Jane Sheat

Jane is the Diocesan Director of Education since August 2010. Jane has an important strategic role in relation to academies, school place planning and small schools.

She regularly brokers school to school support, supports underperforming schools and works with governors on the appointment of headteachers in church schools. She has 23 years of HR experience in local government, 17 of which working directly with schools.

Jane is Chair of the Association of Anglican Directors of Education and Chair of Governors at Northgate High School in Ipswich. Jane was the CEO of the St Edmundsbury and Ipswich Diocesan MAT. 

Archdeacon Rich Henderson

Archdeacon Rich has served in the diocese since 2006 holding parochial roles in the Sole Bay Team and Beccles with Worlingham, North Cove and Barnby and as Rural Dean of Waveney and Blyth. He has also served as an Honorary Canon at St Edmundsbury Cathedral. 

Prior to ordination he worked in the retail petrol industry for 14 years including a time as national operations manager for a motorway services company.

He spent three years as a lay minister serving two churches on urban estates in Nottingham as youth and families pastor. He completed his theological training at St John’s College Nottingham and then came to Suffolk for his curacy. 

Archdeacon Rich is interested in practical mission, community engagement and partnership, vocations and the development of ministry and collaborative teams.

The archdeaconry of Suffolk has seven deaneries; Hartismere and Hoxne, Waveney and Blyth, Saxmundham, Loes, Woodbridge, Colneys and Samford.

He is also responsible for chaplains in various sectors and the wellbeing of clergy and lay minsters.

 

James Hargrave

James holds a senior IT management position at the University of Cambridge where he is responsible for the strategic leadership and operational management of IT across the School of Arts and Humanities and School of Humanities and Social Sciences. He also holds the post of IT Director of Newnham College, Cambridge. He previously held senior IT management positions at University College London and the London School of Economics and Political Sciences. He has a degree in Theology.

James was the Chair of Governors at Stradbroke CE Primary School from 2006-2015 and was chair of the federation between Laxfield and Stradbroke since its creation in 2015 until 2018. He was appointed as a National Leader of Governance in January 2016 and supports Chairs and governing bodies across East Anglia. He supported a Suffolk school that joined a MAT as a sponsored academy. James delivers training for school governors.

James is heavily involved in the local community in Stradbroke and is Vice-Chairman and Secretary of the Stradbroke Courthouse and Library Trust. He is also involved with a local community radio station Radio Stradbroke, and is Chair of Stradbroke Parish Council.

James is also the Chair of Trustees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alister Gourlay

Alister held Headships in Church schools for 30 years until 2008, leading a school rated as Outstanding, in both its OfSted and SIAMS inspections, in the year he retired.

In semi-retirement Alister took up the post of Deputy Diocesan Director of Education until August 2017, in which his experience was shared across all Church schools in the Diocese, to assist Governors in the appointment of new Headteachers and to support schools pre and post OfSTED and SIAMS. Alister played a key role in co-ordinating Aided Schools and Academy admission policies and appeals, working also at a regional and national level with particular reference to Admissions, Succession Planning and Governance.

Alister is also a Director of the St Edmundsbury and Ipswich Diocesan MAT.

 

Russell Ayling 

Russell trained as a secondary school teacher of English and drama in the 1970’s. He has held a number of senior management positions but latterly was the Headteacher of two different secondary schools in London and Essex. He has a Certificate in Education, Bachelor of Arts degree and is a Master of Arts (education). He was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Winchester for services to education.

Russell works as an independent consultant and school improvement partner. Russell has been chair of a governing body, chair of trustees of a MAT and a member of another MAT. Russell has held a wide range of community positions over the years. He has been a police lay visitor and a member of a prison Independent Monitoring Board. Russell was chairman of a carnival committee in Surrey which raised thousands of pounds for local charities.

Russell is currently a councillor on Stradbroke Parish Council.

As a member of the then, Masque Theatre Company of Surrey, he performed in many plays raising money for the historic houses in Surrey, including those of the National Trust.