Our Trustees and Members
All governance related queries should be referred to our Trust Clerk, Caroline Dansey via an email to clerk@epsilonstar.co.uk
TRUSTEES
Annie Sutton | Trustee and Member
Annie is the Chair of The Epsilon Star Trust Board and has been involved in school Governship since 2014. She has a long connection with Kents Hill Junior School which both her children attended.
Originally from West Sussex, Annie works as the Head of Operations for a large Insurance Broker in the City. She is an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute and has a strong track record in operational management and change. In addition to her role as Chair of The Epsilon Star Trust she remains a parent Governor at Kents Hill Junior School.
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Michael Thomas | Bed (Hons) NPQH | Trustee
Michael Thomas is the CEO of The Epsilon Star Trust and Executive Head teacher at both Kents Hill Junior School and Lubbins Park Primary Academy and Nursery. He has led the Trust since its formation in 2016.
Michael has worked as a Head teacher since 2007 and has supported many schools through his work as a Quality Assurance Consultant for a Local Authority. He recently trained to be an OFSTED Inspector.
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Alex Cadogan | Trustee
Alex is a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and currently works as an IT Audit Manager for a financial services company in London.
Alex joined the Epsilon Star Trust's Board of Trustees in December 2021 and also undertakes the role of Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee. Alex previously served on the Local Governing Body at Lubbins Park Primary since 2017, where he was also Chair of Governors since July 2020.
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Taylor Moss | Trustee
Taylor is a Fellow Member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (FMAAT) and currently works as an Accountant at a firm on Canvey Island. He joined the Board of Trustees in December 2022 and is on the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee.
Taylor has two children at Lubbins Park Primary Academy and is currently studying for a degree in BSc (Hons) Accounting & Finance.
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Emma Howell | Trustee
Emma joined the Board of Trustees in December 2021 after serving on the local governing body for Lubbins Park Primary since 2016.
Emma's previous experience involves working in the Education Sector for 15 years specialising in safeguarding for pupils and staff.
Emma is currently a full time parent, so as a trustee is keen to provide a supportive role to the schools within the trust. Emma maintains her knowledge and training for pupil and staff safeguarding to ensure she is up to date on any changes in this area.
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Benjamin Rushmere | Trustee
Ben has spent the past 19 years in policing in various roles in uniform and the detective arena. Most recently, Ben has been working in children protection and safeguarding - recognised in his field by many successful and high-profile prosecutions.
Ben has two children and understands, as a parent how important it is for our children to learn in a safe environment with good academic outcomes.
Aside from work, Ben likes to keep fit - being active is good for our physical and mental health.
Ben hopes to bring his unique skill set and experiences to the Trust and to provide a point of contact to staff around his expertise in safeguarding and assist in any other way he can to improve the quality of education within the Trust.
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Janet Murray | Trustee
Janet joined the Trust Board in February 2024 and has had a varied career from Lehman Brothers Investment Banking to the NSPCC and now works as a Consultant Data Expert specialising in corporate real estate (specifically public sector) and is hoping to provide support to the Trust in any way her skills allow.
She is a self-confessed dog addict with two senior (rescue) JRTs, Barni and Lucy, so most of her spare time is taken up by long walks!
MEMBERS
Vicki Murray | Member
Content coming soon...
Colin Wright | Member
Content coming soon...
RESIGNATIONS [previous 12 months]
Rachel Silk | Trustee - Resigned 24th April 2023
Nerys Stoker | Trustee - Resigned 28th November 2022
Join Our Trust Board
Being a trustee is a hugely rewarding form of voluntary work. Trustees make a real difference to our pupils, and our local community by actively contributing to the success of our academies. We are looking for people with new ideas and a fresh perspective to join our board. As strategic leaders of the academy trust, it is vital that the Trust board is connected with, and engages, the communities and stakeholders it serves. We would like to hear from people with a range of skills and experiences. In particular, we are interested in diversifying our board and would welcome applications from people with experience in: - strategic educational leadership - corporate governance - legal/compliance The strength of a board of trustees lies in the talents and commitment of its individual members, and in their ability to work together as a team. What do trustees do? Trustees are responsible for: - ensuring clarity of vision, ethos, and strategic direction - holding executive leaders to account for the educational and financial performance - responsible for maintaining stability and the management of a dynamic structure - contributing to financial planning for sustainability and potential growth The Trust board meets once every half term – six meetings per year. There are also two sub-committees that specialise in finance, audit and risk and curriculum and standards. These committees meet three times per year, and a new trustee would be invited to join one of these committees based on their skills and experience. If you would like to find out more, please complete the form below.
