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.
Lesa Cooksley
I have been a governor for Severnbanks Primary School since 2017. My roles included Finance Officer (Internal Assurance), monitoring EYFS and Starlets and was Chair of the Finance Committee.
I am a qualified accountant with 25 years' experience.
I have four children, two in primary school, one in secondary and one grown up. I have fostered children and young people over a period of ten years, retiring when I became an adoptive parent.
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 | Register of Interests / Declaration of Pecuniary Interest | Governor of another School | Term of Office |
| Miss Louisa Davies | Members | Ethos & Education Committee
HTPM
Pay Panel | Chair of Trustees (12.09.23 to 11.09.24)
| Member of SFAT, Local Leader of Governance | No | 20.11.20 to 19.11.24 |
| Mrs. Rachel Dare | Members | Ethos & Education Committee
Finance Committee | Safeguarding | CEO of SFAT
Trustee of the Bledisloe New Zealand Memorial Trust | No | N/A |
| Mr. Mark Higginson | Members | Finance; Audit & Risk Committee
Ethos & Education Committee | Chair of Audit & Risk Committee (10.10.23 to 09.10.24)
Risk | Child at a SFAT school | No | 20.11.20 to 19.11.24 |
| Mrs. Lesa Cooksley | Members | Finance; Audit & Risk | Vice Chair of Trustees (12.09.23 to 11.09.24)
Chair of Finance Committee (10.10.23 to 09.10.24)
Internal Assurance Officer | Director; Severnside Properties Ltd. Sole Proprietor; Accounting Services
Child at SFAT school | No | 07.02.22 to 06.02.26 |
| Mrs. Pamela Howell | Diocesan Corporate Member | Finance; Audit & Risk | Link Trustee | Director of School Improvement and Support Ltd.
External Supplier of consultancy for SFAT | No | 16.12.22 to 15.06.24 |
| Mr. Mohammed Rizwan | Members | Ethos & Education | Equality Trustee | No | 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 | Employee Diocese of Gloucester
Trustee of: Newnham United Charities John's Hill Charity The Charity of John Cholditch St. Andrews Church, Awre Cottage Fund | Newnham St. Peters School: September 2022 to October 2023 | 15.05.23 to 14.05.27 |
| Mrs. Emma Howell | Members | Ethos & Education | Inclusion | No | 14.07.23 to 13.07.27 | |
| Mrs. Beth Boughton | Members | Finance; Audit & Risk | Director; Ubico Ltd. | 15.11.23 to 14.11.27 |
RETIRED TRUSTEES
| Name | Appointed By | Committee | Responsibility | Register of Interests | Governor of another School | Term of Office |
| 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 |
Trustees Attendance
Board of Trustees Meetings
2023-2024
| 12.09.23 | 24.10.23 | 05.12.23 | 20.02.24 | 14.05.24 | 18.07.24 | TOTAL | |
| Louisa Davies | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||
| Rachel Dare | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||
| Mark Higginson | Apologies | Apologies | Y | Y | |||
| Lesa Cooksley | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||
| Rachel Saum | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||
| Mohammed Rizwan | Apologies | Y | Y | Y | |||
| Emma Howell | Y | Y | Y | Apologies | |||
| Pam Howell | Apologies | Y | Y | Y | |||
Beth Boughton (Appointed 15.11.23) | ----- | ----- | Y | Y |
Board of Trustee Meetings
2022/2023
| 12.09.22 | 19.10.22 | 21.11.22 | 13.02.23 | 27.03.23 | 05.06.23 | 21.06.23 | 17.07.23 | TOTAL | |
| L. Davies | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 9/9 |
| R. Dare | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 9/9 |
| L. Cooksley | Y | Y | Y | Y | Apologies | Apologies | Y | Y | 7/9 |
S. Bowen Resigned 21.11.22 | Absent | Y | ------- | ----- | ------ | ------ | ----- | ------ | 1/2 |
| M. Higginson | Absent | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 8/9 |
E. Jenkins Resigned 21.10.22 | Y | Y | ------ | ---- | ----- | ------ | ---- | ------ | 2/2 |
P. Howell Appointed 16.12.22 | ----- | ------ | ---- | Y | Y | Apologies | Y | Y | 4/5 |
M. Rizwan Appointed 12.03.23 | ----- | ----- | ----- | ----- | Y | Y | Y | Y | 5/5 |
R. Saum Appointed 15.05.23 | ------ | ------ | ----- | ----- | ----- | Y | Y | Y | 3/3 |
E. Howell Appointed 14.07.23 | ------ | ----- | ---- | ----- | ---- | ---- | ---- | Y | 1/1 |
H. Straine-Francis Resigned 06.09.22 | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ----- | ----- | ---- | ----- | 0/0 |
Finance Committee Meetings
2023-2024
| 03.10.23 | 28.11.23 | 30.01.24 | 12.03.24 | 07.05.24 | 02.07.24 | TOTAL | |
| Lesa Cooksley | Y | Y | Y | ||||
| Pam Howell | Y | Y | Y | ||||
| Rachel Dare | Y | Y | Y | ||||
| Mark Higginson | Y | Y | Y | ||||
Beth Boughton (Appointed 15.11.23) | ---- | Y | Apologies |
Finance Committee Meetings
2022/2023
| 26.09.22 | 07.11.22 | 09.01.23 | 20.03.23 | 22.05.23 | 10.07.23 | TOTAL | |
| Lesa Cooksley | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 6/6 |
| Mark Higginson | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 6/6 |
| Rachel Dare | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 6/6 |
Pamela Howell (Appointed 16.12.22) | ------ | ------- | Y | Y | Y | Y | 4/6 |
Elizabeth Jenkins (Resigned 21.10.22) | Apologies | ----- | ------- | ------ | ------ | ----- | 0/1 |
Audit & Risk Committee Meetings
2023-2024
| 03.10.23 | 28.11.23 | 30.01.24 | 12.03.24 | 07.05.24 | 02.07.24 | TOTAL | |
| Mark Higginson | Y | Y | Y | ||||
| Lesa Cooksley | Y | Y | Y | ||||
| Pam Howell | Y | Y | Y | ||||
Beth Boughton (Appointed 15.11.23) | ----- | Y | Apologies |
Audit & Risk Committee Meetings
2022/2023
| 26.09.22 | 07.11.22 | 09.01.23 | 20.03.23 | 22.05.23 | 10.0.23 | TOTAL | |
| Mark Higginson | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 6/6 |
| Lesa Cooksley | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 6/6 |
Pamela Howell (Appointed 16.12.22) | ----- | ------ | Y | Y | Y | Y | 4/6 |
Elizabeth Jenkins (Resigned 21.10.22) | Apologies | ----- | ------ | ----- | ------ | --- | 0/1 |
Ethos & Education Committee Meetings
2023-2024
| 10.10.23 | 23.01.24 | 05.03.24 | 30.04.24 | 25.06.24 | TOTAL | |
| Rachel Saum | Y | Y | ||||
| Rachel Dare | Y | Y | ||||
| Louisa Davies | Y | Y | ||||
| Mohammed Rizwan | Y | Y | ||||
| Emma Howell | Apologies | Apologies |
Ethos & Education Committee Meetings
2022/2023
03.10.22 (POSTPONED) | 12.12.22 | 28.02.23 | 17.04.23 | 13.07.22 | TOTAL | |
| Louisa Davies | X | Y | Y | Y | Y | 4/4 |
| Rachel Dare | X | Y | Y | Y | Y | 4/4 |
Scott Bowen (Resigned 21.11.22) | X | ------ | ----- | ----- | ---- | 0/0 |
Mark Higginson | X | Y | Y | Y | Y | 4/4 |
Mohammed Rizwan (Appointed 12.03.23) | X | ----- | ------ | Y | Apologies | 1/2 |
Rachel Saum (Appointed 15.05.23) | X | ----- | ----- | ----- | Apologies | 0/1 |