Trustees
The Trustees of Lighthouse Schools Partnership are both trustees of the charity and directors of the company. Under charity law our Trustees have the ultimate responsibility for directing the affairs of the Trust and ensuring that it is solvent, well run and delivering the charitable outcomes for which it has been set up.
Our Trustees are selected for their skills and each brings a professional expertise to the work of the Board.
The Articles of Association indicate a four-year term for all but ex-officio and Corporate Trustees or Members.
The Articles of Association indicate Members shall appoint up to 5 Trustees with the Diocese of Bath & Wells appointing no fewer than 2 Trustees provided that the total number of Trustees would not thereby exceed 33% of the total number of Trustees. Further Trustees can be co-opted by Trust Board.
Adele Haysom
Adele is qualified as a management accountant with many years of experience and is director of a small consultancy business in the Bristol area.
Having successfully completed the National College for Teaching and Leadership Chairs’ of Governors Leadership Development Programme in 2014, she was designated as a National Leader of Governance (NLG). This designation has given Adele the opportunity to support a variety of schools in both the Primary, Secondary and Special school sectors as they strive to establish, develop and embed effective Governance practice.
Adele is Chair of Trustees and a member of the Staffing & Pay, Finance and Audit & Risk Committees.
Member Appointed: First appointed 1st September 2017 - Reappointed 1st September 2021 - 31st August 2025
Marie Horton
Marie has over 40 years’ experience in education, working in local, regional, national and international roles both as provider and commissioner of education services. These experiences have covered many aspects of education including preschool, early years, primary, secondary, post-16, SEND and alternative provision. Marie has dedicated her working life to education and this commitment has taken her from classroom teacher to leading a national education initiative. She has been a senior education leader in two local authorities and has a breadth of education governance experience, culminating as the national Education Director for a British Overseas Territory.
Member Appointed: 28/09/22
Brian Wibberley
A retired environmental scientist, Brian came to Bristol University as an undergraduate and has remained in the area ever since. He spent most of his career in the Water Industry before moving to a local authority and then a major environmental consultancy.
Brian has been a school governor for more than 25 years, starting at primary level when his eldest child started school, and following him to Chew Valley School where Brian has been the Chair of Governors for more than 12 years.
Married with two adult children and one grandchild, Brian lives in the Chew Valley. His hobbies are running, bridge, travel and DIY. His passion is education and he believes that the collaboration of all the schools in the Lighthouse Schools Partnership has the potential to be extremely beneficial to the education and development of all of the Partnership’s students. He is keen to ensure that this potential is realised.
Brian is Chair of the Finance Committee and our Trustee with responsibility for SEND.
Member Appointed: First appointed 1st June 2018 - Reappointed 2nd February 2022 - 1st February 2026
Dr David Tossell
Dr David Tossell has been a Governor at Gordano School since 2003, at which point he was a parent of two pupils. He has shared the journey from Community to Foundation to Academy and now Multi-Academy, and also trod the Ofsted path from Good to Outstanding. His professional life is in the Semiconductor Industry, which is arguably one of the most volatile parts of the private sector, and has derived great value from transferring expertise between the private and public sectors; both do some things well and both can learn from each other.
With a BSc and PhD in Physics and an industrial-commercial background managing a team of 25 engineers and a £2 million R&D budget supporting a £50 million per annum product line, he has tended to focus on the Operational side of Governorship. He feels that his skills and experience will be of value to the newly formed Lighthouse Schools Partnership and is honoured to be a trustee.
David is a member of our Audit & Risk, and Staffing & Pay Committees.
Foundation Appointed: First appointed 16th December 2020 - 15th December 2024
Mike Sewell
Mike has national and international experience in leading, developing and providing Energy Management, Sustainability and Carbon Reduction Services at both a strategic and tactical level.
Mike has over 20 years’ experience in the complex energy and carbon management arena, having worked with many leading energy organisations. Through his career, Mike has performed sales, development, marketing and operational roles.
Mike by profession is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor (RICS) as well as an Incorporated Member of the CIOB, a Fellow of the FBE and a Fellow of the Energy Managers Association (EMA). He is also a serving officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training Branch), a Parish Councillor and a School Governor.
Mike is Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee,
Diocese Appointed: First appointed 6th February 2018 - Reappointed 17th February 2022 - 16th February 2026
Anne Oakley
Anne comes from a background in primary teaching. She held senior positions in several schools in the South East of England, one of which ran its own Graduate Teaching Programme. She also has experience of headship in an Inner City Primary school and led this school from failing to achieving Good within two years. She has experience of working with students from different ethnicities and those with special needs.
Music and the arts have always been a priority, both within education and for her own personal well-being. She has a passion for the arts and knows from personal experience what these opportunities can bring to young people and adults within a learning community.
She has spent the past eight years supporting a local secondary school as a governor. This has widened her understanding of the secondary sector of education in the South West. She was Chair of the Board for the last two years.
What she hopes to bring to the board:
- Experience from both primary and secondary education both as teacher, leader and governor, through good times and bad.
- Understanding of the issues and concerns regarding the education of students from diverse backgrounds and needs.
- Desire to see the continued growth of the Arts within the trust.
James Townsend
James was appointed to our Board of Trustees on 26 February 2025.
James is Executive Director of the Reach Foundation and is responsible for the development of the Cradle to Career Partnership, a network of more than 50 groups of schools around the country who are working together to improve the experience of babies, children and young people in their communities. Prior to joining Reach, James held leadership roles at Teach First and was a member of the founding team at Stir Education, working internationally to support teacher motivation and development.
Justine Stafford
Justine was appointed to our Board of Trustees on 26 February 2025.
Justine has over 25 years’ experience working in the financial services sector, specialising in marketing, communications, brand strategy and governance. During her career she has worked on complex and scale brand integration and change programmes. She is an experienced down-to-earth leader who has worked across strategy, operational planning and organisational team effectiveness.
Justine's experience in the education sector has been built through her time as a governor working as part of the Lighthouse Schools Partnership. She has served for eight years on a Local Governing Board, with four years as Chair.
A working mum of two boys and an alumna of one of the Trust’s schools, Justine is deeply rooted in the local community and passionate about ensuring every child has the best opportunity to thrive.
Historic (left within the last 12 months)
Rachel Forbes
Member Appointed: 6th February 2018 - 18th January 2022
Business & Pecuniary Interests: Nil
2020/21 Board Meeting Attendance: 93%
Tim Withers
Member Appointed: 8th December 2021 - 7th December 2025
Julie Kanaan
Member Appointed: 14 June 2023 - 19 November 2025.