Trustees & Members
Welcome to our Trustee’s section.
Please find below details of how our Board of Trustees and Members is structured, including their names, categories, responsibilities and term of office for each Trustee or Member.
The role of the Hillcrest Board of Trustees and Members is to help manage the academy and challenge it to spend the money given to it in the best interests of it’s children.
The Hillcrest Board of Trustees meets 6 times a year and the Members meet 3 times a year. There are then also several committees who meet separately and advise and support the trustees. Their remit covers standards & outcomes, finance and audit & risk.
Trustees come from two groups:
- Parents
- Community – To include business, legal, finance, HR and local community interests. (We are always looking for business, legal and finance governors to join our team. )
If there is anything you wish to raise with any of our trustees, please do not hesitate to contact them through Rhianne Chambers, Governance Professional at rhianne.chambers@hillcrest.lincs.sch.uk
Board of Members




Trustee Membership information
Trustee Name | Type of Trustee | Appointed | End of Term | Specific /Additional Role[s] |
Mrs Debbie Mitchell | Appointed | 01/09/2021 | 31/08/2025 | Link Trustee: Safeguarding, SEND and school development plan Chair of Trustees appointed from 01/09/2021 to 31/08/2022 |
Mrs Barbara Farren | Appointed | 01/09/2021 | 31/08/2025 | Vice Chair of Trustees appointed from 01/09/2021 to 31/08/2022 Link Trustee: Mental Health and Wellbeing |
Mrs Wendy Walter | Parent | 01/09/2021 | 31/08/2025 | Link Trustee: GDPR |
Mr Phil Walker | Appointed | 01/09/2021 | 31/08/2025 | Link Trustee: School development plan |
Mr Tom Padden | Parent | 01/09/2021 | 31/08/2025 | Link Trustee: Pupil Premium & Sports Premium |
Mrs Lauren Franco | Appointed | 24/01/2022 | 23/01/2026 |
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Appointed trustee vacancy |
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Appointed trustee vacancy | ||||
Appointed trustee vacancy | ||||
Appointed trustee vacancy |
Declaration of Interests
Name | Name/ nature of pecuniary/business interest declared | Type of Business |
Mr Gareth Day | Jones & Co Clerk to charity at Sloswickes’s Almshouse Charity Clerk to charity at King Edwards Educational Trust Trustee at The Dorothy Harrison Trust Chair at Beckingham Primary School | Solicitors Charity Charity Charity School |
Mrs Debbie Mitchell | The Music & Dance Journey | Tuition |
Mrs Barbara Farren | Lincolnshire Co-operative Limited | Membership |
Mrs Wendy Walter | Scentsy / Utility Warehouse distributor | Distribution |
Mr Phil Walker | Turner & Co | Accountant |
Mr Tom Padden | Doncaster Chamber of Commerce | Chamber |
Mrs Lauren Franco | Priory Lane Community School | Education |
Mr James Tunnell | NurseryNook Training and Consultancy | Education |
Senior Leaders who contribute: | ||
Miss Samantha Stokes Headteacher | No External Business Interest Declared. Member of staff at Hillcrest Early Years Academy | |
Miss Zara Thorpe Deputy Headteacher | Member of staff at Hillcrest Early Years Academy Chair of Governors at Benjamin Adlard Primary School | |
Mrs Gemma Atkinson School Business Manager
| Member of staff at Hillcrest Early Years Academy Governor at Walkeringham Primary School | |
Contributors: | ||
Rhianne Chambers Governance Professional | Member of staff at Hillcrest Early Years Academy Member of staff at Diverse Academies |
Trustees / Members who have resigned / end of term in the previous 12 months
Full name | Date of appointment | Date of resignation |
Mrs S Neal | 01/09/2021 | 20/10/2021 |
Dr T Robson | 06/12/2021 | 24/02/2022 |
Mrs P Steadman | 01/09/2021 | 05/05/2022 |
Mrs K Duncan | 01/09/2021 | 05/05/2022 |
Miss T Cliffe | 01/09/2021 | 16/05/2022 |
Vacancies
We currently have a vacancy for a co-opted trustee. If you would like to learn more please contact Rhianne Chambers, Governance Professional, at rhianne.chambers@hillcrest.lincs.sch.uk to arrange an initial telephone conversation with the Chair.