Trustees and Members | Black Pear Trust

Trustees & Members

Paul Shoesmith

Member

Paul Shoesmith is the Chair of the Black Pear Trust. He joined the governing body of Hollymount School’s predecessor school, Gorse Hill Community Primary School, in 1999 and is a past chair of both its governing body and finance committee. He now chairs the local governing body at Carnforth School, as well as the Trust’s finance committee.

After a career in the public sector working for local authorities and then a government agency he now runs his own company providing education and technology consultancy in the UK and overseas to a range of organisations operating at national, regional and local level. He works mostly with schools, academies and multi-academy trusts in the UK advising on ICT strategy, procurement, management information and finance systems and ICT infrastructure. Between 2014 and 2017 he worked as part of a team advising a national education ICT project in the Gulf region, managing large scale device, network services and software procurements, while also coordinating the work of NEN, the Education Network across the UK as their Professional Officer between 2013 and 2016.

As well as his role within Black Pear Trust he is also vice-chair of governors at a local secondary academy, and a trustee of the Birmingham eLearning Foundation.

Julia Cook

Member

Having taught in Worcester for 36 years I am now retired and still have an interest in all aspects of education. My main strengths are in science and looking at data to analyse children’s progress. Being a governor at Hollymount School gives me the opportunity of sharing some of these interests and helping children of primary age to develop and succeed.

I have visited the school on numerous occasions to look at various issues including maths, reading, SATs and Nursery and Reception children. I am always impressed with what the children are doing and how well they respond to visitors.

I am also a Trustee of The Black Pear Trust which means that I am able to help to steer the Trust, including Hollymount School, in the direction that I believe it should go in order to benefit all the children that it serves. The expansion of the Trust enables the skills of teachers to be shared across all schools to enable all children to achieve to the best of their ability.

On a personal level I have five grandchildren who I often look after. I also love travelling, reading and my garden.

Marc Howard

Member

Marc Howard is an architect with FORTIS Housing Association. Marc brings an expertise in estate management which is invaluable to the trust.

Nick Barker

Member

I worked in state secondary schools for 12 years before being awarded a Teacher Fellowship by the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2008 and becoming a member of staff at the University of Warwick. I worked in the Chemistry Department there for 10 years where I delivered a successful schools’ outreach programme. Since 2018, I have been based in Hollymount School but I to continue to deliver outreach work on behalf of The University of Warwick across the Midlands and beyond.

Diocese Corporate Member

Member

The Diocese have a Corporate Member as outlined by the Articles of Association.

Paul Edwards

Trustee

Worcestershire born & bred
Worked in housing for last 10 years.
Work in the local community
Interested in all things to do with nature & wildlife
Photography

Paul is able to strongly support social justice within the trust and is a strong link with the local communities. He supports finance through his knowledge of grant applications and the curriculum through his knowledge of local charities who support schools and access to sports coaching e.g. through Paul the schools have introduced wildlife gardens.

Ann Burkett

Trustee

Ann is now enjoying retirement, but worked for HM Revenue & Customs. Anne is a strong member of the local community, and has been involved with many community projects. Consequently, she is able to provide information about the local community for the trust.

Paul Shoesmith

Chair Of Trustees

As well as his role within Black Pear Trust he is also vice-chair of governors at a local secondary academy, and a trustee of the Birmingham eLearning Foundation.

Julia Cook

Trustee

On a personal level I have five grandchildren who I often look after. I also love travelling, reading and my garden.

Paul Sheehan

Foundation Trustee

I have had a diverse and varied career in Primary Education over 30 plus years. This includes class teacher, subject leader and then deputy head before 5 years of Local Authority advisory work. Upon my return to schools, I secured the headship of a single form primary in Taunton, Somerset. This is a post I held for 11 years before my full-time appointment to University of Worcester.

While headteacher I guided our school to electively join a newly forming Multi Academy Trust. As a successful member of the trust, I was seconded to lead a newly sponsored school through the initial transition to academy status before a substantive head was appointed. Later I held the role of Regional Hub Lead for 8 schools in the Trust alongside my substantive headship.

I am now a full-time member of the University of Worcester School Effectiveness Team. My role is to work with and support schools to secure and sustain improved outcomes for pupils, staff and the leaders. It is a holistic approach to school improvement and is based on schools working together and being more as a collaboration than the sum of the parts. I am experienced and knowledgeable in team facilitation with developing and established leaders, in one to one coaching, and general leadership development both in schools and other public sector organisations.

From individual and course feedback, I am described as calm, approachable, professional and down to earth. My reflective and supportive approach enables me to work alongside and collaboratively, to secure sustainable impacts and outcomes for the individuals, teams and organisations that I work alongside.

Since joining the University, I have been working toward and recently secured a Master’s level ILM Executive Coaching and Mentoring award from University of West of England.

Julia Page

Trustee

After an enjoyable and rewarding career in Land Based Further Education, both as a lecturer and a senior leader and manager, I am enjoying new challenges and learning following the opportunity to join the Black Pear Trust as a Trustee. I am now actively involved in the Trust’s activities in order to develop my knowledge and skills to be able to fully contribute to the success of the Trust and its schools. The areas in which I’m most interested, and have most understanding, are school development, progress and improvement, data and finance.

I have lived in South Worcestershire since 1986 and have been a Governor of a local primary school for many years as both a parent and then a community governor. This has given me a lot of knowledge and insight into the primary education sector.

I confidently bring my past and present experience together to make an informed contribution to the Black Pear Trust in order to ensure the best possible outcomes for all our children.

James Law

Trustee

Awaiting Information

Vince Green

Is currently Chief Executive Officer of the Summit Learning Trust where he is responsible for:

- Strategic Leadership and Trust Development

- Organisational Leadership and Management

- External relations and partnerships

- Governance and Compliance

Vince was Regional Education Director and Executive Principal at a large multi-academy trust. Before this he was the Principal of Bristnall Hall Academy for five years, the highest performing secondary provider within its local authority and trust. Vince started his teaching career in Sendai, Japan and has held a variety of leadership roles in the West Midlands in rapidly improving schools.