Organised for success

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.

Paul is a former primary school teacher, multi academy trust leader, software engineer and an experienced entrepreneur. Paul left teaching to found WebBased, an EdTech startup, serving as CEO for 15 years.  The company achieved considerable organic growth, reaching over a third of UK Local Authorities, before being acquired by The Key for School Leaders.  There, as Chief Technology Officer, Paul oversaw new product development, software engineering, internal enterprise systems and information security contributing to The Key’s expansion to over 50% of UK schools.  He also managed technical due diligence for two acquisitions. 

Following his time at The Key, Paul was Chief Technology Officer at Big Education Multi Academy Trust and has advised a number of MAT senior leadership teams on implementing effective technology strategies. Paul is currently Chief Technology Officer at Transforming Learning Group and Vice Chair of Trustees at Connect Academy Trust.

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Giles Freathy is an experienced academic, teacher educator, and school governance leader with a career spanning classroom teaching, educational leadership, and higher education. He currently serves as Associate Dean (Partnerships) in the School of Education at Plymouth Marjon University, where he leads strategic collaboration with school partners and oversees the delivery of high-quality, research-informed initial teacher training.

Giles holds a Master of Science in Educational Research Methods (Distinction) from the University of Exeter, a PGCE (Primary) from the University of Plymouth, and a First-Class BA (Hons) in Arts Management from the University of Leeds. He is an Associate Fellow of Advance HE, reflecting his continued commitment to academic excellence and the development of inclusive, reflective practice in teacher education.

Giles has made a significant contribution to the development and success of Plymouth Marjon’s Teacher Education Partnership, including leadership of key initiatives that support strong school-university collaboration. His work was recognised in the 2023 Ofsted inspection, which praised the University’s civic commitment. Giles is currently leading on a Place and Social Purpose project in partnership with Cornwall Education Learning Trust, looking at teacher supply and staff development opportunities in rural and coastal areas.

Beginning his career in primary teaching and school leadership, Giles has since held influential academic and partnership roles with The Learning Institute and Westcountry Schools Trust. His practice is shaped by a deep belief in the powerof close-to-practice research, community engagement, and curriculum innovation.

He is widely known for his contributions to Religious Education, particularly through the development of the RE-searchers approach—a dialogic, metacognitive pedagogy designed to support children in thinking critically about religion and worldviews. Giles has authored and co-authored a wide range of academic publications, teacher-facing guides, and curriculum resources. His research has been supported by funding from bodies including Culham St. Gabriel’s Trust, supporting the national dissemination of the RE-searchers model.

In addition to his academic work, Giles has been a Trustee of Connect Academy Trust since its inception, including serving as Chair of the Board, during which time he led the appointment of the current CEO. His governance work reflects a longstanding dedication to system leadership and the improvement of educational outcomes across diverse communities.

Giles brings a unique blend of scholarly insight, practical expertise, and strategic leadership to his work, underpinned by a strong commitment to equity, collaboration, and civic responsibility in education.

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Lee is an established Business Manager having worked in the same Plymouth Secondary School for the last 10 years, he also supports an adjoining primary school. This role has provided him with a wealth of experiences in managing all operational aspects within an educational setting which he brings to his trustee role with Connect as Chair of the Resources committee.

Lee’s specialism is in accountancy, he was a school finance officer within Plymouth City Council supporting all phases of school for 9 years before he progressed to his current role. Lee was a governor with Widey Court, where his son attended, when Connect was established and he has been a trustee ever since.

Aswell as spending valuable time with his family, Lee has a passion for rugbyhaving previously played locally, and now that he has hung up his boots he is often seen out running with his local running club. He has also completed the National 3 peaks of Ben Nevis, Skafell Pike and Snowdon 5 times, raising funds for a local charity.

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Sam is a former primary school teacher at one of the Trusts schools. After leaving teaching Sam remained as a Governor and helped transition the school into the city’s first cooperative group of schools and then the creation of Connect Academy Trust.

Sam holds a LLB Law degree and PGCE (Primary) from Plymouth University and has an extensive marketing background from being a marketing manager in the Royal Bank of Scotland and launching online banking to running his own photography company producing films and images for over 70 schools in the Southwest.

He has been a volunteer in school governance for over 18 years and is proud to help in the improvement and leadership of 8 fantastic schools within a trust that is focused on children’s success and happiness.

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Current School Director of Education for Crofty, Tamsin has 20 years of experience as a headteacher across 4 schools.

She has a proven track record of rapid and sustained school improvement, leading Roskear from an Ofsted category to good in just over 12 months.

Tamsin is a National Leader of Education and continues to work as a school improvement partner and as a headteacher mentor in schools across Cornwall.

She has also previously worked as an NPQH assessor and represented primary schools on Cornwall School Forum.

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Kate has a long-held passion for education and is committed to securing the best opportunities and outcomes for children and teachers. She has enjoyed a wide range of leadership, management and governance roles within schools and Teacher Education.

Working in schools, Kate specialised in the pastoral support and professional development of staff and leaders, helping them to maximise their impact on pupil progress. Her management, training and consultancy roles have involved supporting and investing in trainees, teachers and leaders, enabling them to empower others.

As the Director of the Devon Primary SCITT, she gained national recognition for the quality of her mentoring and sustained contribution to the ITT Sector.

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April is a seasoned NHS Operations Manager with a wealth of experience in finance, governance, and strategic leadership across public service sectors. Working in Child Health, she is deeply committed to improving outcomes for children and young people, a passion that extends to her personal life as a parent with children in education.

As a trustee, she brings a pragmatic, solution-oriented mindset, grounded in her values of equity, accountability, and meaningful impact. With a strong track record in risk management and transformation projects, April excels at turning complex challenges into clear, actionable strategies. Her cross-sector insight—from healthcare to education—complements her ability to connect with diverse communities and stakeholders. She is dedicated to building systems that are inclusive, sustainable, and designed to serve people with dignity.

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Dr Hanne Knight is a dynamic and versatile academic with a strong interest in sustainable marketing, digital transformation, and responsible consumer behaviour. Her work spans a range of platforms and projects, including co-authoring a leading digital marketing textbook, hosting her own podcast, and contributing to public discourse on marketing ethics and innovation. Hanne’s multifaceted engagement with the field reflects her commitment to making marketing both more meaningful and more sustainable in a rapidly changing world.

Her research explores the intersection of marketing, ethics, and emerging technologies—most recently contributing to publications on the ethical implications of Artificial Intelligence in marketing. Hanne is particularly passionate about embedding sustainability principles into marketing education, empowering students to think critically about their role as future marketers and change-makers.

As an experienced lecturer and curriculum designer, Hanne is committed to inclusive, practice-based learning that equips students with the tools to thrive in a fast-evolving digital landscape. She is also an active member of several academic networks and sustainability initiatives, championing collaboration and innovation across disciplines.

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