(All the MATs, LA schools and Independent schools in Cornwall.)

Dan Buckley

Currently, the Chair of CACE, Dan is CEO of SMART Schools Trust.  35 years of education experience including Secondary Headship, six years as international Director of Educational Research at Mott MacDonald, winner of the National Teaching Award for creativity and the BECTA National Secondary Leadership Award.

Phil Banks 

Originally from the North East, Phil completed his formative education in Newcastle before attending Lancaster University, where he successfully gained a Bachelor’s Degree in Education.  He began his career in the South West, teaching in Newquay and St Teath before moving quickly into a headship role in Liskeard.

Phil then moved into his second primary headship where, after successfully leading the school for over 10 years, he founded a large Multi-Academy Trust and also worked as an Ofsted Inspector.  As part of his role as a Director of the Trust, Phil also took on the executive headship of a second school, taking it through a very successful Ofsted Inspection.

In 2017, Phil left this role to take up a Lead Inspector post with the Ministry of Education in Dubai, where he lived and worked for two years.  Here he worked exclusively in secondary education, developing an advanced international curriculum within government schools.

In 2020, Phil returned to Cornwall to take up the headship of St Teath and subsequently the role of CEO for the North Cornwall Learning Trust.

All Single academy Trusts in Cornwall were approached when CEP was established to ask if they wished to nominate a representative. All agreed to be represented through CASH and CAPH (See below)

Andy Johnson

Andy Johnson is the Head of Truro School and represents Cornwall’s Independent Schools in CEP.  Prior to joining Truro School in September 2020, his career included being Deputy Head (Academic) at St Dunstan’s College in Lewisham, South East London, founding Deputy Head and DSL at the London Academy of Excellence in Newham, East London, and a Housemaster at Westminster School. His career started at Berkhamsted School in Hertfordshire after a PGCE in Leeds, and a History Degree from Downing College, Cambridge. His experience and leadership spans independent and state sectors, and includes partnership work across both.

Local Authority Schools

Eveleen Riordan

Service Director for Education and Community Health at Cornwall Council, formerly Assistant Director for Schools and Learning in Haringey and a former Town Planner.

Graeme Plunkett

Graeme has worked in education since 1982, teaching secondary English, Media and Drama in Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Cornwall and London. He has held senior leadership roles in five schools, including Headship, both in maintained schools and academies. He led the Professional Studies course on the Bedfordshire SCITT teacher training course for many years and has held Lead Practitioner roles with the SSAT. In 2015, Graeme joined Cornwall Council as a Senior Education Effectiveness Officer, taking on the Head of Service role in 2023.

(All the delivery partners in education)

Jennifer Blunden

Dr Jennifer Blunden OBE was appointed Chief Executive of Truro and Penwith Academy Trust in September 2015, is the Vice Chair of the Cornwall Academy Chief Executives (CACE) group and Chair of the Operational Group which supports the strategic implementation of the Cornwall Education Partnership. The trust is a strong partnership of schools in Cornwall with a shared mission to improve the life chances for all children and young people in trust schools, working with communities in areas of significant rural and coastal deprivation. Jennifer was elected to the Advisory Board for the South West Region in 2022 and was awarded an OBE for services to education in 2019. Previously a member of the Teaching School Council, Jennifer is an advocate for leadership development in the region and is Chair of Leading Schools South West (LSSW) and a member of the SW100 strategic partnership. Jennifer has a doctorate in education and a background in natural sciences and land management, with research undertaken at the UN Commission on Sustainable Development and within the UK. Before moving to Cornwall in 2008, Jennifer enjoyed senior leadership roles in Hampshire.

Chris Challis

Chris started his teaching career in 1998 as a teacher of Geography. His greatest passion is and remains teaching and learning. He has had a variety of senior leadership roles throughout his career, including being the Designated Safeguard Lead, overseeing Behaviour and Attitudes as well as Teaching and Learning. He secured his Headship in 2014 at The Roseland Academy, taking the school to Outstanding in 2017. The school is and remains one of the highest performing academies in Cornwall and the South West. He became the Executive Headteacher of The Roseland Trust of Schools and is now their CEO.

Jade Poole

Jade is Team Leader for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly for the South West Regions Group. Regions Group is part of the Department for Education, with each regional team led by a Regional Director. Regions Group is entrusted with several critical responsibilities aimed at bringing about improvement, intervention, and reform. Regions Group focusses on improvement and intervention across schools, Children’s Social Care (CSC) and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Regions Group takes an area-based approach, bringing together our priorities for children and schools across Regions Group and working with partners to deliver collectively.

Helen Adams

Headteacher of Truro Nursery School since 2009, Helen has worked in education for 30 years. She has worked throughout the Primary and Early Years phases and has been an acting head in three different Primary schools prior to taking up her current position. Helen began her teaching career in Cornwall. In addition, she has led an ARB supporting pupils with speech and language disorders in Dorset and has experience of working for the MOD in a school in Germany. In more recent years, she has led an Early Years Teaching School in Cornwall. Helen has a Master’s degree in the Early Years. Throughout her career, Helen has been involved in supporting and training other schools and settings.n content

Guy Chappell

CEO of the Special Partnership Trust and also a member of CACE.

Rob Gasson

CEO of WAVE Multi Academy Trust and a member of CACE. Rob is an experienced CEO with extensive boardroom experience as both a CEO and trustee. Rob’s first headteacher role started in 2000. He has Master’s Degrees in Economics and Education Management and has worked extensively with pupils who exhibit challenging behaviour and those who are unable to access school due to their health. He has contributed to developing leading policy and practice in this field and is a passionate advocate of inclusion, and a proud father of two.

Cornwall Association of Secondary School Headteachers

David Barton

Executive Officer representing all secondary members of the Cornwall Association of Secondary School Headteachers.

Cornwall Association of Primary School Headteachers

Rachel Heffer

With over 30 years experience in education in Cornwall, including 16 years as a Deputy Head, Rachel has been Headteacher at Perran-ar worthal Primary school since 2013. In addition to her role as Chair of Governors at a local Outstanding Nursery School, she provides mentoring and pastoral support for local headteachers, a monitoring role for a school within the WAVE MAT and facilitates leadership training, delivering the NPQSL and NPQH programmes. As Co-Chair of CAPH, Rachel contributes to the LA SEND Board and ASONE.

Lee Moscato

Diocesan Director of Education (DDE) for the Diocese of Truro. Lee has worked in education for 25 years, starting his career as a teaching assistant and then continued through various leadership roles, and most recently was headteacher of King Charles School in Falmouth prior to his current role. The role of DDE sees Lee work with the 43 Church of England Schools and the trusts of which the majority of them are part of. He has recently been accepted to train as a SIAMS Inspector and is about to complete the National Professional Qualification in Executive Leadership (NPQEL).

• To establish CEP as a representative group and establish its relationships with the LA, existing networks and its operational board.
• Beginning with a focus on attendance, to forge new methods for gaining authoritative insight that will allow us to set meaningful strategic goals for improving the life chances of all children in Cornwall.
• Formulation of the wider long term strategy for educational improvement in Cornwall so that the group can eventually lead this strand of work.

• To establish an independent Chair of the Partnership
• To begin to develop an Education Strategy for improving outcomes and life chances across Cornwall and to consult partners on a wider range of strategic areas which may include;
• Social mobility
• KS2 outcomes including mathematics
• Leadership development including training and succession
• Early years development
• All key stage outcomes
• Belonging