Cassie joined the Trust as CEO in April 2020, bringing 16 years of school leadership experience. She was previously Headteacher at Charles Dickens Primary School, where she played a key role in leading the London South Teaching Schools Alliance (now the London South Teaching School Hub) and establishing the Charles Dickens EEF Research School.

A National Leader of Education and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Cassie has extensive experience of leading organisations collaboratively. As CEO, her focus is the sustainable delivery of the Trust’s mission to transform the lives of children and young people and strengthen local communities, through excellent schools, investment in staff and meaningful partnerships. Cassie was awarded an OBE for services to Education in 2020.

Andrew leads on finances and procurement for the Trust.

He joined the Trust in September 2024 having led the finance function of GLF schools for nearly 4 years.

Prior to that his career has taken him from EY’s audit then management consultancy practice, to leading finance teams at, the BBC, Clear Channel (the billboard company) and Hitachi’s EMEA IT consultancy practice.

Andrew is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England & Wales (ICAEW).

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Belinda is responsible for strategic leadership of the Trust HR function, the operational management of HR support to schools, and the wider HR team. She oversees staff recruitment, retention, policies, and wellbeing, ensuring that each school is equipped with the HR resources needed to thrive.

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Belinda joined the Trust in 2023, following eight years in Education HR consultancy with Babcock International and Strictly Education.

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Prior to that, her career has spanned both public and private sectors including working in HR management with the probation service, higher education, retail, childcare and technology organisations.

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Belinda is a Chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Sarah Botchway boasts a 20-year career in education, covering a broad spectrum from teaching 3-year-olds through to Key Stage 3 and 4 students, along with adults in London and Paris. Sarah has held many significant leadership positions, including Headship and Associate Headteacher in London, Her current role is Director for the London South Teaching School Hub, part of The Charter Schools Educational Trust. The Teaching School focuses on supporting Department for Education (DfE) initiatives for teacher recruitment and retention. Her responsibilities span from initial teacher training to the continuous professional development of teachers, school and trust leaders across Lambeth, Lewisham, and Southwark.

As a headteacher Gary was a DfE National Leader of Education (NLE)  and supported a number of schools, trusts and education authorities.  Prior to working in London Gary taught science in Tanzania for Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO).

Lucy is the school improvement partner for the primary schools in the Trust, and has worked in education for 26 years in many roles, including deputy director, local authority improvement advisor and headteacher. Lucy is a passionate advocate of every school can improve no matter where they are on their journey, and works alongside school teams to realise that potential. She is equally passionate about climate change and sustainability education, and the power of professional learning communities to transform pedagogy and practice in the classroom.

With a background spanning design, construction, and estate management, Charlie brings a creative yet practical approach to overseeing the trust’s estate portfolio. A former visiting lecturer in Design at Goldsmiths, University of London, and a trained cabinet maker, he combines academic rigour with hands-on experience to provide strategic oversight for future-focused educational environments.

Mahen Padayachee is an experienced IT leader with over 25 years' experience in technology and digital transformation. Having started his career in South Africa's high-tech gaming industry, he now leads the Trust's IT strategy, cyber security and service delivery. Passionate about continuous improvement and ITIL best practice, he is driving the standardisation of technology and service management to create a secure and scalable digital future for the Trust.