Meet the team

Bill is an occupational physician who has developed occupational health practices for organisations in about 50 countries.  He started his medical career as a hospital physician in general medicine including paediatrics, and spent a year as a GP. He has been a senior manager in Mars and a global health, safety and environment director in United Biscuits and Vodafone.  He has run his own company since 2006 assessing workplaces and local healthcare facilities and expertise, and developing health strategies for blue chip companies internationally.  He is author of a book for managers on Positive Attendance Management.  His professional interests are in assessment, prevention, and management of risk. Bill is married with 3 grown up children and 4 grandchildren.

Mike’s background is primarily in the financial services sector. He is currently a company Director and is responsible for all aspects of the business.

He has previously worked voluntarily in the educational sector in a school in a deprived area of Nottingham, where, working closely with the Deputy Head, he helped to develop a careers development programme, working closely with local businesses and educational establishments. He also helped develop and expand a work experience programme, giving pupils the chance to see the world of work and the opportunities available to them.

He passionately believes in equality and fairness for all, no matter their background, and that children should be allowed to see the opportunities available.

With an eye to the future regarding moving away from full-time employment, Mike is keen and happy to give his time in other directions.

Besides his work with the Raleigh Education Trust, he is also involved with two other charities. One is a charity offering help to people going through the court process who choose not to pay for legal representation to represent themselves. The other is for a charity for blind and partially sighted people.

Mike has been in Nottingham all his adult life. He is married and has two grown-up children.

Paul qualified as an accountant in the mid-eighties and took an MBA in the mid-nineties. He spent most of his working life as a senior finance officer, and later on as a managing director in SME companies. In 2021 he became chair of governors at Denewood and Unity Academies within the Trust. He retired in 2022 and subsequently became Treasurer at Radcliffe on Trent Golf Club, a position he holds today. He has recently left his position at Denewood Academy and is now a Trustee. He has two grown up children and a young grandson.

Laura Daukintis (RMNH) has been a qualified mental health nurse for almost 15 years and she currently works as a Senior Mental Health Nurse in a local Primary Care Network in Nottingham. Laura has worked in a variety of settings including GP surgeries, prisons, addiction services and community mental health teams. Laura is also the chair for the Royal College of Nursing’s Mental Health Forum Committee. Outside of work, she informally supports new mothers locally with their mental health. Laura is passionate about the mental health and wellbeing of the next generation and is keen to help to support early intervention with the pupils in the school, which she hopes to achieve in her role as Chair of the school Governors.

Matt is new to School Governance, first joining the Local Governance Body (LGB) at Westbury Academy in 2024.  However, he is not new to education and has recently retired from a long career at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) spanning over 36 years.

He began his NTU career as a researcher in 1988, then later leading Masters courses in the School of Social Sciences before running a thriving PhD programme with over 140 doctoral students.

In his other main role as Director of Research, Matt’s led research projects looking at the somewhat complicated relationship between young people and democracy.  He is passionate about the need to create opportunities so that young people’s voices can be heard by policy communities – so that they feel confident and empowered to help shape the world around them.

After retirement in 2024, he was asked by NTU to continue this research with the university and he was appointed Emeritus (retired) Professor of Social Research.

In 2024 he was elected as a national Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences for his contributions to international research.

Matt’s main reason for joining Westbury’s LGB is that – post-retirement – he wants to utilise his skills and his commitment to young people and education to contribute to strengthening the school’s aims to help pupils become the best version of themselves.  And in doing so, to become best-equipped to flourish in the world beyond schooling.

Sean’s leadership journey in education reflects a deep belief in the power of individual impact: “A waterfall begins from only one drop of rain.” The Power of One (1992).

Following a successful secondary school leadership career, progressing from SENCO to senior leadership roles and then to Headship, Sean went on to hold several central executive positions within high-performing trusts. He joined Raleigh Education Trust in 2018 as Director of Education before successfully securing the role of Chief Executive Officer in 2019.

Under Sean’s leadership, the Trust is now culturally, educationally and financially strong. It maintains a healthy reserve position, with all schools rated “good” or “good with outstanding features.”

The Trust is projected to grow from six to nine school settings by the end of the 2026–27 academic year, across three local authorities, with a further free school due to open in 2027–28. This growth sits alongside the Trust’s wider contribution to the local system, including leading the Nottingham City Alternative Provision Provider Network as Local Authority Co-commissioner, overseeing thirty-three independent settings, and continuing to provide outreach and share best practice across the region.

Sean is a teacher at heart and remains committed to lifelong learning. He holds a master’s degree in special educational needs and the National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership. He also contributes across the wider education system as a school inspector, trained across all phases and types of school settings, since 2022 and has undertaken MAT CEO support deployments.

Sean currently serves as Chairperson of the Nottingham City Education Partnership Board, representing multi-academy trusts across Nottingham City, and is also a Board Member of the Nottingham City Council SEND Executive Board. Over the past three years, he has served on the DfE Nottingham Priority Area Local Partnership Advisory Board, the University of Nottingham School and Colleges Advisory Board, and Nottingham City Council’s Education Improvement Board. In addition, he is a member of the national SEND and AP CEO Network.

Previously, Sean has represented education locally as a member of the Nottingham City Council Safeguarding Board, Vice-Chair of the Children and Young People Partnership Board, and a member of the City Headteacher Board. He has also supported Teach First and the University of Nottingham’s Initial Teacher Training programmes.

His national contributions include acting as a DfE-appointed reference point for military ethos programmes, serving as an advisory board member for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and The Prince’s Trust External Reference Committee, and representing the sector at Buckingham Palace following an invitation to attend a national Education Forum.

Sally joined the Trust in 2021 following a hugely successful career as Chief Finance Officer of an Outstanding Single Academy Trust within the East Midlands and Humberside region. This experience, coupled with her current status as an accredited ESFA School Resource Management Associate (SRMA), has strengthened the Trust central executive team.

She brings expansive knowledge and experience to the Trust in all aspects of business support services, including governance, procurement, health & safety, human resources, finance and compliance from primary and secondary settings and academy trusts, bringing over two decades of School Business Leadership experience to the role.

Working tirelessly as a transparent and ethical leader, she has quickly established herself by developing purposeful relationships and processes across Raleigh Education Trust and strengthened external strategic partnerships.

Sally is a member of the Institute of School Business Leadership (ISBL) and the National Network of Special Schools for School Business Professionals and accredited as an ESFA School Resource Management Associate. She actively supports the Association of BAME Business Leaders in Education group, WomenEd and the National College of Education. Sally has achieved a Masters in Educational Leadership and Management and a Level 6 School Business Management qualification.

She has a passion for ensuring MATs are well run through the proper use of public money and compliance with the regulatory frameworks. She strongly advocates that robust regulatory compliance is the bedrock of school support to deliver the best possible outcomes for our children young people.