Trust Board

Date of Appointment: 05/05/2021
Term of Office: 04/05/2025 (4 years)
Committees: Audit & Risk (Chair) and Standards (Chair). Karen is also the Trust Board’s Quality o f Education and SEND Representative.
Meetings 2022/23: 5/7
Meetings 2023/24: 3/4
Bio: 
Karen Osborne has spent her 40 year career in the Insurance industry. Having started her career as a Commercial Underwriter she progressed to management within a short period of time going on to hold senior management and director roles responsible for operational efficiency, optimising client journey, compliance, HR and finance in both Insurance Company and Broker sectors. Karen is now retired.

Throughout her career Karen’s passion has been providing a developmental environment that allows employees to achieve their full potential and her proudest achievements have been seeing those that she has mentored managed and supported over the years thrive in their careers.

Karen’s interest in utilising her business skills to support schools as a Trustee was sparked having provided internship placements for sixth formers from the David Young Academy.

Karen joined the Hope Learning Trust Board in the summer of 2017.   

Date of Appointment: 01/04/2023
Term of Office: 31/03/2027 (4 years)
Committees: Resources (Chair). Andrew is also the Trust Board’s Whistleblowing and Health & Safety Representative. 
Meetings 2022/23: 6/7
Meetings 2023/24: 4/4
Bio: 
Andrew Simpkin is Head of Project Delivery for the Portakabin Group Sales business. Andrew gained his B.Sc honours degree in Building (Production Management) from Nottingham Trent University. He is a Chartered Construction Manager and Fellow of the CIOB and has been employed by Portakabin Group since 1988, operating at strategic level as a member of the group’s leadership team and the divisional business unit’s senior management team.

Date of Appointment: 24/01/2024
Term of Office: 23/01/2028 (4 years)
Committees: Distinctiveness & Personal Development Committee.
Meetings 2022/23: N/A
Meetings 2023/24: 1/4
Bio:
Steven is an Anglican priest. His last full-time post, prior to retiring in 2019, was as a Residentiary Canon for Education at a cathedral. Prior to this post, he worked in education – as a School Chaplain, Housemaster, Head of Department, Deputy Head and Head in the independent sector, and as Senior Provost and Education Officer of the Woodard Schools (a family of Anglican schools in both the independent and maintained sectors). He has been a SIAMS inspector, and served as a Governor of a wide range of schools in both the maintained and independent sectors. He was a founder Trustee/Director of a MAT in the north-east (the Pele Trust), and currently serves as a Governor, and Chair of the Safeguarding and Wellbeing Committee, of an independent boarding and day school.

Steven has a long-standing interest in the criminal justice system. He serves as a voluntary Chaplain in a Young Offender Institution and as an Assessor for the Hardman Trust (a charity which gives financial grants to long-term prisoners preparing for release from custody, to help them gain qualifications and experience which will enhance their employment prospects). He is a keen walker and seeks to keep fit through membership of a gym and a rambling group. His other interests include travel, current affairs, reading and music.

Date of Appointment: 24/01/2024
Term of Office: 23/01/2028 (4 years)
Committees: Resources Committee.
Meetings 2022/23: N/A
Meetings 2023/24: 1/4
Bio: 
Patrick Looker is a qualified Public Finance Accountant and has worked in Local Government for over 30 years. He understands the pressures on public service finance and the need to get best value from all income into the Trust. He studied Economics and Business Studies at Sheffield University. Patrick has been a Governor since 2013 and Chair of Governors at one of the Trust Schools for 5 years.

Date of Appointment: 30/05/2024
Term of Office: 29/05/2028 (4 years)
Committees: Audit & Risk Committee.
Meetings 2022/23: N/A
Meetings 2023/24: 0/4
Bio: Joe McKeogh is the Senior Internal Auditor for a leading Engineering and Services business. Committed to effective governance, risk and control processes, Joe’s experience covers a range of assurance and consulting engagements. He studied to Masters level in Politics at the University of York and is currently the Treasurer of St Michael le Belfrey; a church he has practiced at since 2013. Joe is an avid Aston Villa fan, and loves golf.