Board of Trustees
The Trust seeks to fill the Board of Trustees with people who live in the local area, where possible, whilst having regard for the balance of skills and experience that it needs to fulfil its functions.
Sam Chapman
Samantha Chapman is the Chair of Trustees at The Cornerstone Academy Trust, where she has been a dedicated member of the board since 2017. With a professional background in early years education and leadership, she brings valuable insight and experience to the Trust’s governance.
In her role, Samantha supports the strategic direction of the Trust and works closely with fellow trustees and school leaders to ensure high standards of education and wellbeing for all pupils. She has sat on and chaired a number of committees over her time on the trust board including finance, standards, hub governance, and local area boards. She currently chairs the personnel committee and sits on the new education committee.
Samantha is committed to delivering the Trust’s vision of providing inclusive education that empowers every child to reach their full potential. She recognises the importance of preparing children for the future and supports the use of high-quality teaching alongside thoughtful integration of technology in the classroom. This includes using digital tools not only to enhance learning but also to support teachers in managing workload, ensuring that the highest standards of teaching and learning are consistently achieved.
Samantha is extremely proud and privileged to support this unique and highly successful Trust and is committed to helping it continue to grow, innovate, and make a lasting difference in the lives of children, families, and the wider community.
Appointed by the board of trustees | term of office september 2017 | date of appointment: september 2017
VICE-CHAIR OF TRUSTEES AND CHAIR OF FINANCE COMMITTEE
Ashley Dyer
Ashley joined the governing body in 2021 and became the Vice-Chair of Trustees in September 2022. He took over as Chair of the Finance Committee in September 2022. Ashley is an Assistant Headteacher and Head of Sixth Form at Exmouth Community College and all his children attended Broadclyst Community Primary School. Historically Ashley worked as a web developer, and he has a keen interest in the role of digital technology in education.
Appointed by the board of trustees | term of office february 2021 | date of appointment: february 2021
CEO & EXECUTIVE HEADTEACHER FOR CORNERSTONE ACADEMY TRUST
Jonathan Bishop
Jonathan is the Chief Executive of the Trust and sits on most of the sub-committees. He has been with the Trust since 1993, initially as a class teacher at Broadclyst Primary School, then Deputy Head and subsequently Headteacher. He was instrumental driving through the Academisation of the Trust in 2010. Jonathan is passionate about ensuring all children are provided with a broad and balanced curriculum with enhanced opportunities to grow and develop themselves as young people. He has worked regionally, nationally and sometimes globally to broaden the Trust’s educational offer and to support other schools. He was recently appointed as a DfE RISE (Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence) Adviser helping to support schools throughout the Southwest region with driving up standards. Jonathan has 3 children who moved through Broadclyst Primary School, with one now working for the Trust and the other two at university.
Appointed by the board of trustees | term of office september 2010 | date of appointment: september 2010
CHAIR OF EDUCATION COMMITTEE, DESIGNATED TRUSTEE FOR SAFEGUARDING, SEND AND LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN
Ken Dyson
Ken joined the Broadclyst governors in 2010. He is the Chair of the Education sub-committee and sits on other sub-committees. He is also the designated Trustee for Safeguarding, SEND and Looked After Children. He is now retired, but worked as an HMI Inspector for 18 years, including 5 as the IT lead and 4 as a regulator for Ofsted Inspections. He continued working with various educational bodies after his retirement.
Appointed by the board of trustees | term of office september 2010 | date of appointment: september 2010
CHAIR OF ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE
Myles Gordon
Myles has served as a school governor since December 2014. He currently chairs the Admissions sub-committee and sits on others. Outside of education, Myles works as an Independent Lending Consultant and holds a position as a Councillor on the local Parish Council. He is also a parent of a former Broadclyst Primary School pupil, now continuing their education at college.
Appointed by Board of Trustees | Term of Office December 2014 | Date of Appointment: December 2014
CHAIR OF FACILITIES COMMITTEE
John Waddingham
John joined as a governor in 2015. He Chairs the Facilities Committee as well as sitting on other committees. He is employed as Principal Hydrologist for the Environment Agency’s water resources hydrology service. John has 3 children who moved through Broadclyst Primary School and are now at secondary.
Appointed by Board of Trustees | Term of Office March 2015 | Date of Appointment: March 2015
MEMBER OF EDUCATION COMMITTEE AND LINK TRUSTEE FOR PREMIUM
Lorwyn Randall
Lorwyn is an experienced school leader who now works for the Education Endowment Foundation – the ‘What Works Centre for Education’ – leading its support offer for the education system nationally. He has 15 years’ teaching and leadership experience, previously led Devon Research School, and holds a Master’s in Education Research from the University of Exeter, alongside earlier work in Torbay Social Services. Lorwyn is a member of Cornerstone MAT’s Education Committee and the link Trustee for the Pupil Premium.
Appointed by the board of trustees | term of office September 2025 | date of appointment: September 2025
MEMBER OF PERSONNEL COMMITTEE
Jenny Goodall
Jenny joined the Board of Trustees in September 2025 and sits on the Trust’s Personnel Committee. She works for Devon Education Services (part of Devon County Council) and is a highly qualified, experienced Data Protection Officer (DPO) providing expert support and guidance to a wide range of schools, federations and multi-academy trusts across the Southwest. Jenny has two teenaged children who have progressed through Devon’s education system, is the Trust’s DPO, and brings a wealth of knowledge on all information governance related matters.
Appointed by the board of trustees | term of office September 2025 | date of appointment: September 2025
MEMBER OF FINANCE AND FACILITIES COMMITTEE
Ben Harper
Ben joined the Board of Trustees in July 2025 and sits on the Trust’s Finance and Facilities Committees. He is an ACA chartered accountant and is now a Senior Management Accountant. He has worked as an auditor for the Trust in the past whilst working for Bishop Fleming where his interest grew around the work that the Trust does. He is a member of the St Austell Brewery Family Council supporting them with their business strategy.
Appointed by the board of trustees | term of office July 2025 | date of appointment: July 2025
