Bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the trust, our Board of Directors provide strategic insight, and ensure that all decision making is strongly aligned with our vision. Our Board is dedicated to helping children across the county to flourish throughout their time in education.
Peter was appointed Chair of the GST Board in 2023, a role he considers a great privilege.
Although a proud Lancastrian, Peter has many long-standing connections with Cumbria. As Chair of St Martin’s College, he was part of the group that founded the University of Cumbria and subsequently became its first Pro-Chancellor. As Deputy Chair of the Lancashire Care NHS Trust, he contributed to the early discussions that led to the formation of the Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Trust.
Over the last 35 years, Peter has served as a governor and chair across a wide range of schools. He remains a governor of a small group of church schools and Vice Chair of a large academy trust comprising both primary and secondary, church and non-church schools. He served as Director of Education for the Diocese of Blackburn for 12 years and as Archdeacon of Lancaster. In his spare time, he continues to support three parishes.
Peter has been the Honorary Treasurer and Trustee of the National Society for Education (NSE) for many years. NSE oversees the Church of England’s national education provision, and as Chair of the group responsible for its NPQ programme, Peter has first-hand experience of leading through a formal OFSTED inspection, culminating in an outstanding judgement.
During his time as Director of Education, he founded DBE Services, which now provides building compliance, repairs, maintenance, capital development, and school improvement services to more than 500 schools across the north of England.
Peter is a passionate advocate for collaboration between Academy Trusts, Diocesan Boards of Education (including the Carlisle DBE, of which he is a member), and individual schools. He firmly believes that sharing good practice, policies and ideas reduces unnecessary workload for leaders, teachers and administrators, enabling them to focus on the core mission of education.
Career Summary
Richard works for the University of Oxford, engaging students, staff and parents across a wide range of state schools. His role focuses on forming strategic partnerships to increase applications to university from students in northern England—particularly the North East—and from those from relatively disadvantaged backgrounds.
Richard has worked in education since 2000, beginning his career as a History teacher before progressing into Head of Department and pastoral leadership roles in London and the South East. As Head of a 16–18 school within a group of six Hertfordshire schools, he was part of the Executive Team leading settings ranging from a Nursery to a Sixth Form, including three primary schools.
Outside the Trust, he is Chair of Governors for a small rural primary school in Cumbria.
Role at the Good Shepherd Trust
Richard has served as a Director of the Good Shepherd Trust since 2019. He chairs the School Improvement Committee, leading the scrutiny and support of educational quality and improvement across GST schools. He is also the Lead Director for Safeguarding.
He believes the role requires a persistent drive for continual improvement and a deep understanding of how schools, staff and young people thrive.
About Richard
Richard enjoys life with his wife, Jo, and their twin eight-year-old sons—usually found together on a football pitch or up a fell. He is also an enthusiastic ultra-runner and finds reassurance in the way mountains put challenges into perspective.
Career Summary
Mark brings more than 35 years of experience as a teacher of Religious Education, teacher trainer, researcher, policy maker and charity director. His career has given him deep insight into curriculum design, the professional development needs of teachers, national issues relating to RE and church schools, and strategic leadership within the charity sector. He has a particular interest in grant impact and funding for change. Mark has written or edited eight books on education, RE and theology.
About Mark
Mark enjoys walking, reading and writing, creative cooking, singing and travelling.
Relevant Experience
Governance, Leadership Development, Partnerships, Strategic Planning, Change Management, Ethics and Ethos, Research and Evaluation, Primary and Secondary Education, Initial Teacher Education.
Career Summary
Following her law studies at the University of Oxford, Charlotte began her career as a solicitor in the banking and finance department of a London law firm. After the birth of her second child, she retrained as a teacher and spent 13 years in Church of England primary schools in a variety of roles, including as Inclusion Manager supporting pupils with special and additional needs. Before relocating from Hertfordshire to Cumbria, she served as Headteacher of a village school.
Charlotte joined the Carlisle Diocesan education team in 2019 as a Schools Adviser. She later became acting Deputy Director of Education before being appointed to the permanent role the same year. In 2022, she became Director of Education and now supports 104 Church of England schools across Cumbria. She also conducts SIAMS inspections, allowing her to visit and contribute to schools in neighbouring Dioceses. Charlotte participates in numerous local, regional and national education networks and sits on various boards.
Role at the Good Shepherd Trust
Charlotte is committed to supporting the Trust as the education landscape evolves. She is proud to contribute to the leadership of a strong, collaborative multi-academy trust focused on offering life in all its fullness to pupils and staff across its growing family of schools.
About Charlotte
Charlotte is married to a vicar and is mum to two grown-up children. She is an avid reader and film enthusiast, and a very amateur musician who sings in several groups and plays multiple instruments “badly,” in her words. She enjoys sewing, gardening, DIY and holidays in France—especially those featuring good food and red wine.
Relevant Experience
Solicitor, Company Secretary, Company Director, Teacher, Safeguarding Lead, SENCo, School Leader, Consultant Headteacher, School Governance, Director of Education, SIAMS Inspector.
Career Summary
Louise is a Chartered Member of the CIPD and brings over 20 years of experience in Human Resources. She has worked as a strategic business partner across sectors including Retail, Higher Education, Housebuilding and, most recently, Banking and Finance.
A defining moment early in her career was her involvement in the creation of the University of Cumbria in 2007, where she was part of the HR team responsible for delivering transformational change across three merging institutions.
More recently, Louise served as Head of People at the Cumberland Building Society, leading its award-winning People Team. She played a central role in a significant cultural and organisational transformation that strongly prioritised people and their experience. She stepped back from her role in 2024 to spend time with family before beginning her next professional chapter.
Role at the Good Shepherd Trust
Louise joined the GST Board in 2021 while still working full-time at the Cumberland. She has found the role deeply rewarding, offering the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to improving outcomes for children and young people across Cumbria.
She has supported the Trust in refocusing its strategic vision, implementing a new operational model, and enhancing the central service offer to schools. As Chair of the People Committee, she draws on her extensive HR and leadership experience to champion the Trust’s people and culture agenda.
About Louise
A proud Northerner, Louise has lived and worked across Lancashire and Cumbria. Since 2018, she and her family have lived in the Penrith area, where her two daughters attend local schools. Much of her spare time is spent supporting her daughters with caring for and exercising their loan pony, and she has even learned how to tow a horse trailer—though she jokes she may one day find herself “behind the ears.”
Louise also enjoys gardening, nature, crafts and home renovation projects, and is always working on a creative endeavour either at home or with friends.
Relevant Experience
Human Resources, Change and Transformation, Organisational Design and Development, Culture Change, Leadership Development, Coaching and Mentoring, High-Performing Teams, Employee Relations, Health & Safety, Marketing, Internal Communications, Strategic Planning.
Career Summary
Jane has worked for the University of Cumbria as a senior lecturer in the Institute of Education, Arts and Society since its founding in 2007, continuing the legacy of the former Charlotte Mason College in Ambleside, where teachers have been trained since the 1890s. She works with undergraduate and postgraduate students preparing to become primary teachers, encouraging them to help children understand and shape their world. She also leads primary computing across the university’s three campuses and has research interests in how the brain learns.
Role at the Good Shepherd Trust
Jane views supporting school personnel in their mission to educate the next generation as both a privilege and a responsibility. She believes schools provide essential stability, inspiration and opportunity within communities, and her role as Director allows her to help safeguard and support those who make this possible.
About Jane
Jane works part-time, giving her time to enjoy the outdoors. She can often be found gardening, climbing a mountain or cycling on sunny days—and reading about those things on rainy ones.
Bio coming soon
Bio coming soon
