Trustees
Meet our Trustees
Louisa Davies, Chair of Trustees.
Louisa has over a decade's experience in education & governance. She first became a governor at Lydney C of E in 2008 and then joined Aylburton Governing Body. She has been a Chair since 2014. Louisa is a Local Leader of Governance and provides both formal & informal support to other Chairs and Governing Bodies in the area.
Louisa is a qualified teacher and has worked with children and young people in many roles, giving her good knowledge of a range of different educational settings including working with children with SEND, Children in Care, at academies, state schools, faith schools and Further Education. She currently teaches at a Secondary Academy in South Gloucestershire.
Rachel Dare, Chief Executive Officer
Rachel has been a headteacher and executive school leader in different local authorities in England & Wales. After a first headship in Monmouthshire, she became Executive Headteacher in Gloucestershire in 2013, leading the schools to form the successful Severn Federation. Rachel was proud to open the Severn Federation Academy Trust in January 2021. Rachel is passionate about supporting schools to provide excellent education and providing creative school support solutions.
Qualifications include:
B.Ed hons Educations (specialism Music), M.Ed Child Psycology, NPQH; and in 2018 was designated as a National Leader of Education.
Rev. Rachel Saum
Rachel has been Priest-in-Charge of Newnham, with Awre & Blakeney since 2021. For over 20 years she has worked with children and young people in school, parish and residential youth centre settings within both the Roman Catholic Church and Church of England. She has been a school governor at two Church of England primary schools and is currently Chair of the Education and Ethos Committee for the Trust. Rachel is committed to spending time in schools: she runs public speaking and gardening clubs in Newnham St Peter’s and is teaching meditation practises to children and staff.
Register of Interests & Trustee Responsibilities
| Name | Appointed By | Committee | Responsibility | Term of Office |
| Miss Louisa Davies | Members | Ethos & Education Committee
HTPM
Pay Panel | Chair of Trustees (11.09.24 to 10.09.25)
| 20.11.20 to 19.11.24 |
Mrs. Rachel Dare Accounting Officer | Members | Ethos & Education Committee
Finance Committee | Safeguarding | N/A |
| Mr. Mark Higginson | Members | Finance; Audit & Risk Committee
Ethos & Education Committee | Chair of Audit & Risk Committee (01.10.24 to 30.09.25)
Risk | 20.11.20 to 19.11.24 |
| Mrs. Pamela Howell | Members | Finance; Audit & Risk | Link Trustee | 01.07.24 to 30.06.28 |
| Mr. Mohammed Rizwan | Members | Ethos & Education | Equality Trustee | 12.03.23 to 11.03.27 |
| Rev. Rachel Saum | Diocesan Corporate Member | Ethos & Education | Chair of Ethos & Education Committee (10.10.23 to 09.10.24)
Christian Distinctiveness | 15.05.23 to 14.05.27 |
| Mrs. Emma Howell | Members | Ethos & Education | Inclusion | 14.07.23 to 13.07.27 |
| Mrs. Beth Boughton | Members | Finance; Audit & Risk | Vice-Chair of Trustees (11.09.24 to 10.09.25)
Chair of Finance (19.07.23 to 10.09.25) | 15.11.23 to 14.11.27 |
RETIRED TRUSTEES
| Name | Appointed By | Committee | Responsibility | Register of Interests | Governor of another School | Term of Office |
| Mrs. Lesa Cooksley | Members | Finance; Audit & Risk | Vice Chair Chair of Finance Committee Internal Assurance Officer | Director; Severnside Properties Ltd. Sole Proprietor; Accounting Services
Child at SFAT school | No | 07.02.22 to 06.02.26
RESIGNED 19.07.24 |
| Mr. Maurice Bloomfield | Members | Finance; Audit & Risk Committee | Chair of Finance Committee | Trustee of Bledisloe New Zealand Memorial Trust | No | 20.11.20 to 16.12.21
RESIGNED 16.12.21 |
| Mrs. Nicola Knight | Members | Finance; Audit & Risk Committee | Child at SFAT school, employee of GCC | No | 20.11.20 to 31.03.22
RESIGNED 12.04.22 | |
| Rev. Christopher Maclay | Diocesan Corporate Member | Ethos & Education Committee | Christian Distinctiveness Wellbeing | Joy for Children and Communities, PCC of St. James' Church Bream, Member of Diocesan Board of Education | No | 20.11.20 to 27.06.22
RESIGNED 27.06.22 |
| Miss Hannah Straine-Francis | Members | Ethos & Education Committee HTPM Pay Panel | Chair of E&E Committee (01.03.22 to 28.02.23)
Safeguarding Children in Care | None | Co-opted governor, St. Helens, Alveston | 20.11.20 to 19.11.24
RESIGNED 06.09.22 |
| Ms. Elizabeth Jenkins | Members | Finance; Audit & Risk Committee | Local Academy Committees Link | None | No | 20.11.20 to 19.11.24
RESIGNED 21.10.22 |
| Mr. Scott Bowen | Members | Ethos & Education Committee | Director of HPJV Solicitors, Law Society Council Member, Spouse of an employee of SFAT | No | 31.03.22 to 30.03.26
RESIGNED 21.11.22 |
REGISTER OF INTEREST
| Louisa Davies | Rachel Dare | Mark Higginson | Pam Howell | Beth Boughton | Rachel Saum | Emma Howell | Mohammed Rizwan | |
| Current employment | Employee, CSET | CEO, SFAT | Employee, St. Mary's CofE School | School Improvement Advisor | Managing Director | Priest in Charge Newnham with Awre & Blakeney | Employee, University of Gloucester | Employee, HMRC |
| Business partnership/sole proprietorship | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | SIAS Ltd. | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared |
| Company Directorship | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | SIAS Ltd. | Ubico Ltd. | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared |
| Charity Trusteeship | None Declared | Bledisloe New Zealand Trust | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | Cottage Fund, St. Andrews Awre
United Charities | None Declared | None Declared |
| Membership of any other governing body | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared |
| Membership of professional bodies, membership organisations, public bodies or special interest groups | Local Leader of Governance | None Declared | None Declared | SIAMs Inspector | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared |
| Gifts or hospitality offered by external bodies | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared |
| Contracts offered by me for the supply of goods and/or services to the Trust/school | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | School Improvement | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared |
| Immediate family/close connections to Trust employee/or governance at any level | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared |
| Company directorships or trusteeships of family/close connections to SFAT governance | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared |
| Details of children on roll at a Severn Federation Academy Trust school | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared | Child at a SFAT school | None Declared | None Declared | None Declared |
Trustees Attendance
Board of Trustee Meetings
2024-2025
| 11.09.24 | 22.10.24 | 10.12.24 | 04.02.25 | 01.04.25 | 03.06.25 | 17.07.25 | TOTAL | |
| Louisa Davies | Y | |||||||
| Rachel Dare | Y | |||||||
| Beth Boughton | Y | |||||||
| Mark Higginson | Apologies | |||||||
| Rachel Saum | Y | |||||||
| Emma Howell | Y | |||||||
| Mohammed Rizwan | Apologies | |||||||
| Pam Howell | Apologies |
Board of Trustees Meetings
2023-2024
| 12.09.23 | 24.10.23 | 05.12.23 | 06.02.24 | 20.02.24 | 14.05.24 | 18.07.24 | TOTAL | |
| Louisa Davies | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 7/7 |
| Rachel Dare | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 7/7 |
| Mark Higginson | Apologies | Apologies | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 5/7 |
| Lesa Cooksley | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 7/7 |
| Rachel Saum | Y | Y | Y | Apologies | Y | Y | Y | 6/7 |
| Mohammed Rizwan | Apologies | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 6/7 |
| Emma Howell | Y | Y | Y | Apologies | Apologies | Y | Y | 5/7 |
| Pam Howell | Apologies | Y | Y | Apologies | Y | Apologies | Apologies | 3/7 |
Beth Boughton (Appointed 15.11.23) | ----- | ----- | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 5/5 |
Finance Committee Meetings
24-25
| 01.10.24 | 26.11.24 | 21.01.25 | 18.03.25 | 13.05.25 | 17.06.25 | TOTAL | |
| Beth Boughton | Y | ||||||
| Rachel Dare | Y | ||||||
| Mark Higginson | Y | ||||||
| Pam Howell | Y |
Finance Committee Meetings
2023-2024
| 03.10.23 | 28.11.23 | 30.01.24 | 12.03.24 | 30.04.24 | 04.07.24 | TOTAL | |
| Lesa Cooksley | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 6/6 |
| Pam Howell | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 6/6 |
| Rachel Dare | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 6/6 |
| Mark Higginson | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 6/6 |
Beth Boughton (Appointed 15.11.23) | ---- | Y | Apologies | Y | Y | Y | 6/6 |
Audit & Risk Committee Meetings
2024-2025
| 01.10.24 | 26.11.24 | 21.01.25 | 18.03.25 | 13.05.25 | 17.06.25 | TOTAL | |
| Mark Higginson | Y | ||||||
| Beth Boughton | Y | ||||||
| Pam Howell | Apologies |
Audit & Risk Committee Meetings
2023-2024
| 03.10.23 | 28.11.23 | 30.01.24 | 12.03.24 | 30.04.24 | 04.07.24 | TOTAL | |
| Mark Higginson | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 6/6 |
| Lesa Cooksley | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 6/6 |
| Pam Howell | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 6/6 |
Beth Boughton (Appointed 15.11.23) | ----- | Y | Apologies | Y | Y | Y | 4/5 |
Ethos & Education Committee Meetings
2024-2025
| 08.10.24 | 03.12.24 | 28.01.25 | 25.03.25 | 20.05.25 | 24.06.25 | TOTAL | |
| Mohammed Rizwan | |||||||
| Rachel Saum | |||||||
| Rachel Dare | |||||||
| Emma Howell | |||||||
| Louisa Davies |
Ethos & Education Committee Meetings
2023-2024
| 10.10.23 | 23.01.24 | 05.03.24 | 07.05.24 | 25.06.24 | TOTAL | |
| Rachel Saum | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 5/5 |
| Rachel Dare | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 5/5 |
| Louisa Davies | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 5/5 |
| Mohammed Rizwan | Y | Y | Y | Y | Apologies | 4/5 |
| Emma Howell | Apologies | Apologies | Y | Y | Apologies | 2/5 |