Governance

The University of Kent Academies Trust (UKAT) is an established Trust focused on developing the life experience and opportunities of its students, parents, carers, and staff in Medway and Kent, and the surrounding community.

We are ambitious and courageous, as we want young people to aspire to reach their goals and aspirations above and beyond any limitations they might perceive. This means that each UKAT Academy is different in its approach to learning and has its own core beliefs and values established.

The MAT is sponsored and supported by the University of Kent, a leading University that provides academic and vocational opportunities for our students, and professional development opportunities for our staff.

We are passionate about nurturing, growing, and developing people, so that the students and communities we serve have the best opportunities to thrive and flourish. We want to excite and motivate those who work with us and create real passion and joy around learning.

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UKAT Structure Charts

UKAT Members

Professor Georgina Randsley de Moura - Member on behalf of The University of Kent - Professor of Social & Organisational Psychology, Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Strategy, Planning, and Performance

Martin Atkinson - Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development - University of Kent

Karen Cox - Vice Chancellor and President - University of Kent

Simone Davies - Director of Marketing, Outreach, Recruitment and Admissions (MORA) - University of Kent

Philip Pothen - Director of Engagement - University of Kent

UKAT Trust Board

Term from 10 January 2022 to 9 January 2026
William Collier is a Reader in Economics at the University of Kent. He is also the Strategic Lead for the University’s Medway Campus based at Chatham Maritime.
William has been a Trustee Board member since October 2021 and Chair of the Chatham Grammar Governing Board since September 2022. He has a strong background and interests in curriculum and educational development, and a deep commitment to leading change that enhances students’ aspirations and outcomes.
Term from 2 October 2023 to 1 October 2027
Nigel Ingram is a retired senior Bank Manager, who worked for HSBC Bank for over 40 years, many of which were in the Medway Towns. Nigel has been a Governor, now Trustee, for over 20 years and has helped to steer the direction and growth of the organisation through its transformation into the now very successful University of Kent Academies Trust. His role on the Board of Trustees is Chair of the Finance and Staffing Committee and Vice Chair on the Trust Board.
Nigel is also the Link Trustee for Safeguarding and Health and Safety across the Trust. Nigel is a local resident and lives close by in the town of Sittingbourne.
Term from 10 January 2022 to 9 January 2026
Clare Allison has been a UKAT Trustee since January 2022. She has been Head of Outreach & Widening Participation at the University of Kent since 2021 and has 15 years’ experience working with schools and colleges to support learners, from underrepresented groups and those who face disadvantages/structural barriers, to consider Higher Education progression.
Through her work at the University, Clare is a Board Member of the Kent and Medway Progression Federation and the Care Leaver Progression Partnership. As an active member of the UKAT Trust Board, along with her experience in the wider education sector, Clare brings her experience in strategic development, people management and problem solving.
Term from 5 January 2023 to 4 January 2027
Lisa Dickson is a Reader in Law at the University of Kent. She is also the Deputy Director of the Division of Law, Society and Social Justice (LSSJ).
Lisa has been a Trustee Board member since January 2023 and is Chair of the newly created Sixth Form Local Advisory Board. Lisa has a strong background in education, scholarship, and curriculum development having acted as Director of Education for both Kent Law School and LSSJ.
Lisa’s education focus lies in working on co-production with students and leading educational change that reflects student needs and ambitions.
Term from 4 October 2021 to 3 October 2025
Richard Ebanks was a partner in a very large dental practice in Chatham for over 30 years. He was involved in all aspects of the business, including personnel, business development and finance. He now continues to work as a dentist in a different practice in North Kent.
Richard was asked to become a Governor for Brompton Academy by the Local Authority in 2010, as he had taken a keen interest in all aspects of education. As a Trustee, he has been involved in the oversight of the academies within the trust but with an emphasis on the Discipline Panels. Recently he has been asked to Chair the Local Governing Board of Brompton Academy.
Richard is a local resident and, when time permits, is a keen amateur rugby referee.
Term from 3 November 2020 to 2 November 2024
Kim Lowe has spent most of her career at John Lewis Partnership, and for more than 36 years, she has worked across people, customer service, employee engagement, Human Resources and business.
She progressed through various operational and general management leadership roles, being appointed Managing Director of John Lewis Bluewater in 2014. In 2007, she was appointed to the John Lewis Partnership main Board and was a member of the Audit and Risk, Nomination and Remuneration Committees.
Her final role was to lead the pension review at John Lewis before leaving in 2020 to continue to build her portfolio Non-Executive Director (NED) career, in the public and private sector. She holds NED positions at Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust, Kent Community Health Foundation Trust, as well as a Council Lay Member at the University of Kent and Co-Chair of the University of Kent Academies Trust in Medway. She is an active member of Finance, Workforce and Remuneration Committees across her portfolio.
Kim, who lives in Canterbury, said: “I am passionate about employee engagement; I truly believe it lies at the heart of a successful enterprise. An empowered workforce delivers better service and a happier working environment for all. That’s why I was attracted to UKAT as it has strong values and understands the importance of an inclusive culture.”
Term from 1 June 2023 to 31 May 2027
Zaid Mahmood is currently the Students’ Union President at Kent Union based at the University of Kent (UoK) in Canterbury. He studied at the UoK’s Medway campus from 2018-2022, Zaid subsequently moved to Canterbury. Zaid’s time in Medway was formative during his university career. He worked with the UoK and Students’ Union to improve the experience for students in Medway and has been involved in the wider community through various volunteering roles, employment, and family ties.
Zaid is honoured to be a part of the UKAT Trust Board to help bring a new perspective. He aims to work with Trust members in ensuring that UKAT academies provide their students with the best possible education and remove barriers for them to progress into higher and further education routes.
Zaid states that “Academies such as Brompton Academy and Chatham Grammar are the backbone of the community in Medway, and they give young people from all different backgrounds, the opportunity to grow and develop themselves.”
Term from 2 October 2023 to 1 October 2027
il Oliver’s experience is finance based as a qualified Chartered Accountant and previously Assistant Director of Finance at the University of Kent for 29 years. Prior to joining the University, he worked for Ernst and Young (EY) and then KPMG (both international firms of accountants providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services).
Neil has been a Governor, now Trustee, for over 12 years and has been involved with the financial aspects of the Trust since it was established in 2010. Neil’s current role on the Board of Trustees is Vice Chair of the Finance and Staffing Committee and the Link Trustee for Finance across the Trust.
Appointed 19 February 2024
Allan has been in education for 24 years and in senior leadership for 19 of those. He has served as Head of Sixth Form, SENCO, Assistant and Deputy Headteacher, Headteacher, Executive Headteacher and Director of Education for Ongar. He has also had the opportunity to work in several educational settings including Primary, Secondary, University Technical College and Further Education.
He has been a Headteacher for over a decade including taking two schools out of special measures to good or outstanding. He was fortunate enough to lead one school to become the third most improved school in the whole country in 2017 - overturning a Progress 8 score of -0.54 to +0.1 in one year.
Allan has worked in inner city London schools for 10 years and in deprived, rural Essex for eight and has worked for two of the biggest academy groups in the country.
At heart, he will always be a teacher by trade and still loves to be in a class of 30 students delivering English or Drama education.
Term from 12 March 2022 to 11 March 2026
Oliver Martin has been a parent Trustee for UKAT since 2018 and is now a co-opted Trustee on the UKAT Trust Board. Oliver was recently voted in again as a Parent Governor at Chatham Grammar. During his time as a Trustee, he has been an active member of the Trust Board getting involved in discussing a wide range of topics including the vision of Chatham Grammar and the Trust, the curriculum, wellbeing and mental health, Sixth Form provision, development of the Senior Leadership Team and marketing of the UKAT academies.
Oliver is currently Regulation and Strategy Director at South East Water where he brings a range of skills to him in his role on the Governing Body at UKAT. This includes people management, strategic planning, governance, compliance and quality assurance. Oliver is a local resident and has two daughters who attend Chatham Grammar.