Trust Directors
SUZIE HOBART, Chair
Suzie Hobart is Chair of the Knowledge Schools Trust Board of Directors, she was one of the original founders of the West London Free School and has served as a Director and Governor in various roles over the growth of the Trust.
Suzie is a consultant and programme manager, focusing on transformation and technology programmes.
Suzie is the mother of three teenage children. She was educated at an Independent Grammar School and went on to study Engineering at Oxford.
Cosmo Lush
Cosmo is one of the founders of the West London Free School and a Partner at executive search firm True Search. Before starting his career in executive search Cosmo spent 12 years in the media and telecom sectors in a range of commercial and strategy roles at EMI Music, Channel Four Television, Orange and 3 UK. Earlier in his career, Cosmo worked in the not-for-profit sector with a specialist media consultancy advising environmental and social justice organisations on their public advocacy campaigns.
Cosmo lives in Acton with his wife and three children.
Cosmo has a degree in Geography from the University of Oxford and an MBA from INSEAD
Kathryn Cooper
Kathryn is one of the founders of the West London Free School. In 2013 she established the governing bodies of the West London Free School Primary and in 2014, the Earl’s Court Free School Primary. She chaired both boards for three years. They were judged outstanding by Ofsted in June 2015 and June 2017 respectively. Her experience in governance began at her children’s primary school in Chiswick where she was the governor for Inclusion for four years.
Kathryn was educated in the state sector at a rural comprehensive in the New Forest and then in London where she obtained a Business Studies degree, followed by a Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing Strategy from the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Her experience of working with colleagues who have had better educational opportunities than she did, has driven her passion for an excellent education for all. She is thoroughly committed to the ethos and vision of the schools in the Knowledge Schools Trust.
She is a governor of the West London Free School and a Trustee of the Knowledge Schools Foundation Trust.
In her professional life, she is a communications, change and stakeholder management specialist.
Laura McGaughey
Laura is Head of Content Finance for BBC Television and has previously held similar roles in BBC Radio, BBC Online and Corporate Finance, after starting at the BBC in its Internal Audit department. She joined the BBC from Ernst and Young where she qualified as an ACA.
She studied Spanish and French at Cambridge and now lives in Kingston with her husband and two girls.
She has joined the WLFS because of a desire to contribute to education as her children reach school age and was drawn to its curriculum approach, in particular its music specialism.
Penny Hunt
Penny is a legal director in the employment group at international law firm Bird & Bird LLP. She has clients in a wide range of sectors including music, media, construction and information technology and advises them on the full range of employment issues such as restructuring exercises, sensitive disciplinary and grievance issues and litigation including complex discrimination cases. She also has a sizeable practice advising senior executives. Penny has previously worked at Baker & McKenzie, Clarkslegal (where she was seconded to a client for the duration of a major industrial relations dispute) and DAC Beachcroft. She is also on the training committee of the Employers Lawyers' Association.
Penny was state educated throughout and has a law degree. She was previously a governor of her son's nursery.
She lives in Notting Hill with her husband and two children. Penny is also a trustee of a charity which provides high quality vocational dance training to young dancers from a wid
William Rollason
William Rollason is Chair of Governors at West London Free School.
William is a chartered accountant, having qualified at KPMG, and has over thirty years’ experience as a main board director of public and private companies, acting at various times as Chairman, CEO, COO and CFO. Currently, he is also a Governor of West Acton Primary School, a maintained school in Ealing.
William is a graduate of St. Andrews University with a French degree and believes strongly in the teaching of modern foreign languages as a core part of the curriculum.
Oliver knight
Oli Knight is Principal at Ark Acton Academy where he has continued his successful history of delivering school improvement at pace. Prior to this Oli was Executive Headteacher of Phoenix Academy and was previously Headteacher at Greenwich Free School.
Beverley TROTMAN
Beverley has been in education since 1998 having worked in primary, middle, independent and state schools. Beverley now works as Head of Academy based in Corby. She studied Education (BA with Hons) at Luton University and has completed the National Professional Qualification for Headship with Ambition Institute (NPQH). Beverley worked in the import and export industry for over twenty years before embarking on her educational journey, inspired by her own children. As an accomplished vocalist and educator, Beverley believes that every child, irrespective of their start in life, deserves the very best education an institution can offer to maximise their talent and potential.
Ian Pryce
Ian Pryce CBE was Chief Executive of The Bedford College Group from 1998 until January 2024, having joined the group as Finance Director in 1996. He was previously regional finance director at the Further Education Funding Council and has worked as a director or senior manager in retail, electricity generation and local government. A regular contributor to sector media, Ian has been a national leader in further education, works as a mentor for the FE Commissioner, chairs the regulatory committee of Cambridge Assessment and sits on the Council of the Chartered Institution for Further Education.
Anthony Abrahams
Anthony Abrahams TD DL MBA qualified as a solicitor and has considerable hands-on experience in Legal Practice Management, which he has reinforced academically by gaining an MBA with distinction from Nottingham Law School. Anthony also sits as a Deputy District Judge. Anthony’s legal background has been complemented and enhanced with leadership and organisational skills acquired in the Territorial Army where he attained the rank of Colonel. Anthony was mobilised in 2006 to undertake an operational tour in Iraq where he worked to develop the Rule of Law and human rights issues.
A past governor of Bedford School and Chair of Bedford College Academies Trust Anthony has been involved in the education sector for many years. Married with three children and four grandchildren he enjoys family events, cycling and sailing.
Anthony is a Deputy Lieutenant and continues to be active in a number of military charities caring for the needs of service personnel and their families, as well as local and national charities.
Emma Madden
Emma is currently Head of School at Fox Primary School and Head of Curriculum and Standards across the Fox Federation. She has a daughter and a son at the West London Free School. She has lived in West London all her life. Emma studied English Literature at Cambridge University, before completing her PGCE and Masters of Teaching at the Institute of Education. She has led Fox Primary School for over 10 years, which is also the lead school for the London Central and West Maths Hub and strategic partner to the local English Hub and Central London Teaching School Hub. Most recently, in her role as curriculum lead, Emma led the development of the Primary English Curriculum for the Oak National Academy in partnership with the Fox Federation. In her role, Emma delivers extensive training to qualified teachers around London and works in an advisory capacity to many schools, coordinating school-to-school support. She has particular strengths in use of school data, curriculum design, the monitoring of teaching and learning and staff development. She has served as Governor and Associate Governor on her own governing body for the past 17 years and was previously the Vice-Chair for the West London Primary School governing board for 8 years.
DECLARATION OF BUSINESS INTERESTS AND OTHER GOVERNANCE INFORMATION
Honorary Director and Advisor to the Board
JOHN MCINTOSH CBE
John retired in December 2006 after nearly 30 years as the Headmaster of The London Oratory School, an all-ability school for 1,400 boys, ages 7 to 19, in central London.
He was a member of the Health Education Council from 1985 to 1988 and the National Curriculum Council from 1990 to 1993. More recently he has been a member of the Teachers’ Standards Review, the National Curriculum Review Committee, the Board of the National College for School Leadership and the Board of the Teaching Agency. He is now an adviser on free schools.
He has been a governor of several maintained and independent schools and is presently chairman of governors at a preparatory school in London. He is a trustee of the English Schools Orchestra and Choir, and a member of the Education Committee of the David Ross Education Trust.
He has a particular interest in education policy and has been actively involved in several think tanks concerned with education throughout his career.