Trustees
(also known as Directors)
Our Board of Trustees are responsible for setting the strategic direction of the Trust, holding operational leaders to account, and ensuring high standards of performance, regulatory compliance and financial probity. As Trustees, they must ensure that they comply with the charity law requirements that govern the Trust. Trustees are also directors of the company and are registered on Companies House as such. Our Trustees have been chosen for their diverse range of expertise in both education and business.
Appointment info
For information about appointment dates and terms of office click here
Andy Baker
Trustee & Chair of the Board
Andy has been a senior leader in four secondary schools and has recently retired as the Headteacher of a large grammar school. Andy has also worked in school improvement for a local authority and has been both an accredited School Improvement Partner and a School Inspector. In his spare time Andy is an accomplished ceramicist with work displayed in many local homes and galleries.
Leanne Symonds
Trustee & Vice Chair of the Board
Leanne has extensive senior leadership experience and since 2012 has been Headteacher of two large secondary schools. Leanne has significant experience of strategic planning, project management and primary education partnership development. Leanne joined the Ringwood Academy as Headteacher in September 2016 and is a National Leader of Education.
Anne Shinwell Middle
Trustee (and Member)
Prior to retiring, Anne had over 18 years’ experience as Headteacher of Good and Outstanding schools both in London and Dorset. Anne has extensive experience of academy conversion and governance alongside her previous experience working for the National College supporting new Headteachers. Anne now divides her time between the UK and France, enjoying the food and culture of both countries.
Andrew Gladwell
Trustee
Andrew is a qualified accountant with over 20 years of experience working in the NHS in Dorset and Hampshire and is a member of the HFMA Accounting and Standards Committee. He has previously served as a parent governor for a Delta Education Trust school, where he saw firsthand the turnaround his child enjoyed in an alternative provision education environment.
Andy Clough
Trustee
Andy is a Public Sector Industry leader at Microsoft and has spent the last 26 years in similar roles at various IT companies. He succeeded through the apprenticeship route into industry and very much values diversity and alternative ways for young people to gain experience and progress in their educational and working lives.
Gerard Wherity
Trustee
Before joining Delta, Gerard was a governor at a Bournemouth primary school. Most of his working life was spent as an Actuary at an insurance company, although he spent a few years as a secondary school teacher. He is partly retired, but still practises acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.
Jenny Hair
Trustee
Jenny had a long career as a senior Human Resouces manager in the NHS in Wiltshire and now enjoys a varied retirement, volunteering, travelling and spending time with family. After 16 years as a Trustee at a local secondary school , with 7 as chair, she is excited to take up the new challenges of joining a Multi Academy Trust.