The Governance Structure of the GEMS Learning Trust
The GEMS Learning Trust is a Multi Academy Trust. It is a charitable company limited by guarantee and ultimately controlled by its Members who delegate responsibilities to the Trust Board.
Our schools are overseen by the Trust Board. All directors are selected for the range of skills and expertise they bring to help realise our vision and values in the GEMS Learning Trust academies and to ensure effective strategic leadership and management. Terms of office are four years.
The Trust Board delegates some responsibilities for governance to the Operations Committee and the Quality of Education and Safeguarding Regional Boards (Local Governing Bodies). Parent governors sit on Quality of Education and Safeguarding Regional Boards. (QES). Therefore, we have three main types of role:
| Role type | Max. people | Meeting types | Registered at Companies House | Appointed by |
| Members | 5 | AGM | Yes | Members |
| Directors | 9 | Trust Board | Yes | Members and Directors |
| Governors | 7 per Region | QES Regional Boards | No | Directors, Parents, Staff and Principals |
Directors and Governors – Roles and Terms of Office
Name |
Role |
Appointed by |
Board/Committee |
End of Term |
| Jason Murphy | Chair of the Board Director | Trustees | Full Board Operations | 20/11/23 |
| Rowena Duff | Director | Trustees | Full Board Operations | 20/11/22 |
| Silvia Holgado- Gomez | Director | Trustees | Full Board QES SWLON | 20/11/24 |
| Danielle West | Chair of Operations Director | Members | Full Board Operations | 07/03/21 |
| Jodie Croft | CEO, Director | Trustees | Full Board
Operations, SWLON & OXON QES |
Ex-Officio |
| Lara Robson | Director | Trustees | Full Board Oxon QES | 01/10/22 |
| Pari Dhillon | Director | Parents | Full Board
CEO Appraisal |
20/11/23 |
| Kizzie Elliot | Staff Governor TPA | Staff | SWLON QES | 01/11/20 |
| Stewart Bessant | Chair of SWLON QES Parent Governor TPA | Parents | SWLON QES | 20/11/21 |
| Clare Head | Community Governor TPA | Principal | SWLON QES | 14/06/21 |
| Sarah Gladwin | Parent Governor DPA | Parents | OXON QES | 14/06/21 |
| Laura Maynard | Parent Governor DPA | Parents | OXON QES | 14/06/21 |
| Lauren Cronk | Staff Governor DPA | Staff | OXON QES | 14/11/23 |
| To be appointed | Parent Governor WPA | Parents | OXON QES | |
| To be appointed | Parent Governor WPA | Parents | OXON QES | |
| To be appointed | Staff Governor WPA | Staff | OXON QES |