Chair of Trustees

Karl joined the Board of Trustees in 2022, though his connection to the Trust dates back to the 1980’s when Karl was a student at Sir Harry Smith Community College, being part of the year group in 1986 that were the first to sit O Levels at the school, followed by A levels at Isle College Wisbech, and Accountancy at Polytechnic of North London which led Karl into the Accountancy profession where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1994. Karl brings a breadth of financial control and governance experience to the Trust. Karl was appointed as Chair of the Board in September 2024, with his first task being recruitment of a new CEO, Dr Matthew Laban.

Karl’s connection to the Trust extends to his family. Not only did his parents also study and Sir Harry Smiths, he has two sons who have now progressed from Park Lane to Sir Harry Smith’s and Karl has an unapologetic personal interest in ensuring the Trust is properly supported and performs to its best for the whole community of Whittlesey.

Bogdan Braneanu is an experienced project management professional with over 10 years of delivering complex projects across commercial and defence environments. Currently a Project Manager in the Health Digital Research sector, Bogdan specializes in stakeholder management, risk mitigation, and data governance. He has a proven track record of driving efficiency, turning around delayed projects, and implementing data strategies. His diverse background, including work with NATO and the British Army, brings a unique strategic perspective to his governance role, helping to create positive, informed changes for the school community.

Michelle is an experienced secondary education professional with over 25 years in senior leadership roles, specialising in Quality of Education, Raising Standards, Pastoral Care, SEND, and Inclusion. Her career reflects a deep commitment to improving educational outcomes and fostering inclusive practices.

Michelle’s expertise includes curriculum design, where her leadership contributed to winning the TES English Department of the Year Award in 2021. She is also passionate about advancing social mobility through education, a commitment recognised by the Prince’s Trust Institute, Bernice McCabe Award.

As a practising senior leader and English teacher, Michelle holds a degree in English Literature with a focus on Inclusive Practices and SEND. She is committed to ongoing professional development and has completed the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH). Michelle brings both strategic insight and practical experience to her role as Trustee.

She lives in Whittlesey and is a proud parent of a child attending an Aspire Learning Trust school, giving her a strong personal connection to the Trust’s vision and values.

Amy is an experienced school leader with a primary education focus and a strong commitment to improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. She currently serves as Headteacher in Cambridgeshire and is undertaking a Doctor of Education (EdD) at Edgewood University in Wisconsin.

Alongside her leadership career, Amy has previously served as an Ofsted inspector, contributing to the evaluation of educational quality across diverse school contexts. This experience has strengthened her understanding of regulatory frameworks, inspection methodology, and the conditions that enable high‑quality teaching and learning. It also informs her ability to offer rigorous, balanced challenge in governance settings.

Across her career, Amy has led whole‑school improvement initiatives grounded in evidence‑informed practice, with particular strengths in curriculum development, inclusion and the strategic use of data to drive sustained progress. She has a proven track record of raising attainment, strengthening professional culture and supporting staff to embed high‑quality pedagogy. In addition, Amy is also a leadership coach with experience coaching new headteachers.

With expertise spanning school leadership, educational research, inspection practice and organisational development, Amy brings to Aspire Learning Trust a reflective, analytical approach to governance, shaped by her academic work in qualitative research, thematic analysis and system‑level improvement. She is deeply committed to ensuring that all children, particularly those facing disadvantage, benefit from ambitious and equitable learning experiences.

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