Chair of Members

Dave was a police officer for 34 years concluding his career as the Inspector for Newquay and its satellite towns and villages. On retirement he worked at the Eden Project for 8 years where he was the Operations Manager. At the end of 2019 Dave moved back to Newquay as the Operations Manager for Newquay Zoo and a unique relationship with Newquay Junior Academy from whom they lease land which is home to the zoo’s African Savannah enclosure. Dave’s interests are in linking communities and also in how schools are embracing nature as a learning tool through the concept of the outdoor classroom.

Member

Steve has 35 years of teaching experience. He was a Deputy Headteacher for 17 of those years. He is a Trustee of Trenance Cottages. He is a Member of Newquay Rotary Club, Cricket Club and Newquay Hornets RFC. His areas of expertise are Quality Assurance, Finance, School buildings, sites and facilities.

Member

Askel Veur is the standards and academies arm of the Truro Diocesan Board of Education and a significant partner in school improvement across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Askel Veur is an Academies Umbrella Trust governed by a small non-executive Board. It is committed to a child-centred and holistic vision of education, informed by but not driven only by data.

Member

Geoff is a family man, Newquay born and bred and has lived in the area all his life. He comes from generations of Newquay seafarers and followed in the family tradition serving 28 years with the RNLI. He led the local Coastguard team for 25 years during which time they performed over 1,000 rescues and was twice awarded the Chief Coastguard’s Commendation.

A north Cornwall primary headteacher for 30 years and former chair the academy trust for ten years, he seeks to provide the best opportunities for our young people. He and his wife spent many months touring inner city schools, as part of Newquay Safe, advising on alcohol awareness and sea safety

Geoff was a Cornwall councillor for 14 years and brings a wealth of experience to support our young people.

Chair of Trustees 

Stuart has worked in variety of roles for nearly 20 years - all strongly centred around communication. A journalist in Cornwall for nearly 10 years, he switched careers, securing a regional role as a project coordinator covering South West operations in Trading Standards. 

For nearly 5 years, he has held a more senior but similar role as the Regional Coordinator for London Trading Standards - improving partnership working opportunities, ensuring all 33 local authorities' priorities are at the heart of all operations conducted. 

Appointed by Members.

Vice Chair of Trustees and designated SEND trustee

Jon is an experienced leader with a career that spans roles in operations, finance, strategy and major projects.

He's a chartered accountant and has a MBA.

Jon's current role is director of mental health and children's services with the NHS in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. In this roles he's responsible for a workforce of 2,000+ people delivering services across all of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly's 1,500 square miles and across two campus hospital sites. These services range from infant mental health services for children under 5 through to services for older people and include services as diverse as speech and language therapy through to psychiatric intensive care.

In his home life, Jon is kept somewhat busy by three young daughters.

Appointed by Members.

Trustee

Ashley is Deputy County Commander and Paramedic for the NHS South Western Ambulance Service. He is responsible for operations across 17 ambulance stations. He is also a retained fire-fighter based at Newquay. Ashley joined Newquay RNLI in 1992 and is a long-standing helmsman and crew member of the Newquay lifeboat.

Appointed by Members.

Trustee and Chair of Primary and Secondary Quality of Education Committees 

Sarah is now retired but has been in education for over 40 years, 34 of those years were spent at Newquay Tretherras. Sarah was deputy headteacher at Tretherras for six years and acting headteacher at Newquay Junior Academy for an interim spell. With this experience she hopes to be able to empower, guide and hold to account leaders to ensure that all pupils of different abilities and backgrounds receive the whole education they deserve. 

Appointed by Members.

Trustee and designated careers trustee

Rory has worked in the Further Education sector for over 25 years across both General Further Education and specialist land-based provision and is the current Principal of The Cornwall College Group. Rory is passionate about the power of education to positively change and transform people’s lives and opportunities and wants to ensure that the people of Cornwall have access to an outstanding education provision that drives economic prosperity, social mobility and equality.

Appointed by Members.

Trustee

Katie has worked in education since moving to Cornwall in 2014, building an extensive knowledge of primary, secondary and higher education. Prior to this she worked as Publisher for one of the world's leading academic publishers.  She served as Chair of the Local Governing Body of Mount Charles CP School for 9 years. She is committed to  ensuring that all learners in the Trust receive the full and rounded education they deserve to enable them fulfil their potential.

Appointed by Members.

Trustee

Awaiting pen portrait.

Appointed by Members

Trustee and designated careers trustee

Hayley is the Director of Business Partnerships and Skills at Truro and Penwith College, a dynamic and successful strategic leader with a strong track record in building impactful employer relationships and driving skills development. She works closely with key stakeholders across education, industry, and local government, with a deep understanding of the educational and employment landscape. Hayley is passionate about apprenticeships, recognising its vital role in workforce readiness and inclusive career progression. A values-driven professional, she brings excellent knowledge of careers and learner development and is committed to ensuring all learners have access to meaningful opportunities that prepare them for their next steps and contribute to a skilled, inclusive workforce.

Appointed by Members.

Sarah is a retired solicitor who was city trained and became a partner in regional law firms.

She brings a wealth of transferable skills and experience, particularly in the legal, property and corporate sectors.

Sarah is a single parent and has a daughter who recently completed a degree at the University of Cambridge. She also has experience as a parent trustee across a variety of educational settings.

She has trustee experience with regional, small and mid-sized charities and has been involved in charity set-up, organisation, logistics, marketing and fundraising.

As a state-educated professional, Sarah is passionate about giving back to her community. She strongly believes in independent and impartial trustee governance and is keen to bring her experience and expertise to a forward-looking education trust.

Jake is an experienced social entrepreneur and local community leader. Originally from Honiton, Devon, he is Office Manager for a Cornish MP, leading the operational and political management of Parliamentary offices in Cornwall and Westminster. He is responsible for finance, governance, compliance, HR, project delivery, stakeholder engagement and political advice, working across complex policy and political environments.

Jake has served as an East Devon District Councillor (2021-23), including as an Assistant Cabinet Member, alongside roles on two parish councils (Honiton, 2021-2023; Pentewan Valley, 2025-present) and as Vice Chair of the Cornwall South Community Area Partnership. These appointments have involved committee leadership, scrutiny, budget oversight, constitutional reform and legal compliance, including leading reviews of council governance arrangements, standards processes and equality policies.

Jake is the founder and Managing Director of Foodsave CIC and a founding Director of St Austell Community Land Trust, where he has led strategic planning, financial oversight, partnership development and fundraising.

He has a longstanding interest in education as a driver of opportunity and is keen to support CELT in delivering the highest standards of education for its communities. He hopes to bring a strong understanding of governance, public policy and partnership working, helping the Trust respond to a changing policy landscape while continuing to deliver excellent outcomes for pupils. 

Expert Advisor – Primary Quality of Education

Awaiting pen portrait.

Expert Advisor – Primary Quality of Education

Matt Middlemore is Deputy CEO of Kernow Learning and an experienced educational leader with a strong track record of school improvement.

As former Headteacher of Tregolls School in Truro, he led its transformation from special measures to national recognition for excellence. A recipient of the Pearson National Primary Headteacher of the Year award, Matt is recognised for his commitment to raising standards, developing exceptional leadership, and improving outcomes for children. He also serves as an Ofsted Inspector, supporting school improvement across the education sector.