Connect's governance network!

Organised for success

Our governance structure is designed to get the best from the Connect Academy Trust. It’s a network based on openness and accountability, and it sustains and shapes our vision.

Pupils on outdoor playground

Connect is a multi-academy trust (MAT) that runs as a charitable company for the benefit of our member schools. Our governance structure is designed to deliver leadership and effective management across our group.

The governance of Connect works by integrating a number of individuals with specific roles and responsibilities. Our members are the overall guardians of the trust, ensuring that Connect runs efficiently and meets the obligations of its charitable status.

Sitting below this, our Board of Trustees run the day-to-day business of the Trust, taking charge of areas such as finance, legal compliance and overall strategic direction. They interact with our senior leadership team, which includes the headteachers of our schools. The outcome of this web of governance is a high standard of operation across our family of schools. Each of our schools have a local governing body (LGB) which provide support and challenge to each school. The LGBs are a committee of the Board of Trustees.

Connect Academy Trust Organogram

Our Trustees

Ian Mitchell
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Ian Mitchell

Chair of Trustees

Ian has been closely associated with school governance since 2010, having specialised in holding leaders to account for academic results and ensuring school finances are deployed to provide the best possible outcomes for children. During this period, he has held the position of Chair of Governors for one of our Trust’s schools. Ian has fully embraced the role and spent a considerable amount of time in schools with head teachers, teachers, business managers and children. This has given him a comprehensive understanding of how schools are run. Through owning his own business and school experience, he has strong strategic planning skills and likes to look at the bigger picture. Ian is the link trustee for disadvantaged pupils.

Both of Ian’s daughters attended a primary school within the Trust. He started his own estate agency and lettings business 20 years ago and he now employs 21 local people, his award winning business is regarded as one of the market leading property businesses in the South West. Ian is a member of the Plymouth Area Business Council, the Plymouth Area Property Professionals Association, a Fellow of the National Association of Estate Agents and a qualified Domestic Energy Assessor. Ian gains great satisfaction from supporting schools and finds it very rewarding giving some of his free time to an organisation that’s sole purpose is to provide children with the best education and childhood experiences possible.

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Ian Mitchell

Chair of Trustees

Paul Osborne
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Paul Osborne

Vice Chair of Trustees

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Paul Osborne

Vice Chair of Trustees

Giles Freathy
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Giles Freathy

Trustee

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Giles Freathy

Trustee

Lee LeMarquand
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Lee LeMarquand

Trustee

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Lee LeMarquand

Trustee

Sam Jones
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Sam Jones

Trustee

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Sam Jones

Trustee

Stuart Bellworthy
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Stuart Bellworthy

CEO & Trust Leader

Meet Stuart Bellworthy, our CEO/Trust Leader. Stuart's extensive education career began as a 1:1 teaching assistant in a village school in Devon, later becoming a qualified teacher, leader and Headteacher in a range of schools in the South West. He served as one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors for Ofsted and then became the Midlands Regional Director for E-ACT. In 2018, Stuart was appointed as the CEO of Connect Academy Trust, where he aims to improve educational provision for all children, have the very best staff working in our family of schools and grow the Trust in a sustainable way. An interesting fact about Stuart is that he has four amazing adult children, none of whom have chosen a career in education—so far!

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Stuart Bellworthy

CEO & Trust Leader

Tamsin Lamb
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Tamsin Lamb

Trustee

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Tamsin Lamb

Trustee

Kate Reeves
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Kate Reeves

Trustee

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Kate Reeves

Trustee

Hanne Knight
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Hanne Knight

Trustee

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Hanne Knight

Trustee

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