Beeches Learning & Development Trust (BLDT)
The Beeches Learning and Development Trust's vision is to build an ethos of:
For Students:
- Focus on nurturing the individual
- Developing a Growth Mindset and resilience in students is at the heart of all we do
- Embracing Challenge – every lesson, every day
- Learning in context
- Developing students’ broader skills to thrive in both current and future learning environments
- Raising aspirations to make dreams a reality
- Developing the skills of Responsible Learning
For Staff:
- Developing the current and the next generation of teachers through exceptional CPD
- Developmental Performance Management
- Bespoke, tailored & targeted CPD to maximise teacher development & impact
- To provide opportunities for cross phase development and experience
- Nationally recognised development programmes through IIP Gold and IIP Champion status
For the community
- Preserving the ethos and ‘flavour’ of member schools where sensible & possible
- Building links between students, teachers, schools and the communities they serve
- Exceptional and challenging outreach programmes to put learning into context with priority given to MAT schools
The Beeches Learning and Development Trust (BLDT) is a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT). The MAT is a single legal entity and is the employer and holder of land titles and the trust board is accountable for all academies in the group. BLDT is governed by the Board of Trustees who are accountable to the BLDT Members.
The governance structure and lines of accountability are detailed in the BLDT Scheme of Delegation download at the bottom of this page.
The Scheme of Delegation diagram is below:
By forming the MAT we are ensuring that we will retain control of our own destiny and preserve the unique ethos and aims of the schools, the core principles of which will extend over all of the schools within the BLDT.
Through our various outreach programmes Burnham Grammar School is already supporting primary schools in a number of ways and through the School Direct programme we are training the next generation of both primary and secondary teachers in the local area. Formation of the BLDT formalises much of what we are already doing and provides opportunities to extend this work where we feel it is beneficial and appropriate to do so.
Working across key stages 1 to 5 will also offer fantastic opportunities for Beeches Learning and Development Trust staff to broaden their experience and will also provide first hand and direct experience of the standard of work that KS2 students are completing prior to and KS3 students are completing after their transition to secondary school. This will also help us in retaining our best staff for longer by being able to offer them additional opportunities to develop their practice and experience.
The quality of training and support that the BLDT provides to member schools is indicated by the Investors in People Gold Award and Champion Status that are held by Burnham Grammar School. In addition, the Wellbeing Award has ensured that we develop and look after staff and students, with our status of holders on the Inclusion Award and National Champion status will also ensure that our disadvantaged and vulnerable students are supported to fulfil their potential by embracing all of the opportunities the BLDT has to offer.
Members of the Beeches Learning and Development Trust
| Members |
|---|
| Alison Bell |
| Andy Frith |
| Nick Walker |
| Jill Watson |
Please note the below Member membership changes to date:
- 29/11/2023 Joy Morrissey (Member) Resigns
Trustees of the Beeches Learning and Development Trust
| Trustee | Committee Membership | Office Held |
Date of Appointment
|
Term To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alison Bell | Audit (chair), HT Pay/ Performance, Personnel Pay Review (chair) | Data Protection | 09/02/2021 | 31/05/2025 |
| Andy Frith | Audit, Finance, HT Pay/Performance | Chair | 09/02/2021 | 31/05/2025 |
| Andy Gillespie | Finance, Personnel Pay Review | ex officio | ||
| Lola Owolabi | HT Pay/ Performance, Personnel Pay Review | 07/10/2022 | 08/10/2026 | |
| Nick Walker | Audit, Finance (chair), HT Pay /Performance | 09/02/2021 | 31/05/2025 | |
| Eric Hollis | Audit, Finance | 01/09/2023 | 31/08/2027 | |
| Katja Stout | 08/12/2023 | 07/12/2027 |
Please note the below Trustee membership changes to date:
- 09/02/2021 Alison Bell, Andy Frith, Liz Green, Raj Keshvara, Nick Walker and Charlie Whieldon reappointed until 31/05/25
- 05/08/2021 Liz Green (Trustee) resigns
- 31/12/2021 Raj Keshvara (Trustee) resigns
- 03/01/2023 Charlie Whieldon (Trustee) resigns
- 01/09/2023 Eric Hollis Appointed as a Trustee
- 08/12/2023 Katja Stout Appointed as a Trustee
To view attendance at the Members AGM & Trustee meetings for 2023-24, please view the link below:
BLDT Member & Trustee Meeting Attendance 2023-24
Governance Documents and Annual Reports - Financial Statements
To view the BLDT Articles of Association, BLDT Memorandum of Association, ESFA Funding Agreements, Declarations of Interest, Annual Reports-Financial Statements, and more, please see the downloads at the bottom of this page.
Burnham Grammar School is part of the Beeches Learning and Development Trust which is an exempt charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales with registered company number 7769232.
Registered Office: Hogfair Lane, Burnham, Bucks, SL17HG
Trustee Profiles
Andy Gillespie – Ex Officio (Executive Headteacher)
Andy Frith – Chair of Trustees
Andy has been a Governor of Burnham Grammar School since 2000 and is the only remaining Founding Member and Trustee of the BGS company formed when the school converted to a Single Academy in October 2011, though this Company became Beeches Learning and Development Trust when the Multi Academy Trust was formed in June 2017. He was Chair of the BGS LGB until October 2023 and remains Chair of the BLDT Trustees.
He held a number of Senior roles in IT within the Airline and Legal sectors before retiring in 2008 so has been able to support the school through many of the changes seen, mainly the various bids for funding which, after a "journey" of some 10 years, saw the new BGS school building opened in November 2021.
Before becoming a Governor, Andy actively supported BGS by being a member of the PTA during the time his two sons were students at the school.
Alison Bell
Alison was formerly a Governor of Burnham Grammar School and has been a Trustee of Beeches Learning and Development Trust since September 2011.
She is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Advisor who specialises in employee pay and benefits and has worked for predominantly FMCG and retail organisations. In her spare time Alison is a keen musician and plays trumpet for various local music societies.
Alison has two children who both attended Burnham Grammar School. Alison is passionate about supporting the schools within the Trust to provide all students with the skills they need to fulfil their potential, be active and caring citizens and be prepared for, and look forward to, their futures.
Eric Hollis
Eric worked in the nuclear industry for over 40 years and, when he retired, was the Chief Finance Officer and Director, Support Services for the UK Atomic Energy Authority. As well as finance, this included responsibility for HR, property (including the Harwell Development Board), and insurance. After retirement, he was an independent member of Fusion for Energy's (F4E's) Procurement and Contracts Committee, which oversaw F4E's contracts for the European contribution to the very large international fusion experiment being constructed at Cadarache. He has been involved in volunteering with Burnham Grammar School for some years, invigilating, mentoring and fund raising, and was very pleased to be able to continue to contribute by being appointed a Trustee to in September 2023.
Lola Owolabi
Lola Owolabi FRSA FinstLM MA is an award winning transformational and leadership coach, speaker , mentor and author.
She is the founder and director of an award-winning Social Enterprise Proudtobeme, empowering young people in 4 pillars : Employability, Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Leadership.
She currently works as a university tutor and the coach in residence at a London University campus.
Lola is passionate about her community and has previously served as a local councilor at Burnham Parish Council.
Nick Walker
Nick was a Governor of the Burnham Grammar School (”BGS”) Academy from February 2012 until February 2024 and has been a Trustee of the Beeches Learning and Development Trust since its formation on 7 June 2017. He had a son at BGS from 2010 to 2017.
He is a Chartered Management Accountant who is now semi-retired after 45 years in various finance roles within manufacturing industry, including 30 years in Finance Director or equivalent roles. During this period, he worked with many management teams across 5 continents.
His primary focus as a Governor / Trustee has been as Chair of the Finance Committee. He was actively involved in BGS’s Bricks for Burnham fund raising campaign and the associated application for government funding of the new school building. He also chaired the Residential Trips Committee for some years as well as being on the Curriculum Committee. For the last decade, drawing on his experience as a Scout leader, he has supported BGS’s Duke of Edinburgh scheme, assessing expeditions and approving awards. Over this same period, he has also analysed the University destinations of BGS students and helped provide students with support and advice regarding the application process for Oxford and Cambridge Universities.
Katja Stout
Executive Pay
For the Academic Year 2023-24, the number of employees in the Trust whose employee benefits exceeded 100K* (including pension costs) were as follows:
In the band £140,000 - £150,000: 1
*For comparative purposes, figures published on the website for academic years prior to 2022-23 did not include pension costs.
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