Please see below for more information on Westminster Academy Trust Board.

Pen Portraits

Mr Edward Wright (member & trustee):

• Project management professional with experience in developing and managing complex service offers, internationally.
• Experience includes IT, directorship, account management and systems engineering.
• Experience in directorship of educational charitable trust

Mr Nadeem Bhatti (trustee):

• Experienced headteacher
• Designated National Leader of Education
• Experienced in supporting school improvement nationally.

Mr Naeem Aslam (member & trustee):

• Considerable experience in retail and commercial banking
• Business Development Manager in global retail banking, corporate investment and wealth management bank.
• Experience of leading cross-border and multi-jurisdictional banking services for corporations and intermediaries.

Mrs Annette Gurney (trustee):

• Qualified as a teacher in the secondary sector and as a social worker, holding masters level qualifications
• Served as a senior university lecturer and course director, gaining experience in curriculum delivery, data analysis and safeguarding
• Significant experience of the charity sector as an employee and trustee’

Mr Maneer Samad (trustee, Accounting Officer):

• Experienced headteacher and CEO
• Designated Local Leader of Education
• Significant experience of supporting school improvement across Birmingham

Dr Suhail Tarafdar (trustee):

• Considerable experience as a medical professional, qualified to masters level
• Experienced General Medical Practitioner
• Experienced teacher of GP Registrars and foundation doctors

Mr Stephen Griffin (member):

• Lengthy experience as an accountant qualified at AAT and CIPFA part 1 and 2
• Particular expertise in school and academy finance, including budget setting, monitoring and reporting
• Experienced provider of training in educational finance

Mr Roy Fackrell (member):

• Assistant Headteacher and teacher of French in the secondary sector (retired)
• Lead for primary school outreach and pastoral provision
• Considerable experience as a governor and trustee across a range of schools and educational trusts

Mr Paul Griffiths (member):

• Experienced in business ownership and development
• Co-founded market leading provider of sports provision and staff development for schools
• Established international charitable foundation

Name	Post	Occupation	Date of appointment	End date of appointment	Business interest declared	Date interest registered	Date interest ceased	Other Committee Post
Edward Wright	Chair of Trustees Chair of Finance Committee Vice Chair of Audit & Risk Committee Member	Cyber Security Sales Consultant – VMware	01/02/2025 18/01/2017	31/01/2029 Ongoing	Chair of Trustees Handsworth Association of Schools	November 2020	N/A	Finance & Audit
Mohammed Nadeem Bhatti	Trustee Vice Chair of Trustees Chair of Curriculum Committee Safeguarding Trustee	Headteacher – Shaw Hill Primary School	01/02/2022	31/01/2026	Trustee – Canterbury Cross Academy Trust	April 2018 Term extended from 2024	N/A	Curriculum
Mohammed Naeem Aslam	Trustee & Member Chair of Audit & Risk Committee Vice Chair of Finance Committee	Retired	07/01/2023	06/01/2027	N/A	N/A	N/A	Finance & Audit
Annette Gurney	Trustee SEND Trustee	Retired	20/03/2023	19/03/2027	Evans Cottage Homes trustee	November 2019	N/A	N/A
Maneer Samad	Headteacher (Accounting Officer) & Trustee	Headteacher – Westminster Primary School	01/02/2017	Ongoing	Westminster Academy Trust	February 2017	N/A	Finance
Suhail Tarafdar	Trustee	General Practitioner for NHS England; Small Heath Medical Practice; Clinical Associate Professor at College of Medicine & Dentistry; Tutor at University of Cambridge; Your Health Partnership; Warwick Medical School	07/01/2023	06/01/2027	Memberships – Fellowship of the Royal College of General Practitioners; Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Educators; Senior Fellowship of Higher Education Academy	July 2020	N/A	Audit
Stephen Griffin	Trustee Member	Self Employed	01/02/2017 07/01/2019	06/01/2019 Ongoing	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Roy Fackrell	Chair of trustees & Member	Retired	01/02/2021 18/01/2017	10/11/23 Ongoing	N/A	N/A	N/A	Finance & Audit until 10/11/23
Paul Griffiths	Trustee Member	Company Director	07/01/2019 01/02/2017	06/01/2023 Ongoing	Director of: Aspire Active Education Group, Aspire Training Solutions, Aspire Active Camps, Aspire Active Partnerships, Griftro LTD OTMA LTD, Aspire Active Software LTD Trustee – Aspire Sports Trust	March 2017 Nov 2021 Nov 2020	N/A	N/A

ATTENDANCE FOR 2024-25- TRUSTEES AND MEMBERS

Name	14/11/2024	10/12/2024	04/03/2025	08/07/2025
Edward Wright	Present	Present	Present	Present
Maneer Samad	Present	Present	Present	Present
Nadeem Bhatti	Present	Present	Present	Apology
Naeem Aslam	Present	Apology	Apology	Present
Suhail Tarafdar	Apology	Apology	Apology	Apology
Annette Gurney	Apology	Present	Apology	Apology

ATTENDANCE FINANCE COMMITTEE FOR 2024-25

Name	14/11/2024	10/12/2024	04/03/2025	08/07/2025
Edward Wright	Present	Present	Present	Present
Maneer Samad	Present	Present	Present	Present
Naeem Aslam	Present	Present	Present	Present

ATTENDANCE AUDIT & RISK COMMITTEE FOR 2024-25

Name	14/11/2024	10/12/2024	04/03/2025	08/07/2025
Edward Wright	Present	Present	Present	Present
Naeem Aslam	Present	Present	Present	Present
Suhail Tarafdar	Apology	Apology	Apology	Apology

ATTENDANCE FOR 2023-24- TRUSTEES AND MEMBERS

Name	09/11/2023	14/12/2023	14/03/2024	16/07/2024
Roy Fackrell	Apology	Retired
Maneer Samad	Present	Present	Present	Present
Edward Wright	Present	Present	Present	Apology
Nadeem Bhatti	Present	Present	Present	Present
Naeem Aslam	Apology	Present	Apology	Present
Suhail Tarafdar	Apology	Present	Apology	Apology
Annette Gurney	Present	Apology	Present	Present