Our Trustees
TrusteesMr Howard Fisher
Chair
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Educated at Anglia Ruskin University; Howard completed his four year BEd (Hons) in maths before entering the teaching profession in Harlow, Essex. His first school was a tough council school in the heart of Harlow, a deprived area with high social needs. Rising quickly to be key stage manager for the infant department, he went on to teach in a private school in Hertfordshire catering from nursery to eighteen. Here he studied for his first post graduate qualification in Special Educational Needs with a focus on children’s literature and a study of ‘why do boys fail?’ Moving here to the East end of London he worked in a multicultural school in Walthamstow; the school at the time having been just failed by an inspection team, he quickly worked with the Head Teacher to bring about change. From here he accepted a deputy headship to Sheerness in Kent; a very deprived school with severe social challenge; completing here his national qualification for headship. His four year tenure prepared him well for his first Headship on the Romney Marsh in a new school with severe problems. Here he studied for his second post graduate qualification in Faith in Education. Moving this school to good with outstanding features; he then decided to take the challenge of building and opening a new school on Sheppey in Kent. Restructuring the school and working with an architect within a time frame of just eight months; the school has grown from strength to strength receiving an outstanding inspection from the Diocese recently. Howard is currently studying for a Theology degree and has taken the school into an Academy with the Diocese three years ago. Howard also ran two schools in his Executive Headship position within the Trust was last year taking this additional school out of Special measures in six months. He is in his fifteenth year of headship.
Mr Gary Jeffery
Vice Chair
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My full name is Gary Raymond Jeffery, 55 years of age and a real local, having lived on the Isle of Sheppey for all of those years, progressing through the then Primary (Rose Street), Middle (St Georges C E) and the Sheppey Comprehensive educational structure. I am passionate about improving life chances for students. I currently have a Sole Trader Business involved in Garden Maintenance, which has been in operation for a number of years, mainly servicing and transforming domestic and commercial areas in the Sheppey and Sittingbourne area. Prior to this I spent many years in operational management within a large company, including several years in a General Manager role reporting to the Group CEO, driving a direct report operational team to success on a variety of fronts – Finance, Health and Safety, Operations, Service and Team Performance. This role was national, culminating with responsibility for a large annual budget and a high number of staff. I am of analytical nature, like attention to detail and am of a non-personalised direct nature, striving and demanding of success, good performance and standards. Whilst truth is in the eye of the receiver, I am of the belief that I am also of an approachable, understanding and supporting nature, and believe the above mix of business exposure, personal attributes and local interest will support TILT well.
Skills: Performance Management and Business Process Improvement, Project Management and delivery, Leadership, People Management, Communication. Good understanding of Finance/Accounts and Management Performance Information.
Mr Kenneth Ingleton
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Retired Company Director and Manager, 30+ years’ experience. School Governor since 1984: 20 years as COG and 20 years as Chair of Finance. Current COG Minster Primary School. Interests include: Local Government, past member and current Mayor of Swale Borough Council, now a Parish Councillor with Minster on Sea Parish Council. Community Facilities as Trustee of Friendship House and of Thistle Hill Community Centre, Member of Minster on Sea Rotary Club and President of Minster WM Club. Education in Local History as Trustee of Minster Gatehouse Museum.
Skills: Performance Management and Business Process Improvement, Leadership, People Management, Communication. Excellent understanding of Finance/Accounts and Management Performance Information, Community Relations, Corporate Governance.
Dr Ashok Rehal
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I was born in Kenya, of Indian parents and have lived in the UK since 1968. I am married with 2 grown up children and 2 grandchildren. We have also lived and worked in the USA. I am a practising educational psychologist, working independently. I was the chief educational psychologist in an inner London Borough. I have been involved in all aspects of education throughout my life. I was first elected a school governor in around 1987 and have been a governor on and off since. I have chaired a Secondary school governing body as well as a Primary school governing body. I am an elected serving chair of our local Parish Council. I passionately believe in education entitlement for all. My fundamental belief is equal opportunity for all. I have represented parents as well as local authorities in Special Educational and Disability Tribunals.
Skills: Chairing / Non-Executive Experience, Change Management, Child Welfare/Safeguarding, Community Relations, Corporate Governance, Education System, Finance, Monitoring Performance/Quality Assurance, Negotiation/Mediation, Problem Solving, Project Management, Strategic Leadership, Management, Teaching/Learning Curriculum
Mr Ian Fidge
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I have recently retired from a career in Primary Education. I became a teacher in 1991- the headteacher of a small rural school in 2001 and the CEO of a multi-academy trust in 2010. I have extensive experience of finance, leading teaching and learning, change management, governing bodies and trust boards. I sit on 3 trust boards and am passionate about improving education and outcomes for young people.
Skills: Chairing / Non-Executive Experience, Change Management, Child Welfare/Safeguarding, Community Relations, Corporate Governance, Education, Finance, Monitoring Performance/Quality Assurance, Negotiation/Mediation, Problem Solving, Project Management, Strategic Leadership, Management, Teaching/Learning Curriculum
Mr Aaron Janes
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I am currently a senior engineer looking after a team of engineers delivering connection projects across south London ranging from small service upgrades in individual properties to multi million pound developments such as the Shard and London Bridge redevelopment programme. I work for the electricity board (UK Power Networks). I joined them (London Electricity as it was then) in Aug' 1999 as an apprentice cable jointer. I have a HNC in Electrical engineering and a NEBOSH diploma in Health and Safety. I am currently in my final year of a part time 3 year master’s degree studying leadership and management. An experienced Governor with over 15 years’ experience: Vice Chair for 3 years, Chair currently at Eastchurch CEP School (have been for 2 years). Experience with HT recruitment panel, staff discipline panel and expulsion panel. Chair of finance committee for four years so experienced with school budgets. Experienced with DATA analysis. Currently serve on the executive committee for the Kent Governors Association representing SWALE governors, working with Governor services and holding them to account for support functions available to Kent Governors. Trained in Safer Recruitment. Recently attended the DFE programme for School Governance leadership.
Skills: Finance and budget management, leadership, project management, change management, people management, communication, Health & Safety
Samantha Presneill
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I am employed by the Skills for Life Trust as the Skills for Life Manager a role which allows me to be able to influence the lives of all the young people and staff in our trust. My role is to drive the trust agenda on Skills for Life - I do this in a number of ways with the two secondary schools I share with them the opportunities of exciting career paths not just local but national and in some cases global, via career assemblies where speakers will come in and talk about their industry/sector the opportunities within and how they can be considered for these. I have also established a business mentor scheme where over 60 members of the public from a variety of sectors meet with our students on a 1;1 basis to advise, support and guide them in their next steps and preparation for the world of work.
Having the opportunity to meet students on a daily basis and discuss their today and tomorrow is such a satisfying part of what I do, being able to advise, connect them with those who can assist if I am unable and encourage them in all they do and want to achieve really is a privilege.
I really am passionate about my role but more importantly the young people I support. Prior to this, my role as Home School Inclusion Officer and DSL at Hilltop Primary, saw me working with some very vulnerable families. A privilege to be there to support them, guide them and advise them, often having some tough conversations along the way.
Seeing these families overcome real hardship and difficulty and being allowed to assist was/is one thing I will be forever grateful for as I learnt so much during the ten years I held this position. During my time at Hilltop, I was staff Governor and this also developed my passion for wanting to understand more of the bigger picture to school life. During my time in education I have had the pleasure of being part of two OFSTED inspections including individual meetings with OFSTED inspectors.
TJ Juttla
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I started in education recruitment in 2015 as a Trainee Consultant before becoming a Senior Consultant later that year. I was responsible managing several areas including North London and Hertfordshire in both Primary and Secondary. I progressed to Director in 2019. After working hard for the best part of 5 years at my previous company and reaching partner level, I realised that I had built an excellent reputation, being the top performer for 3 consecutive years whilst managing a team of 11 consultants. I decided then, at the age of twenty-eight, it was time to launch my own company.
I had started my company 4 months before the pandemic and subsequent closure of schools. For far too long, I had chased money and career progression feeling lost and not knowing what I wanted to achieve from it. During the year, I started to follow, my now role model, Simon Sinek who changed my perspective on life and what I want to achieve. Reading “Start with Why” transformed my mentality to make me question what my end goal was and what mark I wanted to leave on this earth. Deciding money was no longer my goal my focus was re-aligned to working towards a future that focuses on equality and wellbeing. The way we create a better future is by creating a better education system fit for purpose.
I have since channelled my efforts into collaborating with over one hundred and fifty individuals involved in education over the past 4 months, talking about where education is and what needs to evolve to ensure we give every child an opportunity to succeed.
My reason for choosing to work with The Island Learning Trust is due to the values they hold. I make a lot of noise on social media about the way education is failing our children in the 21st century. We have an education system that is insistent on content and exams, which works well for some, but we let one third of the children in the UK down each year because we judge every child in the same way. Albert Einstein once said that if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, the fish will forever think it’s stupid. This is what I see happening in the UK education system. I strongly believe education needs to evolve to allow us to support children individually to enable them to become global citizens.