Ron taught in Kent, Sussex and Surrey for 30 years, 20 in senior leadership, and twelve as Headteacher, taking two schools from categories to Good and Good with Outstanding features.    Ron served on the corporation of a General FE college, was a governor of a primary federation and continues to serve as Chair of Governors of a PRU and local state boarding school.  He was Chair of the Surrey Secondary Headteachers’ Council (2015 to 2018), sitting on the Surrey Safeguarding Children Board, SEND Governance Board, School Improvement Partnership Board and Schools Forum. In 2018 he received a Pearson’s National Teaching Award for ‘Headteacher in a Secondary School’. He is now a consultant working with primary, secondary and all-through schools across England.

Julie is a retired solicitor. Specialising in Property Finance and Development, Julie worked in London throughout her career and was the first female managing partner of a City of  London law firm.  Since her retirement, Julie has held a number of non-executive positions in not for profit organisations.  In addition to her role at IET, she is currently a Trustee of Transform Housing & Support and a Governor of  Colfe’s School in Greenwich. 

Julie Richardson, MCIPD MILM

HR Manager & Adviser

Julie Richardson is a Human Resources executive, leader, consultant and practitioner with over 35 years’ experience, more than half of which has been in the education sector. Over the course of her working life, she has held both generalist and specialist training and development roles and, she holds the ILM Level 5 Award in Leadership and Management, as well her CIPD qualifications.

Julie is passionate about education and for six years was a fully qualified part-time Teaching Assistant within a Primary setting, alongside being a Business & HR Manager within a small organisation.

Julie joins IET as a trustee, having had prior knowledge of our settings from an advisory perspective and with some experience already with two other Trusts within Surrey, as a governor and a trustee.

Julie’s current role at Southwark Diocesan Education Board includes managing HR within the Education Board team and providing advice, model resources and HR training and development opportunities for their school leaders and governors across 12 local authorities.

I have been a Headteacher for 10 years, 7 at Rodborough School in Milford. I have been teaching for 30 years, following a 3 year period working in the Home Office. I was a member of the Wey Valley College Management Committee between 2015 and the formation of the Inclusive Education Trust in 2021, from September 2017 as Chair. During my time on the committee, it was a privilege to work with the team at WVC as they took the College on the journey to outstanding.

Catherine Allam (ACMA CGMA)

Chartered Management Accountant

Catherine’s 19-year career has been spent in Consumer Packaged Goods Industries working across the Finance function. She is recognized as an exceptional People Leader and her Commercial Business Partnering has led to external award nominations. Outside of work she is the mother of young two sons and is passionate about children and young people. It is in this spirit that she is also treasurer and trustee of a local scouting group.

I am a School Business Leader with 20 years’ experience , 19 of these as part of the Senior Leadership Team. I am currently working  at Charters School, a SAT with 1700+ students, I sit as part of the exec team here working at Deputy  Head level.    I have worked in many different contexts although my experience is predominantly in secondary schools.     In my current role I am responsible for all of the areas you might expect HR, Finance, H & S, Estates, DPO to name a few.     I am also now a DfE accredited School Resource Management Advisor, working to support other schools in the effective use of their resources and  a mentor for other school business professionals.

I think this experience puts me in a great position to support a school or trust in the critical friend role. I am very familiar with the work of Governing Boards,  attending Resources and FGBs in my own school. In addition I have previous experience as a parent governor and as Chair for a short time at  WVC. ​​