Our Trustees

Our Trustees govern in the interests of the AET family as a whole. The Trustees set the vision for the Trust and hold the Headteachers and Senior Leaders to account for delivering the Trust’s strategic plan.

The Trustees will have robust, standardised and efficient processes that demonstrate visionary leadership, clarity of relationships, effective oversight and sustainability, and achieve the greatest possible outcomes.

Deborah Strazza

Deborah is an experienced HR practitioner, with both operational and strategic experience.

Passionate about learning and leadership development she works across a variety of sectors as an independent HR consultant. Her experience includes Adult Learning, Retail, Professional Services, Tech and not for profit sectors. She is also an associate with KPMG, in people consulting.

Prior to establishing her consultancy business, she has worked at a senior level in both commercial and HR roles most recently for John Lewis Partnership, as Head of Organisational Effectiveness and Talent Management. She has also led large teams including as the Managing Director at John Lewis Milton Keynes and High Wycombe branches. Deborah was a member for the MK Chamber of Commerce Board for three years and has a long standing relationship with Young Enterprise Board in Hertfordshire.

She lives in St Albans with her husband and two children. Her daughter attended Marlborough Science Academy, before moving onto university in Nottingham, and her son attended Verulam, before moving onto Hartpury College for A levels.

Paul Lerwill

I was born and brought up just outside St. Albans. I am a qualified teacher and worked for many years teaching students with learning difficulties, eventually becoming Deputy Head and then acting head of a special school. During this time I completed an MEd. in Special Education.

For many years I was a member of the St. Albans Community Health Council and was Chairman for three years. I then worked as a senior manager in the Health Service and at an FE college with responsibility for a wide range of support and premises staff. During this time I completed an MA in Educational Management.

I finished my career working at St. Albans Girls’ School for 18 years as Business Manager and was acting deputy head for three years. During this time I completed an Advanced Diploma in School Business Management. I retired from full time work in 2017 and now live in Hemel Hempstead where I have more time to spend with my wife, grandchildren and dog.

Helen Barton

Catherine Borel-Saladin

Catherine is a qualified accountant working in London as a Business Partner for a global bank, she has been with the same firm for just over twenty years. Within the organization Catherine is also a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Ambassador across the finance division and spent several years supporting mobility and career development initiatives.

Until 2020, Catherine was a parent governor at Skyswood Primary and Nursery School for 7 years, 6 of which she was the chair of governors.

She lives in St Albans with her husband and two children, both of which attend an AAT school. Catherine believes through equality, diversity and inclusion, individuals will be able to bring their full selves to all that they do and reach their full potential.

Outside of work Catherine enjoys spending time with her family, exercise, travel and music.

Richard Edwards

I am passionate about the potential for education to transform and enrich lives. I run a consultancy which specialises in advising organisations in the education and skills sector on communications, marketing and stakeholder management. Through my role(s) I have worked with senior leadership teams at universities, business schools, apprenticeship providers, sector skills and professional associations as well as businesses selling to the education sector.

Duncan Gibbons

A qualified solicitor who has worked as a senior in house lawyer in a Canadian bank with global management responsibilities and now works as a consultant.

Previously, Duncan worked as a solicitor in a private practice at a large global law firm, specialising in finance law. He has also been an Army Officer specialising in logistics.

Former Governor of Maple Primary School, Chair of Finance Committee and Chair of Governors in the final year, and former Governor of Sandringham School where over a 14 year period he was Chair of Resources, Chair of CAW and Vice Chair of Governors and is currently Chair of the Resources and Audit Committee.

Rachael Kenningham

Ambition schools are deeply rooted in the communities they serve and work tirelessly to prepare students to thrive in an increasingly complex world and I feel incredibly proud to be supporting our schools and families in this important work.

I am the daughter of two teachers, one who later became Head, and watching them work over the years always gave me an enormous respect for the teaching profession. As a parent Governor at STAGS, I learnt more about what it takes to build and sustain an outstanding school. I have always felt incredibly lucky that my own daughter was able to benefit from such a thorough education and want all Ambition families to benefit as we have.

As well as my passion for making world class education, I bring 20 years professional experience in public policy related roles, where I have helped a wide range of organisations understand and navigate Governments, working both at Westminster and Brussels at a senior level.

I graduated with an Honours Degree in French from the University of Birmingham in 1993.

Frances Manning

Frances has worked in Hertfordshire for over 23 years, firstly as a Deputy Headteacher at Cheshunt School and for the past 15 years as Headteacher at Hitchin Girls’ School. In this role she has served formerly as a Governor and then Trustee on the Trust Board. She has worked as a National Leader of Education (NLE) since 2013 supporting schools in Hertfordshire, Luton and London and is a qualified coach and mentor.

Frances is a former Chair of Hertfordshire Association of Secondary School Headteachers (HASSH) and a long serving member of the HASSH Executive group. She has been a member of the Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children’s Panel for many years and has also served on the Hertfordshire SEND Executive group. Frances has also served 9 years as a Trustee for a local Hitchin charity, Phase, which provides support for mental health for local young people.

On leaving Headship in August 2022 Frances will be working as an independent educational consultant, facilitating and coaching for the specialist NPQs, NPQH, NPQSL and the Early Headship Coaching programme, as well delivering leadership coach, mentoring and support for schools.

Mary Newman

I became a Director of the Atlas Multi Academy Trust on May 1st 2018 with a specific focus on safeguarding and standards. My passion for quality education for all pupils has been invaluable in this role as it has enabled me to make a real contribution to the wide range of schools in Ambition Education Trust.

I was a Governor of Beech Hyde School for three years from 2018, and I continue to support their governing body as part of The Trust. It is a rewarding role as the School has grown so much within the Ambition umbrella, and it has enabled me to give back to the village community which has provided me with support and friendship for over thirty years.

I graduated from Birmingham University with a Mathematics degree and gained my MSc in Operational Research and Management shortly afterwards. I spent eight years working for Cadbury at Bournville in Operational Research, Marketing and Data Analysis. This developed my interest in the use of statistics to inform decisions and my understanding of the importance of accurate, informative data.

We then moved south, and I spent eight years as Assistant Director, Management Services for ManuLife Insurance. In this role I recruited staff at all levels and, as a result, I have a great interest in the importance of education as a preparation for the real world and the development of the life skills of all pupils.

We had our two wonderful sons and I became a teacher at St Albans Girls’ School where I had a really fulfilling twenty years becoming Deputy Head Teacher before taking early retirement in 2017. It was here that my love of education flourished and where I learnt the true importance of ‘Every Child Matters.’

Claire Robins

I have taught at a number of schools in Hertfordshire before becoming Head of Sir John Lawes in 2006. In 2008, Sir John Lawes became a National Support School and I was made a National Leader of Education, since when I have led on school to school support work with several local schools, leading to the setting up of the Scholars Education Trust, in 2011, of which I am CEO.

I have sat on the Regional Schools’ Commissioner’s Head Teacher Board for the NWLSC region since its inception and I am also on the board of the Harpenden Secondary Education Trust, which has recently set up a new secondary free school in Harpenden - Katherine Warington School.

I am a founding trustee of HertsCam Network, a group which aims to improve teaching through teacher leadership and am also a member of the Executive Committee of UCET (The Universities’ Council for the Education of Teachers).

I was awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in June 2018 for Services to Education.

James Rodea

James is employed as a Chief Operating Officer within in a Financial Services company based in London, he has been with the same firm for twenty years. The varied nature of his operational role has provided him with a breadth of experience in many areas of running a medium sized business.

Prior to becoming a trustee James was a parent governor and then a co-opted governor for Wheatfields Infants School, a role he undertook for five years.

He lives in St Albans with his wife and three children, all of whom are pupils within schools of the A.A.T. He is passionate about the idea of encouraging everybody to ‘give something back’.

James enjoys most sports.

Paul Snook

I am a former teacher and education consultant, now retired. For the past 25 years I have worked on projects in the education sector supporting a number of Department for Education initiatives ranging from developing effective use of ICT in schools, supporting initiatives to promote Post 16 education and to building leadership capacity.

I have over 18 years experience as a school governor covering both Primary and Secondary education.

Trustee Attendance Records for Alban Academies Trust can be found here

Trustee Attendance Records for ATLAS MAT can be found here