The directors set the strategic direction for the MAT and are accountable to the Secretary of State for the performance of the schools within it. This is set out in a legal document known as the ‘funding agreement’. As charity trustees, they must also ensure that they are complying with charity law requirements. High calibre directors are appointed for their skills, knowledge or experience as needed by the Board.
The Trust Board of Directors has three core functions:
1 Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
2 Holding the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to account for the educational performance of the Trust schools and their pupils, and the performance management of staff
3 Overseeing the financial performance of the schools and making sure its money is well spent
Chiar of Directors
Executive Headteacher / CEO
Vice Chair
Great Oak Multi Academy Trust Board of Directors
September 2025 - August 2026
Name |
Type |
Office |
Term |
Date stepped down |
Number of possible Full Directors’ Meetings |
Number of Full Directors’ Meetings attended |
Member of Audit and Risk Committee |
Elizabeth Barker |
Appointed by Members |
Chair |
16/11/2026 |
1 |
1 |
||
Gary Benn
|
Co-opted Director |
|
10/09/2026 |
|
1 |
1 |
Yes |
Sarah Mitchell |
CEO
|
CEO Executive Headteacher |
Ex-Officio |
|
1 |
1 |
|
Wassim Mughal |
Appointed by Members |
03/09/2027 |
1 |
1 |
Yes | ||
Kate Porch |
Appointed by Members |
19/09/2027 |
1 |
1 |
Ursula Lyons | Audit and Risk Committee Independent member | |
Samantha Wilks | Audit and Risk Committee Independent member |
Alice Balchin |
Clerk to the Directors |
Great Oak Multi Academy Trust Board of Directors
September 2024 - August 2025
Name |
Type |
Office |
Term |
Date stepped down |
Number of possible Full Directors’ Meetings |
Number of Full Directors’ Meetings attended |
Member of Audit and Risk Committee |
Elizabeth Barker |
Appointed by Members |
Chair |
16/11/2026 |
5 |
5 |
||
Catherine Blostone |
Co-opted Director |
10/09/2028 |
04/01/2025 | 2 | 1 | ||
Gary Benn
|
Foundation |
|
31/08/2025 |
|
5 |
2 |
Yes |
Paul Gray |
Appointed by Trust |
10/02/2026 |
5 |
2 |
Yes (Chair) | ||
Sarah Mitchell |
CEO
|
CEO Executive Headteacher |
Ex-Officio |
|
5 |
5 |
|
Wassim Mughal |
Appointed by Members |
03/09/2027 |
5 |
5 |
Yes | ||
Kate Porch |
Appointed by Members |
19/09/2027 |
5 |
4 |
Ursula Lyons | Audit and Risk Committee Independent member | |
Samantha Wilks | Audit and Risk Committee Independent member |
Alice Balchin |
Clerk to the Directors |
Great Oak Multi Academy Trust Board of Directors
September 2023 - August 2024
Name |
Type |
Office |
Term |
Date stepped down |
Number of possible Full Directors’ Meetings |
Number of Full Directors’ Meetings attended |
Member of Audit and Risk Committee |
Elizabeth Barker |
Appointed by Members |
Chair |
16/11/2026 |
4 |
4 |
||
Gary Benn
|
Foundation |
|
31/08/2025 |
|
4 |
3 |
Yes |
Paul Gray |
Appointed by Trust |
10/02/2026 |
4 |
3 |
Yes (Chair) | ||
Alison Meadows |
Appointed by Trust | 12/05/2025 | 31/08/2024 |
4 |
4 |
||
Sarah Mitchell |
CEO
|
CEO Executive Headteacher |
Ex-Officio |
|
4 |
4 |
|
Wassim Mughal |
Appointed by Members |
03/09/2027 |
4 |
4 |
Yes | ||
Kate Porch |
Appointed by Members |
19/09/2027 |
3 |
3 |
|||
Andrew Taylor |
Foundation |
|
31/08/2025 |
05/09/2023 |
0 |
0 |
Ursula Lyons | Audit and Risk Committee Independent member | |
Samantha Wilks | Audit and Risk Committee Independent member |
Tom Bennett |
Clerk to the Directors |
Great Oak Multi Academy Trust Board of Directors
September 2022 - August 2023
Name |
Type |
Office |
Term |
Date stepped down |
Number of possible Full Directors’ Meetings |
Number of Full Directors’ Meetings attended |
Member of Audit and Risk Committee |
Gary Benn
|
Foundation |
|
31/08/2025 |
|
5 |
3 |
Yes |
Paul Gray |
Appointed by Trust |
10/02/2026 |
5 |
5 |
Yes (Chair) | ||
Alison Meadows |
Appointed by Trust | 12/05/2025 |
5 |
4 |
|||
Sarah Mitchell |
CEO
|
CEO Executive Headteacher |
Ex-Officio |
|
5 |
5 |
|
Andrew Taylor |
Foundation |
Chair |
31/08/2025 |
|
5 |
4 |
|
Elizabeth Barker |
Appointed by Trust |
16/11/2026 |
4 |
3 |
|||
John Saxon |
Appointed by Trust |
03/05/2027 |
31/08/23 |
2 |
1 |
Ursula Lyons | Audit and Risk Committee Independent member | |
Samantha Wilks | Audit and Risk Committee Independent member |
Tom Bennett |
Clerk to the Directors |
Great Oak Multi Academy Trust Board of Directors
September 2021 - August 2022
Name |
Type |
Office |
Term |
Date stepped down |
Number of possible Full Directors’ Meetings |
Number of Full Directors’ Meetings attended |
Andrew Armour |
Foundation |
|
31/08/2025 |
31/08/2022 |
5 |
3 |
Gary Benn
|
Foundation |
|
31/08/2025 |
|
5 |
3 |
Melissa Challinor |
Foundation |
|
31/08/2025 |
31/08/2022 |
5 |
4 |
Paul Gray |
Appointed by Trust |
11/02/2022 |
3 |
1 |
||
Alison Meadows |
Appointed by Trust | 12/05/2025 |
5 |
5 |
||
Sarah Mitchell |
CEO
|
CEO Executive Headteacher |
Ex-Officio |
|
5 |
5 |
Andrew Taylor |
Foundation |
Chair |
31/08/2025 |
|
5 |
5 |
Liam Tobin |
Appointed by Trust |
03/09/2023 |
18/07/2022 |
5 |
4 |
Tom Bennett |
Clerk to the Directors |
Great Oak Multi Academy Trust Board of Directors
September 2020 - August 2021
Name |
Type |
Office |
Term |
Date stepped down |
Number of possible Full Directors’ Meetings |
Number of Full Directors’ Meetings attended |
Andrew Armour |
Foundation |
|
31/08/2025 |
|
5 |
3 |
Gary Benn
|
Foundation |
|
31/08/2025 |
|
5 |
4 |
Melissa Challinor |
Foundation |
|
31/08/2025 |
|
5 |
5 |
John Luke
|
Foundation |
|
31/08/2021 |
31/08/2021 |
5 |
3 |
Sarah Mitchell |
CEO
|
CEO Executive Headteacher |
Ex-Officio |
|
5 |
5 |
Andrew Taylor |
Foundation |
Chair |
31/08/2025 |
|
5 |
4 |
Liam Tobin |
Appointed by Trust |
03/09/2023 |
5 |
4 |
||
Alison Meadows |
Appointed by Trust |
12/05/2025 |
1 | 0 |
Tom Bennett |
Clerk to the Directors |
Great Oak Multi Academy Trust Board of Directors
September 2019 - August 2020
Name |
Type |
Office |
Term |
Date stepped down |
Number of possible Full Directors’ Meetings |
Number of Full Directors’ Meetings attended |
Andrew Armour |
Foundation |
|
23/12/2020 |
|
4 |
4 |
Gary Benn
|
Foundation |
|
23/12/2020 |
|
4 |
3 |
David Boatman |
Foundation |
Vice Chair |
23/12/2020 |
12/6/2020 |
3 |
3 |
Melissa Challinor |
Foundation |
|
23/12/2020 |
|
4 |
4 |
John Luke
|
Foundation |
|
23/12/2020 |
|
4 |
3 |
Sarah Mitchell |
CEO
|
CEO Executive Headteacher |
Ex-Officio |
|
4 |
4 |
Andrew Taylor |
Foundation |
Chair |
23/12/2020 |
|
4 |
4 |
Liam Tobin |
Foundation |
3/09/2023 |
4 |
4 |
Tom Bennett |
Clerk to the Directors |
Great Oak Multi Academy Trust Board of Directors
September 2018 - August 2019
Name |
Type |
Office |
Term |
Date stepped down |
Number of possible Full Directors’ Meetings |
Number of Full Directors’ Meetings attended |
Andrew Armour |
Foundation |
|
23/12/2020 |
|
4 |
4 |
Gary Benn
|
Foundation |
|
23/12/2020 |
|
4 |
3 |
David Boatman |
Foundation |
Vice Chair |
23/12/2020 |
|
4 |
3 |
Melissa Challinor |
Foundation |
|
23/12/2020 |
|
4 |
3 |
John Luke
|
Foundation |
|
23/12/2020 |
|
4 |
2 |
Sarah Mitchell |
CEO
|
CEO Executive Headteacher |
Ex-Officio |
|
4 |
4 |
Andrew Taylor |
Foundation |
Chair |
23/12/2020 |
|
4 |
4 |
Tom Bennett |
Clerk to the Directors |
Great Oak Multi Academy Trust Board of Directors
September 2017 - August 2018
Name |
Type |
Office |
Term |
Date stepped down |
Number of possible Full Directors’ Meetings |
Number of Full Directors’ Meetings attended |
Andrew Armour |
Foundation |
|
23/12/2020 |
|
5 |
5 |
Gary Benn
|
Foundation |
|
23/12/2020 |
|
5 |
4 |
David Boatman |
Foundation |
Vice Chair |
23/12/2020 |
|
5 |
4 |
Melissa Challinor |
Foundation |
|
23/12/2020 |
|
5 |
4 |
Joanna Grandfield |
Foundation |
|
23/12/2020 |
11/09/2017 |
N/A |
|
Lisa Jeremy |
Foundation |
|
23/12/2020 |
16/05/2018 |
3 |
3 |
John Luke
|
Foundation |
|
23/12/2020 |
|
5 |
3 |
Sarah Mitchell |
CEO
|
CEO Executive Headteacher |
Ex-Officio |
|
5 |
5 |
Andrew Taylor |
Foundation |
Chair |
23/12/2020 |
|
5 |
5 |
Tom Bennett |
Clerk to the Directors |