Trust Governance Structure
The Board of Directors fulfill both the role of directors under company law and trustees under charity law and exercise the powers and carry out the duties of PDET. The Board of Directors is responsible to the Members of PDET as well as the parents, pupils and staff at its academies. Directors work through their committees and the Central Executive Team with the Academy Governance Committees to ensure the quality of education and financial management provided at each academy.
Five committees operate under the PDET Board of Directors: The Trust Governance Committee, the Business and Finance Committee, the Education Committee, Audit and Risk Committee and People and Pay Committee.
The Board of Directors is the overall governance body and is accountable for the Trust. Local governing bodies, who are called Academy Governance Committees (AGCs) in our Trust, are committees to which the Directors have chosen to delegate some specific responsibilities.
Executive Directors
Ruth Walker-Green – Chief Executive Officer of PDET
Ruth has worked in education for over 25 years. She joined Peterborough Diocese Education Trust in 2014 in the role of Headteacher before being seconded, full time, in November 2017, to the PDET Central Team as Head of Learning and Achievement. In April 2018, she was permanently appointed to the Director of Learning and Achievement role and later became Deputy CEO. Following a rigorous national recruitment process, Ruth was appointed to the role of CEO in September 2021.
Non Executive Directors
Margaret Holman – Chair
Margaret was Headteacher of Bishop Stopford School, a Church of England converter academy for 16 years. During this time, she was a National Leader of Education (and Bishop Stopford was designated a National Support School). She was a member of the first Fellowship Commission of NLEs reporting to the Secretary of State, and she sat on the Secondary Heads Reference Group at the DfE for over 10 years. Margaret is currently a director of the Woodard Corporation and sits on its Education committee. She is also a director of the Woodard Academies Trust, chairing the WAT’s Education committee.
Cathy Armstrong
Cathy has been running a business in Kettering since 2000 and has a proven track record in facilities and administration management. She has been a Chair of Governors at St Andrew’s C of E Primary, Kettering since 2013 and as such was closely involved in the smooth conversion of the first school to join PDET in May 2014.
Dr Gordon Temple
Gordon served for sixteen years as chief executive of Torch Trust, a Christian charity working nationally and internationally with people with sight loss. A chartered engineer, Gordon’s early career was in research and development, later becoming managing director of two technology businesses, both operating internationally. He has served as a foundation governor for his village school for eight years, three as chair of governors. During this period the school converted to an academy as part of PDET.
Andrew Scarborough
Andrew Scarborough is a Justice of the Peace on the Northamptonshire Bench and a long-standing member of the Borough Council of Wellingborough. After many years working as a senior manager in the Post Office he moved into non-executive roles in 2000 serving for eight years as Chairman of Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Trust and for nine years on the Board of Northampton University, the last four as Chairman. He was also a member of the Board of the East Midlands Development Agency from 2000 to 2004 and continues to sit on the North Northamptonshire Joint Planning Committee. Andrew is a school governor at Rowan Gate Primary in Wellingborough where he has just finished a seven year stint as Chairman. Outside of work and his voluntary activities Andrew is a season ticket holder at Northampton Saints, a keen follower of horseracing and an avid birdwatcher.
Jan Martin
Jan was Head of Inclusion and Head of School Improvement for Northamptonshire for 7 years. She has been an Ofsted inspector for many years and specialises in SEND. She has been an independent school improvement and SEND consultant since 2008, working in Hong Kong and London and the home counties with special and mainstream schools. She is a school improvement specialist for the Brent School Partnership.
Anup Sodhi
Anup is an Audit Partner at Ernst & Young with experience of working with a range of businesses from large global to local entrepreneurial. Anup is the Office Managing Partner for the Luton office, responsible for over 200 people. Anup has previously been a school governor of a Prep School.
Register of Interests: Directors of PDET
Name | Role |
Date appointed
(All term of office 4 years exc. CEO)
|
Relevant business and pecuniary interests | Trusteeships and governorships at other educational institutions/charities | Personal relationships with trust employees or other members/trustees/ local governors | Date interest declared / confirmed |
Cathy Armstrong |
Director Member of Business & Finance Committee |
01/05/15 and re-appointed 30/04/19 |
The Business Exchange, Kettering |
Membership of PDET Academy Governorship Committee (AGC) FOSTA Friends of St Andrews |
None | 14/09/2021 |
Margaret Holman |
Director Chair of PDET Board Chair of People & Pay Committee Member of Education Committee Member of Trust Governance Committee Member, PDET. |
24/04/14 and re-appointed 23/04/18 |
None | Trustee and Director of
|
None | 12/10/2021 |
Janice Martin |
Director Chair of Education Committee |
18/12/19 | Self Employed Consultant, Sensitive Education Consultancy |
Church Governor, PDET AGC St Luke’s CE Primary, Duston |
None |
13/10/2021 |
Andrew Scarborough |
Director Chair of Business & Finance Committee Member of Audit & Risk Committee Member of People & Pay Committee |
26/09/19 |
Company Secretary, SG Scarborough Ltd. Independent Mental Health Act Manager, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Hourly paid lecturer Warwick University |
Justice of the Peace, Chairman of the Northamptonshire Bench of Magistrates Leader of the Opposition, Wellingborough Borough Council Governor of Rowan Gate Special Primary School, Wellingborough |
None | 12/10/2021 |
Anup Sodhi |
Director Member of Business & Finance Committee Chair of Audit & Risk Committee |
08/04/20 | Partner at Ernst & Young LLP | None | None | 12/10/2021 |
Dr Gordon Temple |
Director Member of Business & Finance Committee Member of People & Pay Committee |
26/03/18 | Member of Welford St Mary’s PCC and Brixworth Deanery Synod Representative |
Governor/Chair at Welford, Sibbertoft, Sulby Endowed School (PDET AGC) Governor at Barby CofE School (PDET AGC) from 10/20 |
None | 13/10/2021 |
Ruth Walker-Green |
Director Chief Executive Officer and Accounting Officer. Member of Business & Finance Committee Member of Education Committee Member of Trust Governance Committee |
01/09/21 | CEO, PDET | Member of Peterborough Diocese Board of Education, including Member of Strategy and Leadership Committee. | None | 12/10/2021 |
Resignations | ||||||
Kevin Binley (Resigned) | Director and Chair of Business & Finance and Member of Audit & Risk, and People & Pay Comittees until resigned 16/12/21 | 01/03/16 and re-appointed 29/02/20 |
Director Lansdowne Square Management Company | Non-Exec Director & Trustee and Chair of Finance & Operations, Heart Academy Trust Member Southfield Academy Trust |
None | 25/10/2021 |
Peter Cantley (Resigned) |
Director until resigned 30/09/20. Appointed PDCST Corporate Member of PDET 30/9/20 | 15/03/18 | Diocesan Director of Education, Diocese of Peterborough
Peterborough Diocese Church Schools Trust Chatsworth Square Gardens Management Company St Pauls Square (Carlisle) Limited |
Member: Evolve Church Academies Trust |
None | 07/09/2020 |
Bishop Edward Condry (Resigned) | Director until resigned 12/10/21 | 12/05/21 | None | None | None | 19/07/21 |
Greg Cracknell (Resigned) | Director and Chair of Ethos, Standards & Effectiveness Committee and Member of Pay & Personnel Committee until resigned 31/08/21 | 01/05/15 and re-appointed 30/04/19 |
None | Director of Peterborough Diocese Church Schools Trust
Member of Peterborough Diocese Board of Education, including:
Membership of PDET Academy Governance Committees:
|
None | 23/08/2020 |
Duncan Mills (Resigned) | Director, Chief Executive Officer and Accounting Officer until resgined 31/08/21 | 01/01/18 | Director/Trustee, The Business Exchange Kettering | Governor at: Coventry Extended Learning Centre Member of Pathfinder Academy Trust |
Wife is Chair of Governors at Greens Norton CE Academy (PDET) | 24/08/2020 |
Andrew Weatherill (Resigned) | Director and Chair of Audit & Risk Committee until resigned 30/09/2021 | 01/03/16 and re-appointed on 29/02/20 |
Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK CBAC Limited Westongrove Limited Northampton Partnership Homes Limited PTRC Education and Research Limited Association of Member Nominated Trustees Limited |
St Mary the Virgin, Finedon Church of England Temperance Hall |
None | 25/08/2020 |
Natalie Howes |
Director, Chair of Trust Governance Committee and Member of Education Committee until resigned 21/06/22 |
26/09/19 | Director – Centric4 Limited | Chair of Governors, PDET
AGC, St Barnabas Church of England School |
None | 11/10/2021 |
Full Board Attendance 2020-21
Name | Category | 01/10/20 | 26/11/20 | 10/12/20 | 04/01/21 | 26/01/21 | 23/03/21 | 18/05/21 | 12/07/21 | Total |
Cathy Armstrong | Director | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | 8/8 |
Kevin Binley | Director | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | A | ⁄ | 7/8 |
Bishop Ed Condry | Director ( Appointed 12 May 2021) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | ⁄ | ⁄ | 2/2 |
Greg Cracknell |
Director |
⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | 8/8 |
Margaret Holman |
Director Chair of the Board |
⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | 8/8 |
Natalie Howes | Director | A | ⁄ | ⁄ | A | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | A | 5/8 |
Jan Martin | Director | A | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | 7/8 |
Duncan Mills | Director/CEO | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | 8/8 |
Andrew Scarborough |
Director |
⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | 8/8 |
Anup Sodhi |
Director |
⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | A | 7/8 |
Dr Gordon Temple | Director | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | 8/8 |
Andrew Weatherill | Director | A | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | ⁄ | A | 6/8 |
Board Committee Membership and Attendance
Audit and Risk Committee 2020-21
Name | Committee Member Category | Total Attendance |
Kevin Binley | Director | 2/2 |
Andrew Scarborough | Director | 2/2 |
Andrew Weatherill | Director and Chair of Committee | 2/2 |
Business and Finance Commitee 2020-21
Name | Committee Member Category | Total Attendance |
Cathy Armstrong | Director | 5/6 |
Kevin Binley |
Director and Chair of Committee |
6/6 |
Barry Hansford |
Committee Member |
5/6 |
Duncan Mills | Director/CEO | 6/6 |
Andrew Scarborough | Director | 6/6 |
Anup Sodhi | Director | 5/6 |
Ethos, Standards and Effectiveness (ESE) Committee 2020-21
Name | Committee Member Category | Total Attendance |
Greg Cracknell |
Director and Chair of Committee |
4/4 |
Natalie Howes |
Director |
1/2 |
Duncan Mills | Director/CEO | 3/4 |
Jan Martin |
Director |
4/4 |
Juliet Silverton |
Committee Member |
2/4 |
Hilary Spenceley |
Committee Member |
4/4 |
Trust Governance Committee 2020-21
Name | Committee Member Category | Total Attendance |
Kirstin Howarth |
Committee Member | 2/3 |
Natalie Howes | Director and Committee Member | 3/3 |
Matthew Humphrey | Committee Member | 3/3 |
Duncan Mills | Director/CEO | 3/3 |
Dr Gordon Temple |
Director and Chair of Committee |
3/3 |
Pay and Personnel Committee 2020-21
Name | Committee Member Category | Total Attendance |
Kevin Binley | Director | 0/2 |
Margaret Holman | Director and Chair of Committee | 3/3 |
Greg Cracknell | Director | 3/3 |