- Home
- About the Trust
- Our Governance
- Members and Directors
Members and Directors
The Trust Board has strategic oversight and ultimate responsibility for all of the management decisions within the Trust. The Board consists of up to nine Directors, three of whom are appointed by the Members. The Directors are appointed purely on a skills basis. The Board’s key responsibilities are to ensure, through their governance structure and leadership teams, that the Trust is making proper and effective use of public funds and for the quality of provision. The Trust Board will meet as often as is necessary to carry out their duties, but at least five times per year with Board Committees meeting in addition to this.
We currently have vacancies on our Trust Board. If you are interested in becoming a Director or would like further information please contact our Governance Manager via trustoffice@affinitylp.co.uk
Members
| Kevin Gaunt | Appointed: 31 October 2017 Declarations: Proprietor of NJ&W |
| James Tye | Appointed: 05 January 2021 Declarations: Founder of Hammersbach Consulting; Chiar of Trustees of Your Emotional Support Service (YESS). |
| Fee Stagg | Appointed as: Chair of the Trust Board Appointed: 16 January 2023 Declarations: Associate Consultant and Clerk for Entrust; Owner of SBW Governance; Chair of North Mids Maths Hub; Member - Golden Thread Teaching School; Member of Independent Governor Support (IGovS); Associate Expert for GovernorHub Knowledge; |
| John Clark | Appointed: 11 June 2024 Declarations: Vice Chair of Academy Transformation Trust; Ambassador for the Foundation for The Education Development; Special Advisor to Board of Association |
| Dioces of Lichfiled Education Trust (DLET) | Corporate Member |
Directors
| Fiona Stagg Chair of the Trust Board
| First Appointed: 16 July 2020 Declarations: Associate Consultant and Bio: Fee runs her own Governance consultancy and has been a Governor and Trustee since 2004 in a number of schools and academies. Fee is also a Governance Professional and clerks for a range of schools across the country. Fee is a blogger on governance, conference speaker, and former Chartered Town Planner. |
| John Fitchett
| First Appointed: 08 September 2020 Declarations: Director of Manor Hall Bio: John retired from Rolls Royce at the end of 2019 after 34 years. He has worked in their Civil Aerospace, Defence and Submarine sectors. During that time he held a number of senior management and executive positions, primarily in Strategic Procurement and Supply Chain Management. Since leaving Rolls Royce, John has been appointed as a Director of the Manor Hall Academy Trust and is Chair of the Trust Board of Home-Start Staffordshire Moorlands. John is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply. |
| Peter Jenkins Vice Chair of Trust Board
| First Appointed: 18 January 2022 Declarations: Director of RPR Ventures Ltd; Director of The Rossall Foundation; Chairman at Long Mynd Adventure Camp, Treasurer of Hope Bowdler Village Hall; Family link to Trust employee, Governor at Arboretum Academy; Governor at Ashby Willesley Primary School. Bio: Peter is a retired Chartered Accountant with experience in the professional accounting, commercial and local government sectors. The majority of Peter’s working life has been in finance and general management roles working in the UK, Africa and Europe. |
| Ahsan Ashraf | First Appointed: 12 December 2023 Declarations: Employed by a partner school within the John Taylor MAT and an elected staff governor. Bio: With a passion for education and over a decade-long commitment to teaching, Ahsan proudly considers himself a perpetual student, always seeking new ways to inspire, innovate and learn. He currently serves as the Strategic IT Lead, Creative Technologist and is Head of Business & Computing. His influence extends beyond the confines of a single school as he leads computing across the Trust, where he strives to instil a love for computing, technology and its creative applications in the minds of students. He has previously served as the progress and achievement co-coordinator, leading parts of the Pupil Premium strategy, dedicated to narrowing the educational attainment gap for students from deprived backgrounds. This experience fuelled his commitment to raising aspirations and fostering an inclusive learning environment. |
| Jason Brooks Safeguarding Link Director
| First Appointed: 01 July 2025 Declarations: I am currently Headteacher at Maplewell Hall School, who collaborate with various schools within the ALP trust from time to time. Bio: With 35 years in education and 13 as Headteacher of Maplewell Hall School, I My work as a School Improvement Advisor and I will always use my expertise in order to support the trust in every way that I can. Outcomes for young people will always be at the heart of everything that I do. |
| Thomas Deery
| First Appointed: 01 October 2025 Term of office: 01 October 2025 - 30 September 2029 Appointed by: Trust Board Declarations: Employed at East Staffordshire Borough Council Bio: Coming soon |
| Rebecca Beaver
| First Appointed: 03 February 2026 Term of office: 03 February 2026 - 02 February 2030 Appointed by: Members Declarations: Owner of RBMA Consultance Ltd, providing SRMA consultancy services to the DfE; Bio: Rebecca demonstrates a strong dedication to improving outcomes for disadvantaged groups and is committed to supporting delivery of an education system that provides a supportive, collaborative and empowering environment in which all pupils and staff can grow and develop. As Director of RBMA Consultancy Ltd and an ISBL Fellow, she brings 35 years of operational experience, including over 20 years in primary and secondary leadership. An accredited DfE School Resource Management Adviser (SRMA), Rebecca contributes to national mentoring panels and was the first delegate accredited by ISBL as a strategic leader in operational excellence. Her expertise informed the ISBL operational excellence framework, and her commitment was recognized with the 2023 ISBL CEO Award. Drawing on extensive experience, Rebecca assists MATs and local authorities in achieving effective resource management. From implementing strategic business plans to leading major expansions—such as sixth-form provision at The de Ferrers Academy—she remains a key figure in developing DfE-backed training and shaping the future of school business leadership. |
| Miles Elcock
| First Appointed: 09 February 2026 Term of office: 09 February 2026 - 08 February 2030 Appointed by: Trust Board Declarations: None declared. Bio: Miles Elcock is a senior school leader with extensive experience across urban, coastal, and rural schools, teaching in Early Years, primary, and secondary settings, with a specialism in English. Growing up in inner-city London and working in communities facing high socio-economic deprivation has inspired his commitment to removing barriers and creating equal opportunities for every pupil. He leads with a values-driven, holistic philosophy, supporting pupils’ academic, social, and emotional development, while growing and developing colleagues to achieve their best. Miles is a radical thinker and professional risk-taker, using research-informed approaches to drive long-term impact, while fostering inclusion, SEND excellence, and adaptive teaching. Balance is central to his leadership. As a Senior Mental Health First Aider, he champions staff wellbeing and makes a conscious effort to spend quality time with family and friends in North London and Norfolk. He enjoys wild swimming, walking, and connecting with nature, finding renewal that fuels his energy and focus for school communities. Having recently relocated to South Derbyshire, he has been struck by the warmth and support of the local community, which has made him feel genuinely welcomed and part of a community he belongs to. Finally, he considers it a privilege to serve as a Trustee at Affinity and looks forward to supporting the board in highlighting progress, ensuring schools, staff, children and communities thrive, contributing to the future direction of Affinity, where everyone belongs, progresses and thrives. |
| Karen Robinson
| First Appointed: 09 February 2026 Term of office: 09 February 2026 - 08 February 2030 Appointed by: Trust Board Declarations: None declared. Bio: As an Independent HR Consultant and Business Leader Coach, I am a great believer that “Happy People are Productive People” and I help leaders grow their business through their greatest asset - their people. With nearly 20 years’ experience as a HR generalist working with SLT's and Boards, I am perfectly placed to support the Trust. I have lived and breathed the entire employee lifecycle; day-to-day transactional needs, people challenges, specialty people projects and people strategy. There isn’t a lot I haven’t dealt with! As an accredited Coach I have supported Senior Leaders and Boards with clarity, confidence and accountability. Helping put structure behind thought processes, supporting and challenging difficult decisions, and guiding personal and professional journeys. I am very passionate about what I do, and gain true satisfaction from making a difference to people's working lives by helping build something truly successful. I am looking forward to being part of Affinity Learning Partnership's journey. |
Finance, Audit and Risk (FAR) Committee
| Name | Appointed as |
| Peter Jenkins | Director |
| Vacancy | Director |
| John Fitchett | Chair of Committee |
| Fee Stagg | Non-voting Member |
Education Committee
| Name | Appointed as |
| Jason Brooks | Director |
| Fee Stagg | Director |
| Ahsan Ashraf | Director |
Resources Committee
| Name | Appointed as |
| Fee Stagg | Director |
| Jason Brooks | Director |
| Peter Jenkins | Chair of Committee |
Historic
| Dr Keerthi Devendra | Term of office: 18 January 2022 - 17 January 2026 Appointed by: Members Committee Membership: FAR, Education. Declarations: Trustee of Sri Lankan Engineers and Scientists in the UK. |
| Richard Mayfield | First Appointed: 08 October 2021 Term of office: 08 October 2021 - 07 October 2025 Appointed by: Trust Board Declarations: Deputy CEO at Three Spires Trust |