Overview
The White Horse Federation is a multi-academy trust (MAT). Its Certificate of Incorporation as a Private Limited Company (8075785) was issued on 18th May 2012.
Governance of The White Horse Federation falls within the responsibility of Members and the Board of Trustees
Members
The primary function of the Members is to oversee the proper and effective operation of the Board of Trustees.
The Members meet at least annually and by invitation of the Board may attend one of the Board of Trustees meetings annually in a non-voting capacity.
Trustees
Trustees, who are also Directors are responsible for:
- Setting the vision and values, ethos, and strategic direction of the MAT.
- The effective management of the Schools and other associated settings;
- Financial, educational and academic performance and monitoring of all settings within TWHF;
- Developing and implementing a risk management strategy and making major decisions about TWHF including its funding applications, capital initiatives and key contracts.
- Ensuring the reputation of the MAT is continually strengthened and is not compromised.
- Identifying terms of reference for the Board’s committees and the Local Governance Committees, and ensuring these are reviewed.
Board of Trustees
Ninna Gibson
After reading economics at Cambridge, Ninna worked for Mercury Asset Management. She became a magistrate in 1998 and sat as Chair in the Adult criminal court for over 25 years. She currently Chairs in the Family Court sitting in Swindon and Salisbury. She is a Director and Company Secretary of a financial investment company and a partner in a farm breeding pedigree Hereford cattle. Ninna was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Wiltshire in July 2020. From 2011-2018 Ninna was Chair of Governors at Springfields Academy in Calne, a day and residential school for young people with autism and complex emotional issues. Ninna became a Trustee of The White Horse Federation in December 2017 and was appointed Chair of the Trust Board in September 2019.
Christopher Hopton
Christopher qualified as a solicitor with Clifford-Turner before obtaining an MBA from INSEAD. He then joined Bain & Company as a strategy consultant helping clients primarily in the financial services and professional services industries develop and implement strategies. Subsequently, he joined Talisman Management, assisting private equity firms to add value to their portfolio companies. Christopher has served as a non-executive director on the boards of both private companies and not for profit organisations.
Jilly Norton
Jilly is a businesswoman and educationalist. She pursued a successful career in magazine publishing after University with IPC Magazines. She then switched careers and gained her PGCE to teach Economics & Business and led high achieving teams in both state schools and latterly in the GDST for 12 years. Returning to run a business, Norton Bespoke, she maintained her commitment to education as deputy chair of a special school academy governing board before joining TWHF as a Trustee. She recently became the Director of a start up business, Printex Ltd.
Simon Cleverly
Simon is a corporate lawyer and corporate affairs professional with over 35 years’ experience, initially in private legal practice in a leading city law firm and, subsequently, as an in-house lawyer and as Group Head of Corporate Affairs at a FTSE top 10 global FMCG company. Recently retired, he is now pleased to be able to devote more time to his other interests. He is currently a Trustee of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation and a Trustee of the Country Food Trust, a national food poverty alleviation charity. Simon is Vice-Chair of the Trust Board.
Kingsley Poulton
Kingsley has over 30 years senior leadership experience in a range of sectors including Finance, Energy and Chemical, Facilities Management and Research. He has been accountable for geographically diverse operations with considerable international knowledge and Board level accountability. With a strong track record of successful people management, financial management and control, talent acquisition and retention, Kingsley is widely recognised for his capabilities in programme delivery and business change. Kingsley is currently Head of Operations for UK Research and Innovation, a public sector body that works in partnership with universities, research organisations, businesses, charities, and government to create the best possible environment for research and innovation to flourish.
Moira Laffey
Moira holds a PhD in Chemistry and undertook research at London and Cambridge universities. After a career in the Civil Service followed by family commitments, she has held a variety of posts in the independent education world including as a Maths teacher and Head Teacher. After retirement, she worked on various projects for a well-known consultancy including being the independent chair of complaint and discipline panels for numerous senior and junior schools. Moira is Chair of Governors at Melksham Oak Community School and Larkhill Primary School. Her particular interest is in the teaching of numeracy to those who find the subject daunting.
Paul Tarn
Paul is the Chief Executive and Accounting Officer of Delta Academies Trust and a National Leader of Education. Paul took up post in February 2016, at the then failing SPTA, having previously worked with Sir Michael Wilkins at OGAT from 2003. Delta sponsors 50 academies - 15 secondary, 31 primary, one all-through, three Alternative Provision and one Pupil Referral Unit - in the East Midlands and Humber, Yorkshire and Tees Valley regions. Delta is designated as a system sponsor. In February 2016 the Trust had a projected deficit for 2017/18 of £8m. As a result of the simultaneously restructured 8 secondary academies in his first week in post, the actual out-turn for 17/18 was £1m surplus. The Trust has made very rapid improvements and is now recognised as the second highest performing large sponsor for secondary and third highest for primary for trusts with over 10 schools. Paul sits on a number of DfE Advisory Boards including The Financial Oversight Simplification Advisory Group and The MAT CEO Development Programme. Paul is Chair of The Doncaster Priority Education Investment Area Board and Co-Chair of the National Centre for Computing Education Advisory Committee.
Hugh Graham
Hugh is an experienced Finance and Risk professional with forty years of experience working in financial. He was responsible for capital management and treasury at Barclays, AMP, Zurich Financial & AIA, as well as organising the capital restructure of Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley post-nationalisation. He was Chief Risk Officer of AIA and latterly advises the Swire group of companies on risk. Hugh is currently a Non-executive Director and Chairman of the Risk Committee of London Metal Exchange Clearing, a Non-executive Director and Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee of China Taiping UK Ltd. and was a Director of a subsidiary of the HKSE from 2013 – 2022.
Mark McVeigh
Mark is an Education Consultant and has advised on the opening of international schools and headship appointments. He was brought up in Belfast and graduated from Bristol University. Mark achieved a PGCE and taught at Lancing College, West Sussex. He moved to Marlborough College in Wiltshire as Head of Department, then boarding Housemaster, and acquired an MA in Education Management. A role in strategic international liaison led to his appointment as Head of the Senior School at the new Marlborough College Malaysia. He was then Principal of Denla British School, a premium start-up British curriculum school in Bangkok.
Anthony Simler
Anthony Simler is a long-term CFO, who specialises in working for family offices, mergers and acquisition, and acting as a turnaround consultant. Brought up in London and graduating from Exeter University in Economics, he subsequently qualified as a Chartered Accountant, before becoming a professional investor with a US private equity firm, then making the switch to becoming a CFO. Anthony has served on many boards and has considerable experience of the debt markets, raising equity, streamlining company operations and integrating acquisitions.
Trustee Register 2023-2024
Roles & Responsibilities
| Trustee | Role | Committee membership |
| Ninna Gibson | Chair of Trust Board | Finance, Capital and Resources Committee; Teaching, Learning and Standards Committee |
| Simon Cleverly | Vice Chair of Trust Board |
Risk and Audit Committee; Finance, Capital and Resources Committee; Lead Trustee for Governance
|
| Hugh Graham | Chair of Risk and Audit Committee | |
| Christopher Hopton | Lead Trustee for Whistleblowing | Risk and Audit Committee |
| Moira Laffey | Lead Trustee for SEND | Chair of Chairs Trustee. |
|
Jilly Norton |
Chair of Teaching, Learning and Standards Committee; Lead Trustee for: Safeguarding, Pupil Premium, Looked After Children and Church School Distinctiveness. |
Teaching, Learning and Standards. Finance, Capital and Resources; |
| Kingsley Poulton |
Chair of Finance, Capital and Resources Committee: Lead Trustee for: Green and Sustainability. |
Teaching, Learning and Standards, Finance, Capital and Resources |
| Paul Tarn | Teaching, Learning and Standards |
Members
Richard Marsh
Chair of members. Salisbury Diocese Board of Education Foundation Member
Dan Roberts
Salisbury Diocesan Board of Education Corporate Member
Maria Sullivan
Foundation Member
Rahima Khatun-Malik
Member appointed Member
Chalotte Macleod
Member appointed Member
Each school has its own Local Governance Committee (LGC).
The Board of Trustees has clearly identified the areas of responsibility it delegates to LGCs. Although not in any way legally responsible, and not itself accountable for statutory functions, the LGC has an important role to play in assisting the school to operate effectively in line with the wishes of Board of Trustees.
One of the LGC chairs is elected by fellow Chairs and then co-opted by Trustees onto the Board.