members. He is passionate about quality, wellbeing, good governance and equality and diversity, which he has brought to his work as an NHS and Fire Service board member, Healthcare Chaplain, Coach and Psychotherapist. Andrew’s deep commitment to children and education is lifelong: he is an adoptive father of two boys and after gaining his PhD, began teaching at Keele University. 

 

Sue Thomas - Member

Whilst now mostly retired, Sue has extensive experience of working within the public, private and voluntary sectors in the Midlands, North of England and occasionally elsewhere.  She works to champion co-production and collaboration between children's services, most of all championing the 'voice' of children, young people and young adults facing significant challenges in their lives.  Through her wide variety of roles, she has worked closely with Children’s Services, Local Safeguarding Children’s Boards and other strategic partnerships. 

As part of her role as National Outreach Manager for Children England, Sue was Programme Manager for Stoke City Council Inclusion Service’s ‘Listen to My Voice’ programme, devising toolkits and training to assist any organisation to think about how they engage young people in their services following on from her role as Regional Manager for the Safe Network (NSPCC/Children England) and ‘Champion for Children’ for Stoke-on-Trent. 

Sue has been an independent member of the Stoke-on-Trent fostering panel for some years and has also held the role of national trustee and vice chair of the Pre-school Learning Alliance a national organisation supporting early years care and education. 

As an external consultant, Sue worked to assist organisations review their safeguarding, engagement, inclusion and anti-bullying policies, and helps small and large children’s charities develop/review their constitutions, leadership and management skills and plans.

 

Rev Rob Goddard - Member

Rob was born in Stoke-on-Trent and trained as a carpenter and joiner. He worked for many years on building sites. He began training in the Church of England for ordained ministry and it was during his training that he was appointed as Children’s and Community Chaplain in a Church of England Primary Academy.

He was ordained in 2021 and has the privilege of having the opportunity to work within both school and church. He carries out weddings, baptisms and funerals alongside his daily role of chaplaincy.

Rob leads worship in church on Sundays and in school, including the other church schools in the multi academy trust that he is part of, most days. He leads weekly children’s and youth activities. He supports parents and families during their most challenging times in life. He also walks alongside the staff team supporting their wellbeing.

Rob has a passion for seeing young people grow as leaders. As part of his role he leads peer chaplaincy and worship teams across the trust he works for. Encouraging the next generation.

He is also a Church of England Growing Faith Strategic Leader and engages with the Church of England nationally on a regular basis.

 

Lloyd Cooke - Member

Lloyd is the long-serving chief executive of Saltbox, a Christian not-for-profit organisation providing debt advice, homeless support and elderly welfare and befriending services in North Staffordshire.  

 Lloyd's various community and faith commitments include chairing Stoke-on-Trent's voluntary sector chair group and Healthwatch Stoke-on-Trent, organising the Lord Mayor's annual prayer breakfast, his involvement in the leadership of the Potter's Methodist Church and he has been a member of the Cathedral Council in Lichfield.  For many years he served as Chair of the Local Governing Board at St Luke's CofE Aided Primary School in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent.

 

Gill Howell - Member, Trustee and Chair of the Board of Trustees

Gill has a wide range of experience spanning both administration and education.  She was Head of Business Studies and IT at a large 11-18 school in Staffordshire before coming to work in Stoke-on-Trent on a variety of initiatives including widening participation and served as Director of the City-wide 14-19 Collegiate. This involved overseeing delivery of our local strategic plan, working with a range of partners across the City.  As part of the Local Authority’s Education Team, Gill worked as an advisor focusing on developing collaborative working across schools, colleges, HE, work-based learning providers, employers and other agencies.  More recently, Gill has worked as an external consultant and supported the special schools in Stoke-on-Trent to establish a co-operative Trust and subsequently went on the help to set up Orchard Community Trust. 

Serving as a governor at Forest Park Primary School for 7 years enabled Gill to gain extensive experience of school governance.  This included chairing the Local Board of Governors, chairing the Finance and Resources Committee and taking on the role of Link Governor for safeguarding, special needs and personal, social and health education.  Gill has a MA in Education Management and keeps up to date with developments in the education sector.  

Gill believes passionately in the importance of collaboration and partnership working to help to improve the lives of the disadvantaged children and young people across our schools.

 

Sean Thomson - CEO and Trustee

Sean was born and grew up in Stoke-on-Trent and attended Burnwood Junior School, Chell High and later went to Fenton 6^th Form College. Before attending Manchester Metropolitan University and Derby University for a BA(hons) in Business Studies and an M.Sc. in Business and Corporate Finance.

Sean joined Orchard Community Trust as the CEO in September 2024 and has over 20 years’ experience in education in a number of roles. 

Sean was previously the Deputy CEO of a large MAT consisting of 23 schools across 4 local authorities. Prior to that, was the COO overseeing professional services including Finance, HR, Governance, Compliance, Risk Management, and IT. Moving from a Hub Leader role overseeing 10 schools and Executive Principal for 5 schools. Sean first became a Headteacher in 2011, and has sat on 10 local governing boards at various times since.

He brings experience in areas of Teaching and Learning, School leadership, Governance, HR, Finance and Operations and is committed to systems development. A passionately committed leader who strives to ensure that all children enjoy a great education and are afforded the opportunities they deserve to flourish.

 

Margaret Tatton - Trustee

Margaret is a retired Deputy Headteacher, who worked in a large inner-city high school. Prior to senior leadership roles, she was Head of Religious Studies; also teaching history, citizenship and law. Margaret had particular responsibility for training new teachers as well as the appraisal and professional development of all staff, both teaching and support. She was also involved in developing strategies for effective classroom management and safeguarding procedures. Margaret supported staff in a range of educational settings to implement and monitor these strategies effectively. She served on the strategic board for the GTP programme. Margaret was a member of SACRE which is responsible for writing and monitoring the Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education. She was a member of the consultative management group of one of the largest examination boards charged with developing and tracking new national qualifications and grading systems. She has extensive experience of inspecting and observing the conduct of external examinations at all levels, including Key Stage 2 SATs. Margaret has served on shortlisting and interviewing committees, appointing a range of staff including Headteachers. She has conducted competency and capability procedures, including coaching staff to successful outcomes.

Margaret is a Governor at Oakhill Primary and until recently, the Alexandra Federation; she is link governor for Pupil Premium, Key stage 2 and Headteacher’s Performance Management. Committee responsibilities include Resources, HR, Staff Welfare, Appointments and Exclusions.

Margaret is a member of West End Methodist Church and Centre; two churches came together to convert an almost derelict pub into a church and community centre. Having raised just under a million pounds to convert the building, they were successful in obtaining a lottery grant for £490,000 to employ three staff. She was part of the group which put together bids for grants and now supports other groups in their bids for funding. Recently, they were runner up in the Sentinel Heroes Awards in the Community section. Margaret volunteers with Foodbank and is the safeguarding officer for the Church and Centre.

 

Lorna Maden - Trustee

Lorna Maden is a CIMA qualified accountant (FCMA) with over 20 years’ Public Sector experience.  Until June 2023, she was Director of Finance Business Partnering at the Ministry of Justice with Finance Director responsibility for the majority of the MOJs main agencies and corporate functions, working primarily with prisons, probation services and the Legal Aid Agency throughout England and Wales. 

Since 2023, Lorna has been a Non-Executive Director working with UK businesses in the private and public sector and is also a co-opted member of the Churches Conservation Trust.  As well as her professional finance background, Lorna is an experienced leadership coach and has a knowledge of criminology, having graduated from Cambridge University with a Master of Studies degree in Advanced Criminology, Penology and Management.

Lorna has lived in North Staffordshire for many years, where her children attended local schools.  She joined the Trust in 2018 to help support the attainment of improved outcomes for the children within the Trust’s community.

In her spare time, Lorna actively pursues a health and wellbeing regime, including walking, indoor cycling, weights and resistance training.

 

Stephen Lawley - Trustee

Steve had a very active career with BT, starting as an engineering apprentice in Crewe. He worked his way through into management, advancing into numerous senior management positions before leaving the company in 2017.  He attended college in Staffordshire, and later gained an MSc at University College London. Although his work travels took him right across the UK, he always maintained an office in Hanley.  

Steve has extensive experience leading and managing very large teams of people, together with the associated budget responsibilities. He was also a voluntary business mentor with The Princes Trust, supporting young people set up new businesses. After leaving BT, Steve established a successful business consultancy and is still working in the telecoms sphere supporting and driving company development plans.

Steve continues to use his skills and experience as a Trustee, to help develop and encourage the very best outcomes for all of its learners in line with its values.

 

Rosalyn Fagan - Trustee

Ros is an experienced and successful services director whose strong leadership and business transformation qualities have been acquired working within the housing and public sectors over the last 17 years, working with one of the sector’s main ICT and managed service providers.

Transforming businesses and influencing cultural change, aligning people, processes and technology has been a huge part of Ros’s career, with extensive experience leading and managing large teams of people and the associated budget responsibilities.

Ros has recently set up a successful consultancy business. She is working with Ark Consultancy as an Associate and has recently worked with a northern Registered Provider to review the operations of its large Direct Labour Organisation with a view to improving its commerciality and expanding its operations. She also has recent experience of working with two southern-based Registered Providers with regard to a Business Plan for in-sourcing maintenance services from an external provider.

In her spare time, Ros actively pursues a health and wellbeing regime, including indoor cycling, weights and Yoga.

Ros is keen to help the Trust support all the schools in its community to improve the lives of the disadvantaged children and young people.

 

Carolyn Higgs - Trustee

Carolyn has a strong background in leading and supporting education, vocational education, workforce training programmes and family support across Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire. She has worked within a variety of organisations including national (Learning & Skills Council) & Local Government (Stoke-on-Trent City Council) and a national local voluntary organisation (NSPCC), recently supporting initiatives within the Stoke-on-Trent DfE Opportunity Area programme.

Until 5 years ago, she was the Commissioning Strategic Manager for Stoke-on-Trent City Council for specialist level children and young people’s services which included developing and running the Aiming High programme, the Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health services for children and young people, tackling CSE (children sexual exploitation) and helped to create the Hazel Trees centre. 

Her background also includes strategic planning, project management and workforce development.  More recently, as an external consultant, she has focused on the delivery of the Behaviour & Attendance project and the innovative Family by Family initiative as part of the DfE Opportunity Area programme.

She is passionate about early identification and support for children and their families, helping them to thrive and be the best they can be. She is also an advocate for the voice of the child to be at centre of safe decision making, improving the emotional & wellbeing of children and their family and encouraging the identification and sharing of good practice across supportive networks.

She has strong family networks, has a strong Christian faith, is active within her local community and enjoys spending time outdoors – gardening and walking.

 

Rosemary Vaughan - Trustee 

Ro has worked in Human Resources in the NHS for nearly 40 years and since retiring in January 2023 from her full-time role as Chief People Officer on the Board of University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, she has continued to provide human resources advice and support to other NHS organisations on a consultancy basis. She has been associated with health services in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent for most of her career, making a significant contribution to the development of acute healthcare and the people employed to deliver it. She has extensive experience across the spectrum of Human Resources practice.

Ro has a Masters in Human Resources Leadership, is a Fellow of the Chartered Society of Personnel and Development and is an ILM Accredited Coach.  She also undertook the role of Governor at Stoke-on-Trent College for a period of 8 years.

Ro is committed to supporting the development of individuals, encouraging them to reach their full potential and to pursue their goals and ambitions.  She has a passion for education and personal development, recognising the vital connection between the  strong foundations of good education and positive health outcomes.  She has high integrity and believes in the values demonstrated by the Christian faith. In addition to her trustee role, Ro volunteers at a local community library and enjoys spending time with her family and friends. 

Cameron Sheeran - Trustee

Cameron, prior to retirement, was Executive Principal of Cowley International College in St Helen’s Merseyside. Cowley is an above average size 11-18 school with an ambitious curriculum,  extensive array of extra-curricular and enrichment activities and unique external relationships including St Helen’s Rugby League Club who train onsite.

Before moving to work at Cowley, Cameron had a long career at St Peters High School, Penkhull, finishing his 16-years at the school as Acting Headteacher. He has taught several subjects, mainly Geography, Religious Education and Physical Education.

With his 30-year career as a senior leader in secondary education, Cameron has extensive knowledge of curriculum, quality assurance, Ofsted, leadership and management.

Providing opportunities within and outside of the classroom for all students, especially those from deprived backgrounds, is a passion of Cameron’s. 

Cameron is a committed Christian worshipping at Swanbank Methodist Mission.

 

Daniel Keen - Trustee