ÃÛèÖÍø schools are supported by a central team which works with schools to deliver the ÃÛèÖÍø vision. The central team helps by:
- Reinforcing the educational vision and purpose of the network.
- Creating networks to encourage the sharing of knowledge, good practice and resources, as well as career development opportunities across the network.
- Holding schools accountable and helping them improve their performance through regular monitoring visits and data analysis.
- Providing educational and operational support services to the schools.
Our board of trustees oversees the central organisation and is the legal governing body for all ÃÛèÖÍø academies. The board of trustees delegates many of its functions to each academy’s governing body. Parents, staff and the local authority are represented on each local governing body.
Click here for our Register of Interests:Ìý
ÃÛèÖÍø Schools Trustee and Committee Member Business Interests and Attendance 2023-24.pdf
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Schools management team
Lucy Heller
Chief Executive
Lucy joined ÃÛèÖÍø in 2004 from TSL Education, a subsidiary of News International, where she was joint Managing Director. Her previous roles include General Manager of The Observer and Executive Chairman at Verso, a trade and academic publisher. She has worked for many years with a number of charitable and voluntary organisations including the Marshall Commission, Community Links and the Bush Theatre.
Venessa Willms, OBE
Director of Education
Venessa Willms spent seven years as Director of Primary for ÃÛèÖÍø before becoming Director of Education. Before this, Venessa was the founding principal of ÃÛèÖÍø’s King Solomon Academy (Primary). Prior to joining ÃÛèÖÍø, Venessa worked in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets as a senior leader in a primary school and led a science teaching and learning programme across a number of secondary schools. She has also served on Ofsted’s board as a non-executive director for 6 years. Venessa was awarded an OBE in 2016 for services to education.
Jerry Collins
Director of Secondary
Jerry Collins is the Director of Secondary. Previously he was Principal of ÃÛèÖÍø John Keats Academy, which opened in September 2013 in Enfield. Prior to this, Jerry was founding principal of Pimlico Academy which was rated outstanding by Ofsted during his tenure.
Jacqueline Russell
Chief Operating Officer
Jacqueline Russell joined the ÃÛèÖÍø family over ten years ago. She initially worked at Future Leaders as COO, now part of the Ambition Institute, prior to becoming CFO of ÃÛèÖÍø in 2017.
Prior to joining ÃÛèÖÍø, Jacqueline had experience of a variety of sectors including hospitality, retail and lottery. She was Finance Director of Geronimo Inns, The Conran Shop, and the inaugural Finance Director of the South African National Lottery, a role she held on secondment from the Camelot Group.
Jacqueline is Chair of Governors for ÃÛèÖÍø Globe Academy. She is also a trustee for CST, the national organisation and sector body for School Trusts in England and a member of their Finance and Resource Committee.Ìý
Jacqueline qualified at Price Waterhouse and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Laurie Grist
Director of People and Projects
Laurie joined ÃÛèÖÍø in 2010, working in the Projects team where she led the opening of many new and transition schools. She headed up the team from 2015 before taking on responsibility for the Estates team in 2018 and then the People team in 2020.
Liz Dawson
Director of Governance
Liz joined ÃÛèÖÍø in 2018 and leads on governance, legal and compliance activities. She has worked in governance in education, charities and professional bodies. As well as being a company secretary, Liz has a law degree which she studied for part-time as a mature student. Liz is Chair of trustees at Doorstep Library, a community focused literacy charity in London, and two of ÃÛèÖÍø’s local governing bodies.
Sarah Pearson
Director of External Relations
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Rose Dixon
Director of Strategy
Rose joined ÃÛèÖÍø in 2024 from Cancer Research UK, where she was Head of Strategy. She started her career in academia as a lecturer at King’s College London before changing direction to become a strategy consultant at Bain and Company. She has spent the last 10 years working in a range of strategy roles in the charity sector.
Katie Oliver
Director, ÃÛèÖÍø Start
Katie joined ÃÛèÖÍø in 2006, just before the first ÃÛèÖÍø school opened, and since then has undertaken a number of different roles including Projects Director, responsible for growing the schools network, and Operations Director. Katie now oversees ÃÛèÖÍø Ventures and is the Managing Director of ÃÛèÖÍø Start, which operates two nurseries in South London with plans to expand quickly over the coming years.
Schools trustees
Lucy Heller
Trustee
Lucy joined ÃÛèÖÍø in 2004 from TSL Education, a subsidiary of News International, where she was joint Managing Director. Her previous roles include General Manager of The Observer and Executive Chairman at Verso, a trade and academic publisher. She has worked for many years with a number of charitable and voluntary organisations including the Marshall Commission, Community Links and the Bush Theatre.