Meet the team

Sue became Chair of Members of the Raleigh Learning Trust at its inception having been the Chair of Governors of the founding schools.

Following a career in the NHS, she became involved in School Governance in 2003 when she joined the Governing Body of the then Ambleside Junior School. She became Chair of Governors in 2005, leading the amalgamation of the Junior and Infant schools to become the Ambleside Primary School.

She was asked to Chair an Independent Monitoring Board for Woodlands School and subsequently became substantive Chair of Woodlands. She went to on to chair the Westbury Woodlands Federation when that was formed.

Her connections with Denewood and Unity come through a period serving on the Management Committee.

In March 2012 Sue became one of the first School Governors to become a National Leader of Governance and, in that role, supported Chairs of Governors in a number of other schools.

Sue ‘retired’ from School Governance to pursue other volunteering opportunities in 2015 but, in 2017, she returned as Chair of Members of what was to become the Raleigh Education Trust.

Peter retired as Headteacher of Top Valley Academy in 2015, having led the school through its transition from a Comprehensive School to a Specialist Engineering College and subsequently to Academy status in 2012. After fourteen years as a Head and thirty-six years in the teaching profession, he worked for two years as Trust Director for the Central College Academy Trust in Nottingham.

He has extensive experience of working with Governing Bodies and Trustees and is particularly drawn to the Raleigh Learning Trust’s firm commitment to securing positive outcomes and experiences for students whatever their backgrounds and life-circumstances.

He believes that the role of Trust Member provides an important overview of the work of the Trust in ensuring that the vision and values of the Trust are maintained to the highest possible standard, in the interests of the children and young people for whom it is responsible.

David S Stewart OBE DL is a former head teacher in Nottingham City with over fifty years experience of working with children and young people with severe learning disabilities. He is a member of several local Trusts, charities and governing bodies and is Chair of The Nottingham Education Trust. He has a particularly interest in Arts education and PHSE . He is a Deputy Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire, an honorary Doctor of the University and holds the National One Dance Award for Most supportive leader for Dance.

David works as a programme manager and senior leader in the Department for Education (DfE). He has had a long relationship with the Trust, serving as a community governor, pupil progress lead, chair of governors, chair of directors and currently as a trust member.

Beginning in the private sector while studying, David worked for a number of years as a labourer and civil engineering management trainee for Airfield Pavements Ltd. He worked on and led construction teams in Royal Air Force bases across the UK laying a range of specialist runway surfaces and technologies. After graduating he joined Siemens’ energy division in the UK, working on and then leading a number of national infrastructure projects and multinational business development projects. With a strong desire to move into a job which made a real and positive difference for people, David moved into the public sector in 2009, joining the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL). In his work at the NCTL and, now in the DFE, he has worked in a range of policy & delivery roles and has developed a network of strong school leader contacts and relationships across the country.

David’s programme and project leadership in DfE has included the globally leading Longitudinal Education Outcomes Programme; School Leadership policy and delivery (e.g., playing a central role within the redesign and development of the National Professional Qualification for School Leaders and the School Governance qualifications); STEM specialist teacher supply (support for the “Teacher Subject Specialism Programme”); Succession Planning for School leadership; The Leadership Models and Partnerships Programme (e.g. helping schools to understand and become Academies and Federations to meet school improvement goals); the 14-19 Agenda and the development of the School Business Management profession.

Dr Brendan Coulson is the Head of Technical Education at Nottingham Trent University, he brings a wealth of experience in the realm of education, with a primary focus on pre- and post-16 students, predominantly within Further Education, and later culminating in Higher Education.

Brendan is also a published author; he has written a book dedicated to aiding early readers in coping with anxiety. His commitment to education extends beyond the academic realm, as evidenced by his role as a Member Trustee for Raleigh Education Trust. Driven by an unwavering passion for education, Brendan is particularly dedicated to ensuring exceptional educational opportunities for every student. His overarching goal is to provide all pupils with the means to succeed, realise their individual aspirations, and actively engage as citizens within their respective communities.

Eileen Hatley was born and educated in London beginning her teaching career in Docklands. Most of her teaching was in secondary schools in deprived areas of Nottingham and Derbyshire. On retiring she became firstly a gardener then Chair of Bilborough Sixth Form College which she guided to join the Better Futures Multi Academy Trust which she currently chairs. She served on ALC as an advisor to the BLS department and is an active member of SFCA.

She became a Trustee because she is passionate about local children getting the best possible education despite living in deprived circumstances. Her teaching experiences created in her a drive to improve quality of education and life chances for children by society for reasons of behaviour or rejected particular educational needs. One of her drivers is the lack of opportunity for children who have been excluded from mainstream schools and whose life chances are thus diminished.

She is involved in all areas of the Trust, liaising both with teaching and non-teaching staff and working very closely with the Chief Executive in her capacity of Board Chairperson.

Spent a career in education, teaching in the secondary sector.

He has a wide experience of school governance and was for many years chair of governors at a large secondary school.

His interest in education has led him in retirement to join the Board of Trustees, where he is link trustee to the SEN schools.

Emma is a specialist in workforce development, talent management, change management, succession planning, organisation design and development.

Emma brings expertise within Human Resource Management, Target Operating Model design, staff development and rewards to SUMS members and clients.  Through her work, she delivers innovative solutions to workforce requirements and enables pragmatic, best practice solutions that are informed by appropriate insight, legislative and regulatory risk.

Emma joined SUMS in 2021 after a number of years supporting different institutions within the HE sector, but her career to date has also seen her work as a change expert for the British Red Cross.  Emma brings experience of managing transformational change projects, organisation design and development initiatives and working with all academic and professional services functions to create integrated, co-designed cultures and practices.

Emma is passionate about workforce development, talent management and succession planning which considers all aspects of equality, diversity and inclusivity and strives to implement sector-leading solutions that respond to the global landscape, trends and patterns.  She has been involved in successful Athena Swan submissions, academic development programmes and principle-led strategic approaches to structural design which have led to improved engagement and a stronger alignment to strategic priorities and values.

Emma holds chartered membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and has a particular passion for American sports.