Kate has wide experience of education, in particular of further education and vocational studies.  She brings to the team a wealth of expertise and knowledge, particularly in, change management and strategic planning. 

Expertise

• Experience of successful management and strategic planning in the commercial, education and voluntary sectors including the management of change, managing projects and working to meet challenging targets and tight deadlines.  She understands what makes a successful organisation and is an experienced and skilled facilitator.
• A wide range of knowledge, experience and skills gained in school governance since 1992 to the present. Chair of governors of a secondary school since 1996 and experience as chair of governors of a primary school. Kate set up and facilitates an action learning set of chairs of governors in the Rushcliffe area to share best practice and ideas.
• Financial management experience including budgetary control and forecasting, managed a voluntary organisation through a very difficult funding crisis to a more secure long term future. This involved writing applications for funding as well as designing and overseeing the implementation of better systems. Chair of the governors finance committee.
• Recruitment and personnel skills – As a governor helped recruit many staff including 3 head teachers (one in April 2008) and three deputy head teachers.  All have been considered to be excellent appointments and have taken the school forward.  Committed to open and fair recruitment practices designed to find the right candidate for the right post and know that, in any organisation, people are its most important resource.

• Recent experience of working in the regeneration division at Nottinghamshire County Council on business skills development projects which included hands on working with SMEs
• Many years of teaching in six colleges in three counties. A PGCE (FE) and is currently a visiting tutor at Hillcroft residential college for women
• Senior management experience in the voluntary and commercial sectors