Patron and Senior Team

Nick is a qualified Chartered Accountant and has over 20 years of experience in Senior Management roles of growing SME’s, including developing and delivering strategy, running finance functions and business partnering.

His experience covers a broad range of sectors, including audit, engineering and, more recently, welfare to work. Having seen the dedication of front line staff in helping vulnerable people in the welfare to work sector, he decided to work in organisations with more of a social focus. This led to him joining TCES in May 2018, where he helped the schools and services become more commercially and financially aware, as well as running the finance, facilities and IT functions.

He is also a Trustee for 2 local charities: ‘The Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation’, who support young people to make safe choices about drugs and alcohol, and ‘Sutton Schools Work’, whose aims are to increase the knowledge and understanding of the Christian Faith, and support students in their social, moral and spiritual development.

Melissa joined TCES in 2023 bringing almost 20 years’ experience within People/HR functions, 17 of which working within mainstream education, specialist SEN and Health.

Melissa has a deep commitment to workforce development through transparent leadership and strong governance.  Supporting managers and key stakeholders to set priorities, drive values, deliver results, and maintain high standards in people-related processes.

Staff voice and well-being are Melissa’s passion, where she takes a solution-focused approach to working with stakeholders to create a positive and stable working environment whilst supporting ongoing success and growth. 

Also, a Trustee for a local charity providing advice to the board and supporting the development and drive of all HR related priorities.

Matt has worked in international education for thirteen years, running academic programmes for junior students from all over the world. The majority of this time was as MD of an internationally renowned short-course provider within large, privately owned education groups for one of the largest groups of international schools in the world. More recently, he has also worked at board level within a start-up online tuition company.

Throughout his career, Matt has always carefully balanced successful commercial growth with educational values and outcomes for students, always prioritising the best educational experience possible, and leading to a global industry award for academic provision in 2019.

He also volunteers as a co-opted governor for a primary school in Greenwich, which recently received an Outstanding rating.

Katrina has a wealth of experience and expertise in education and special educational needs and is passionate about supporting pupils to achieve their full potential. 

As a qualified social worker, Katrina’s passion for SEND began in 2009 when she was part of the Government’s ‘Troubled Families Programme’, where she provided support to schools across the borough that were struggling to meet the needs of children and young people, often affiliated with local gangs and those whose attendance was significantly below average.

Katrina originally joined TCES in 2014 as Inclusion Manager at the TCES North West London school where she worked for five years, working her way up to Headteacher, embedding the TCES Vision and Core Values by creating a culture of high expectations for all, leading by example and working collaboratively with pupils and their parents and carers and staff.

During this time, her drive for ‘Authentic Real Inclusion’ led Katrina to begin TCES Groups first Parent Group, an initiative which is still going strong today.

Since leaving TCES in 2019, Katrina has gone on to hold senior leadership roles within Primary and Secondary schools and in Local Authority SEND services before re-joining TCES in February 2023 as Executive Head.

Nick is a qualified Social Worker and has worked in statutory child protection for over 20 years. He has managed LADO Services across a number of Local Authorities and is a coordinator for the London Region and National LADO Networks. He is the co-founder and Director of the Independent Safeguarding Service, a Community Interest Company specialising in safeguarding policy and training provision across the UK. He has worked closely with a number of Safeguarding Partnerships, including authoring Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews. 

His extensive consultancy experience supporting early years settings, schools, the NHS, faith settings, third sector, Premier League football and numerous private sector organisations has developed a passion for organisational safeguarding, which he brings to his role as Governor for TCES, which he describes as the 'most innovative and inclusive education solution in the country'. 

David Young has more than 30 years’ experience as a qualified teacher, working in secondary schools in London, Wiltshire and Luton. He also led a successful secondary school as headteacher for five years before moving on to the role of Head of School Improvement Services for a local authority. David combines a passion for ensuring that each individual pupil has equal access to the full breadth and depth of the school curriculum, together with opportunities to build teamwork and independence through outdoor activities including sports and camping. 

David trained as an Ofsted inspector while working for a local authority and has extensive experience of leading school inspections in maintained secondary schools and independent special schools. David took on leadership roles in managing educational projects for the DfE, including the oversight of Ofsted inspection services in independent special schools nationally, while working for Cambridge Education. His inspection work developed a particular emphasis on work with pupils with social, emotional, and mental health needs and/or an Autism Spectrum Condition. This work first brought David into contact with the inspirational and unique educational services of TCES. David has worked for the past ten years as an educational leadership consultant with individual special schools and national groups providing education and care services for young people. 

Afshan is our Health and Safety Governor with extensive experience implementing Health and Safety and Fire Safety management systems, adopting a practical and pragmatic approach.

As a CertIOSH member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), an Associate Member of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE), a Member of the Institution of Fire Safety Managers (IFSM) and an Associate Member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), Afshan’s work includes supporting many educational establishments from nurseries to universities.

Afshan’s passion for working collaboratively with people and building positive relationships is evident in her efforts to create a positive Health and Safety culture. Her dedication inspires and motivates others to ensure a safe environment for staff and students.

Afshan has thoroughly enjoyed and witnessed the benefits of robust governance as the Governor of a Church of England primary school for seven years and welcomes the opportunity to be part of the governing team at TCES—an establishment with the incredible ethos of never giving up on any child.