Our Board

Members

NAME	ROLE
Carrie Prior	Diocesan Director of Education
Bishop Roger Morris	Chariman of the Diocesan Board of Education
Guli Francis-Dehqani	Bishop of Chelmsford
Chelmsford Diocese Education Team	CDET

Trustees

Caroline Haynes

Chair

Dr Caroline Haynes is now retired having spent 37 years in schools, 20 years as a Headteacher of two large comprehensive schools in Essex and finally as Executive Headteacher of two AET academies.

In 2007 Caroline was Head Teacher of the year in the Eastern Region and in 2008 she won the Education category in the Daily Telegraph “Great Britons” Award. Caroline is a National Leader of Education and was an elected member of the first Eastern Region and North East London Regional Schools Commissioner’s Academy Headteacher Board.

Prior to her retirement, Caroline, in collaboration with Essex LEA and Market Field School, was proud to set up the Autistic Support Centres at Thorpe Campus and Frinton Campus of Tendring Technology College. She is now a Vice Chair of the Vine Schools Trust and Chair of the Standards and Performance committee.

Emma Wigmore

Chief Executive

Emma Wigmore is an experienced teacher with over 20 years’ experience. She was previously been a Headteacher for nine years and an Executive Headteacher for four years.

Emma has a great track record of consistently improving underperforming schools. She is passionate about school to school support and has further developed an effective ‘hub’ model, which has led to significant improvements for all schools involved. Emma is also a ‘Local Leader of Education’ and a qualified coach.

In a recent SIAMs inspection, Emma was recognised as being ‘a shining example of Christian leadership’ which added to her track record of academic achievement. This and her knowledge of the Vine Schools Trust makes her a great leader.

Charlotte Little

Vice Chair of Trustees

Charlotte Little qualified at Canterbury Christchurch University and has over 10 years of Human Resources experience, having lead a region with several thousand employees. Most recently completing an MA in Leadership and Management and Post Graduate Certificate of Corporate Governance. Charlotte will bring expertise in Human Resources to the board.

David Wilde

Member

A Fellow of the IoD, Member of the BCS and Associate CIPD with over 30 years in central and local government leadership spanning policy, large scale operations, strategy and whole service transformation, David has a wealth of experience in the public sector specialising in technology, digital and information leadership, communications and commercial development.

In Essex David was a member of the Executive Board from June 2015 and Chief Information Officer (CIO) since 2011, leading on Place Operations and then Digital. Before that he was CIO for the City of Westminster, Waltham Forest Council and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and was a senior Policy Advisor in The Departments for Education and Employment and Local Government and the Regions.

Philip Howlett

Member

Philip is currently Director of the Professional Doctorate in Education (EdD) programme at Anglia Ruskin University.

Having previously taught for nearly 20 years in secondary schools in Cambridgeshire and Essex, he is an experienced educator, with interests in a wide variety of aspects of education. His research areas include the pedagogical uses of mobile technology, classroom teaching and Science education.

Adrian Gibbons

Member

Adrian Gibbons has a degree from the University of East Anglia in Computing & Economics, he is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. For the last 35 years he has worked as a lecturer in audit and accountancy and a consultant to practicing firms of accountants. His area of specialist interest is auditing and he has reviewed many MAT audit files and advised auditors on their approach to dealing with MAT.

In December 2020 he retired from his professional career as a consultant to the audit and accounting industry. He is currently the President and Treasurer of the Colne Yacht Club and spends his time either yacht racing or sailing a Brightlingsea One Design that was built in 1947.

Catherine Stalham

Member

Catherine Stalham is an experienced teacher, with particular expertise in Early Years Foundation Stage, having taught this age group, led this phase and lectured and supported student teachers in this area.
Catherine has been a Primary Headteacher for seven years and has experience of effective school improvement in her own school and has supported other leaders in this also.

She has a passion for developing leadership skills, with a particular focus on empowering leaders in their development through coaching. Catherine has successfully completed her National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership and has a keen interest in developing school to school support across Multi Academy Trusts.

Board Documents

Meeting Attendance

Vine Meeting Attendance – 1 September 2020 – August 2021

VINE-Mtg-attendance-1-Sept-2021 – Aug 2022

Vine Mtg Attendance – 1 September 2022 – August 2023

Meeting Minutes

About Vine Schools Trust

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Become a Trust School

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Vision and Values

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‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit’

JOHN 15:5

© The Diocese of Chelmsford Vine Schools Trust 2020 a company limited by guarantee and registered in England. No 8709542.
Registered address: The Diocese of Chelmsford Vine Schools Trust, Diocesan Offices, 53, New Street, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1AT.