About the Foundation

Dr Sam Parrett CBE DL is an experienced CEO and Principal, whose drive and determination to improve education across London and South East England has resulted in the expansion of high-quality pathways and outcomes for learners across mainstream, special, further, higher, adult and apprenticeship education. She was appointed as a National Leader of Further Education in 2020 and coaches new and aspiring CEOs in the sector.

Since being appointed as Principal of Bromley College in 2010, she's led mergers with Orpington College, Bexley College and Greenwich Community College, together forming London South East in 2016. Sam founded London South East Academies Trust in 2013 — a multi-academy trust spanning primary, secondary, SEND and AP across London and the South East.

The unique Group structure she established operates as an award-winning social enterprise. Her work exemplifies civic leadership and the transformative power of education in building resilient, thriving communities. She is especially passionate about supporting SEND and disadvantaged learners to thrive, and has worked closely with the Princes Trust for 25 years. She also established the FE Foodbank and Good For Me Good for FE National Awards. Ofsted rated the College as Good in October 2024, and it was named Overall FE Provider of the Year at the TES FE Awards 2021, as well as receiving a Social Value Award for Public Sector Leadership in 2021. Sam was named TES FE Leader of the Year, and the College was also awarded the prestigious Queen's Anniversary Prize in 2020. In 2024 London South East Academies Trust was named as Trust of the Year in the national TES Schools Awards.

In recognition of Sam's contribution to education and her work in SEND and mainstream schools, she was awarded a CBE in 2021, following the OBE she received in 2016 for her services to further education. In March 2026, Sam was appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant of Kent. Sam holds a PhD in Education Policy Analysis and is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, a Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Further Education and a Leadership Fellow at St George's House, Windsor Castle.

Jane Hickie is Group Executive Director of the Elevare Education Foundation, where she leads work to tackle disadvantage and widen access to educational opportunities. Her focus is on building partnerships, securing sustainable funding and ensuring the Foundation makes a lasting difference to individuals and communities.

Jane brings extensive senior leadership experience across education, skills, employment and community development. She joined the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) in 2016 as Chief Operating Officer, becoming Managing Director in 2020 and Chief Executive in 2021. She led the national membership organisation representing employment and training providers, working closely with employers, government and education leaders to advance the sector’s contribution.

Previously, Jane held senior roles at environmental charity Groundwork, leading operations and corporate partnerships in the South West of England. Her earlier career included regeneration at Genesis Housing Group and developing corporate partnerships at West London Leadership, connecting businesses with communities.

These experiences underpin Jane’s commitment to bringing educators, employers, funders and community partners together to tackle barriers to opportunity. At the Foundation, she is driven by a belief in fairness and equity, and in ensuring people have the support, resources and encouragement to fulfil their potential.

Earlier in her career, she led regeneration at Genesis Housing Group and developed

John is an experienced senior leader with a passion for education and the benefits it can bring. John joined the College in 2013 as Vice Principal of Finance and Resources before progressing to the role of Group Chief Financial Officer and, subsequently, Deputy Group CEO.

He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and started his accountancy career in manufacturing before spending ten years working in forensics. He moved into senior finance roles within the education sector in 2007 and has also spent five years working as a part-time lecturer at a Further Education College.

Having helped Sam Parrett set up London South East Academies Trust in 2013, he has worked tirelessly to enable and support its growth and success into the business it is today, transforming the lives of its pupils.

John has developed considerable knowledge and experience as a senior leader in the Academies, Further Education and Charity sectors. He has a wealth of experience in mergers, including leading through periods of change and implementing significant business and financial improvements. He is also experienced in scaling systems and professional services and ensuring they deliver continuous improvement and value.

John oversees the Deputy CEO directorate within the Group, which includes a wide range of professional services covering Finance, Health and Safety, IT, Management Information Services, HR, Payroll, Marketing, and Estates. This includes responsibility for capital projects, having recently completed projects in excess of £60m, which deliver significant benefits for learners.

In 2022, John was appointed by the FE Commissioner as one of two National Leaders of Further Education — Finance Specialist. Through this appointment, John works with the FE Commissioner Team to support a range of further education providers across the country.

Prior to her current role, Jennifer was the Group Executive Director of Corporate Services, with strategic and operational management of key Group Corporate Services areas of IT, HR, MIS, Funding, Planning and Performance, Exams, and administration services.

She has strong and proven governance, legal, project strategic planning, and change management skills. She has led and delivered on governance, educational, curriculum, customer, and information systems projects, including college mergers, business acquisitions, and business process re-engineering.

She has significant management experience in both the public and private sectors with a career portfolio providing insight and knowledge of operational and strategic business and resource planning in most business services areas. Her career began in legal and company secretarial, transferring to the investment banking and financial services sectors where she worked for approximately 20 years.

Jenny retrained as a Business and IT Teacher in 2001 and started her career in the FE Sector, progressing into a senior management role in Further Education. Since her move into the Governance Professional role for the Group, Jenny has achieved qualification status in the ICSA Diploma in Academies Governance, the NGA Clerking Certificate and the IoD Governance Professional Leadership Programme. She is the Group Data Protection Officer for London South East Education Group.

Helen McIntosh has served three terms of two years each as President of the Southeast London Chamber of Commerce and was asked by the Board to remain in position for a further year. Helen is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and prior to her election as President of the Chamber, she was an active member of the Greater London Group, the largest group within the CIPR. She has worked in public affairs locally for over 30 years with a range of clients which have included the Greenwich Foundation, Cathedral Group and Landsec. She represents this regeneration group on the Chamber's Board. Helen was made a College Fellow 2023 of London South East Colleges in recognition of significant support provided as a strategic partner of the College in influencing the skills agenda in South East London.

Dr Sam Parrett CBE DL is an experienced CEO and Principal, whose drive and determination to improve education across London and South East England has resulted in the expansion of high-quality pathways and outcomes for learners across mainstream, special, further, higher, adult and apprenticeship education. She was appointed as a National Leader of Further Education in 2020 and coaches new and aspiring CEOs in the sector.

Since being appointed as Principal of Bromley College in 2010, she's led mergers with Orpington College, Bexley College and Greenwich Community College, together forming London South East in 2016. Sam founded London South East Academies Trust in 2013 — a multi-academy trust spanning primary, secondary, SEND and AP across London and the South East.

The unique Group structure she established operates as an award-winning social enterprise. Her work exemplifies civic leadership and the transformative power of education in building resilient, thriving communities. She is especially passionate about supporting SEND and disadvantaged learners to thrive, and has worked closely with the Princes Trust for 25 years. She also established the FE Foodbank and Good For Me Good for FE National Awards. Ofsted rated the College as Good in October 2024, and it was named Overall FE Provider of the Year at the TES FE Awards 2021, as well as receiving a Social Value Award for Public Sector Leadership in 2021. Sam was named TES FE Leader of the Year, and the College was also awarded the prestigious Queen's Anniversary Prize in 2020. In 2024 London South East Academies Trust was named as Trust of the Year in the national TES Schools Awards.

In recognition of Sam's contribution to education and her work in SEND and mainstream schools, she was awarded a CBE in 2021, following the OBE she received in 2016 for her services to further education. In March 2026, Sam was appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant of Kent. Sam holds a PhD in Education Policy Analysis and is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, a Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Further Education and a Leadership Fellow at St George's House, Windsor Castle.

Mark is the Chief Executive of a large and growing Multi Academy Trust spanning London and the South East, with more than 15 years of senior leadership experience across the education sector. Across executive roles, Mark has been responsible for organisational strategy, operational delivery, and the development of high-performing teams, bringing a strong commitment to public service and improving life chances through education.

Mark has held posts including Deputy Chief Executive and several years as Chief Operating Officer within one of the country's largest Trusts, where he helped oversee a portfolio of more than 40 schools and supported sustainable growth, effective governance, and strong operational controls. Alongside executive leadership, Mark contributes to sector-wide development through committee and working-group participation, supporting policy and practice that benefit children, young people, and communities.

Mark is also Vice Chair of London South East Colleges, where he chairs the Capital Committee and serves on the Audit and Risk Committee, helping to ensure robust oversight of investment decisions, estate priorities, and risk management. In previous governance roles, Mark has chaired a large and successful Multi Academy Trust and served as Vice Chair and Non-Executive Director on a group education board.

Mark is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the Chartered Management Institute, the Institute of Leadership and Management, and the Institute of School Business Leadership, and is an Honorary Fellow of the Elevare Civic Education Group. Mark also sits on the Church of England National Professional Qualifications Governance Board, is a long-standing supporter of the Robes Project, and remains an active school governor. Mark advocates for improved mental health awareness and support — particularly for men — through engagement with charities such as BoysGetSadToo.

David is an experienced senior executive and finance professional, having previously been Chief Executive and Finance Director at The Hyde Group, a large South East London-based housing association, and Chief Operating Officer at Leonard Cheshire Disability, a major provider of services to disabled people. He is now semi-retired and operates a small portfolio of non-executive director appointments. He also undertakes project work as a Consultant Director in the Affordable Housing Consultancy Team at Savills, where he specialises in the strategic business development and corporate financial management of housing associations.

David has a degree in Mathematics and Education from the University of Kent, is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, and a Corporate Member of the Chartered Institute of Housing. He was previously the Chair of London Skills for Growth and led the charity through the merger with London South East Colleges in 2017. He was appointed to the Chair of the London South East Colleges Corporation in January 2022.

Jacky is Chief Executive of Cafcass (Children and Families Court Advisory and Support Service). Cafcass represents children's voices in the family courts in England and is also the largest employer of social workers in this country. Prior to holding this position, she was employed by the London Borough of Bexley as statutory Director of Children's Services from 2015 to 2019.

Jacky has worked for Ofsted and the Department for Education where she was deputy director for social care inspection and Senior Deputy Director for safeguarding respectively. She led the advisory team for Professor Eileen Munro's Review of Child Protection and was the professional adviser to Lord Laming's 2009 review of 'The Protection of Children in England'. Starting her career as a social worker, Jacky worked in a number of senior positions for local authority children's services before becoming national adviser for children and adult services for the local government group, and senior specialist for social care, education and health at the Audit Commission.

Following 20 years undertaking IT Service Management and Business Change Management roles in the retail, hospitality and banking sectors, Rama has been a management consultant in the education sector since 2005.

He currently supports various multi academy trusts in their growth strategies, but also offers his time in governance roles across the mainstream, special and independent school sectors, including as a Chair of Trustees of a special and mainstream primary school trust of 9 schools; a Trustee of a primary school trust of 20 primary schools; a Trustee on the family board of a special school trust of 15 schools and 7 college centres; a Member of a secondary school trust of 6 schools; a Member of a single academy trust; and a Chair of Governors of an independent special school.

He sits on various DfE and NGA Advisory Boards. Rama was awarded an MBE for services to education in the 2023 New Year's Honours list.

Christine began her career as a history teacher, progressing to Headteacher of a mixed London comprehensive school. She moved into senior management roles in local government, being appointed as Director of Education of an inner London Borough. She led and championed the work of Local Education Authorities in their communities, acting as their professional representative, serving on regional and national bodies for education, social care and housing, and as an education adviser to the Association of London Government and the Local Government Association.

In 2002 Christine was awarded a CBE for her services to education. Since 2002 Christine has provided education consultancy to local authorities, the Department for Education, dioceses, schools and universities, including interim assignments as Director of Children's Services and most recently as Chief Executive of a Multi-Academy Trust. She has also served as a Trustee/Director on a number of charitable foundations including an orchestra and a Leisure Trust and been a Governor of institutions in all phases of education. She is currently a Governor of Anglia Ruskin University. Since 2014, Christine has supported and worked with the Trust in a number of capacities, including as an Education Adviser. Christine served as Interim Chair of London South East Academies Trust from May 2022 to May 2023.