Our people

Sue is a Board member of SSAT and until recently was the Chief Executive. Her focus has always been on school improvement, and she has an honorary doctorate from the University of Wolverhampton acknowledging her work. She has written several publications on personalising learning, leadership, and deep social justice.

Sebastian comes from a business background, having set up and run successful companies based in the market intelligence sector in the UK, USA and Australia; initially while he was completing a Law degree at Anglia Ruskin University. Based at East Hatley, he has been active in the South Cambridgeshire area in a wide range of roles as an elected member of Cambridgeshire County Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council and as a Parliamentary candidate. He has been a school Governor and is currently a Trustee of a local Almshouse charity.

Rita Monson has lived in the Cambridge region since 2004 and is originally from New Brunswick in Canada. She attended University at MIT in Boston before settling in the UK. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and a PhD in Biochemistry. Rita is currently the Senior Tutor of Churchill College at the University of Cambridge, in this role she serves as the College’s academic lead. She has been a fellow of Churchill College since 2007. She is passionate about finding ways to increase access and participation in Higher Education, a process that begins early.

Jacob is studying for a Master’s Degree in Engineering at the Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge. In the earlier years of his studies, he was a Trustee of the Jesus College, Cambridge, charity, a role he was appointed to after being elected as the Student Union President. Coming from a comprehensive background himself, Jacob is passionate about ensuring an excellent education for all. He enjoys rowing and music production in his spare time.

Andrew is CEO and co-founder of UK Education Research & Innovation (UKERI), an advisory organisation that works across the UK with government, charities and private sector system leaders in their development of evidence-led regional policy and practice. He has taught at all phases, and has previous experience leading a large multi-academy trust, conducting Ofsted inspections as a lead inspector, and working in publishing. He is also trustee of a number of local and national educational charities, and an Associate Director of Peterborough Diocese education team.

A former teacher, headteacher and local authority adviser, Liz has taught at all ages from 3-11 and has worked with schools needing rapid improvement; supporting and challenging teachers, heads and governors to bring about necessary change. She worked closely with council officers and elected members as well as Ofsted and the Department for Education (DfE) as part of a consultative group, while leading advisers responsible for Early Years in Hertfordshire.

Now retired and living in Offord, where her grandchildren have attended the local primary school. She became Chair of Governors in 2019 as the school joined The Cam Academy Trust. In September 2022 Offord Primary School joined a partnership of schools within the Cam Academy Trust and Liz became the Chair of the West Village Partnership single Local Governing Body. She joined the Trust Board as a trustee in Autumn 2023.

Nicola has worked as a teacher and teacher educator for over 20 years. She originally gained a PhD and taught and worked as Head of Geography in three secondary schools in the UK, including Comberton Village College, before going on to teach and eventually lead the geography PGCE course at Cambridge University.  She has since held a number of leadership positions, including head of the School of Education and Social Care at  Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, and head of the Department of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment at UCL Institute of Education (IOE).  She is now Pro-Director of Education at the IOE, through which she has strategic oversight of its broad portfolio of programmes, including teacher education. She is also co-founder and Executive Director of the UCL Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education.

David Thomas is the CEO of Axiom Maths. He has been a maths teacher, a secondary school headteacher, and a government advisor. He co-founded Oak National Academy to support schools during the Covid-19 pandemic, and received an OBE for services to education in 2020.

As a trustee, Katharine’s focus is on reading and careers education. She was a governor at Melbourn Village College between 2015-2025.

Colin was Principal of Hills Road Sixth Form College from 1984-2002 and was Vice-Chair and Senior Independent Director of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust from 2002-2010. He is currently a governor of Comberton Village College and Long Road Sixth Form College. He is also Past President of the Johnian Society at St John’s College, Cambridge, an Honorary Senior Member of Wolfson College, Cambridge, and an Honorary Fellow of Anglia Ruskin University.

Qamar is an experienced and values-driven educational leader with significant senior leadership experience. He is an experienced secondary Headteacher and, more recently, a system leader.

Passionate about social mobility, digital innovation, and sustainable school improvement, Qamar brings expertise in leadership development, curriculum design, and system-wide improvement. He currently serves as Executive School Improvement Lead at a MAT and contributes to governance through roles as a trustee and governor across several educational organisations.

Qamar is committed to ensuring that every young person has access to a high-quality education and the opportunity to thrive.

George is a former teacher at The Perse School, Cambridge, and was a Governor there as well as at Impington Village College. He is an experienced business entrepreneur who co-founded and is a Director at Anspear, (formerly Pearson Publishing). He is currently a member of the Management Board of Cambridgeshire’s Virtual School for Looked After Children.