Board of Trustees

Hollygirt School Trustees serve in a threefold capacity as:

• Trustees of the charity
• Directors of the company
• Governors of the school

These are our current members of the board:

Mrs A Bingham
Mr C Adams
Mrs R Archer
Ms A Turton
Mr J Townsend
Dr J West

Alison Bingham 

Skills: education; education leadership; strategic planning & project management; MAT development; communications & marketing, careers advice & guidance 

Alison has extensive leadership experience in education and skills development having worked in senior leadership positions in both mainstream secondary and SEND schools for many years.   Alison is currently the Director of Development and executive within a multi academy trust based in Derbyshire.  Before moving into the education sector, Alison worked in management roles within economic development agencies specialising in workforce and skills development. 

As a leader with responsibility for driving forward school improvement, Alison has experience of multi-faculty leadership, strategic planning and DfE funding/strategic planning applications, communications & marketing, and skills development and is also a CDI registered Careers Counsellor.  Alison is also a Director & Company Secretary of a family farm in north Nottinghamshire and Member of the Southwell Agricultural Society.

Chris Adams

Skills: Broad legal knowledge and experience, team building and leadership, building and planning businesses strategy, managing change, mentoring and working with young people 

Chris Adams LLB (with Hons.) Solicitor (non practicing) and accredited mediator. 

After qualifying as a solicitor, Chris spent more than 30 years in legal practice as a partner with a leading East Midlands law firm. In addition to providing professional advice to businesses, he led both regional departments and specialist teams, also serving on the firm`s management board. Chris now runs his own consultancy business. He is a Non-Executive Director with a training company which prepares young people for employment and which also provides workplace and apprenticeship training. Chris also chairs a local youth charity, helping youngsters with limited life chances and he sits on the board of the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire United Services Club. 

Chris grew up in Nottingham and his family connection to Hollygirt goes back a long way. His mother, Mary, taught at Hollygirt in the 1970s and early 1980`s. More recently, his son Oliver was a pupil at Hollygirt.

Julian Townsend 

Skills: leadership, political sensitivity, diplomacy, risk assessment, communication and interpersonal skills. 

Julian has almost 40 years’ experience in local government. He qualified as an Environmental Health Officer and worked for several district councils as his career developed, culminating as an executive director of a local authority in Derbyshire. He retired in 2022. 

He believes his experience in strategic leadership; effective financial, performance and people management; as well as working with a variety of statutory and voluntary organisations, will assist him in his role as a trustee.

Julia (Julie) West MBE, JP, PhD, CBiol, FRSB 

Skills: Biology, Environmental Science, Education, Team Building, Mentoring, Project Management, Communication 

Originally a school science teacher, Julie has 35 years’ experience as an environmental scientist, building an international reputation in carbon capture and storage, radioactive waste disposal and groundwater quality. She has led major international scientific projects providing expertise to national and international organisations and was awarded an MBE  for her work. 

Julie’s interest in science communication led to a British Association for the Advancement of Science Media Fellowship with BBC Radio Science.  

Julie is keen to bring her scientific and management expertise and her communication skills to support Hollygirt. 

Rachael Archer 

Rachael is a Director of a local company which has been successfully providing tailored electrical installation solutions for a diverse range of commercial and industrial clients throughout the UK for over 35 years. 

Originally trained as a Mental Health Nurse, and having qualifications in both mental health and parent carer peer support, she now enjoys a role as a parent2parent support volunteer with the CAMHS Eating Disorder Team. 

Rachael has a 20 year association with Hollygirt, with both daughters having been pupils from nursery onwards and is very keen to help to continue to maintain the Hollygirt ethos.