Spa Education Trust
Joseph Wood
Chair of Members Board - Finance
Joseph became a Member of the Trust as part of the Spa School Conversion. Joseph had previously been a Governor at Spa School and at an Academy Trust in the London Borough of Bexley. In his professional capacity as a Lead Associate at the Financial Conduct Authority, and prior experience in auditing and investigations, Joseph is well positioned to perform the oversight role that is expected of members.
Anupriya Dwivedi
Member
Anupriya joined the Spa School governing body in 2015. Her interest and passion for Spa Bermondsey is a product of her professional and educational background. As a management consultant Anupriya advises the financial services industry on issues relating to strategic change and has worked at Deloitte, Morgan Stanley and the Financial Conduct Authority. She read Neuroscience at the University of Oxford as a Commonwealth Scholar. During her extended training in Psychology she gained experience in working with children with dyslexia and also studied mood disorders in adults using neuropsychological techniques. Anupriya offers the trust skills from her management consulting and corporate governance experience, as well as from her formal education in Psychology.
Rachel Landau
Member
Rachel is a lawyer currently working at the Department for Education. Rachel has significant expertise in educational matters and was a member of the governing body at Spa School for several years before the creation of the Trust.
Bridget Gilchrist
Member
Bridget has been a parent governor for over 15 years at 3 different schools in 2 London local authorities. These include both mainstream and special schools. Bridget has 3 children, 2 of whom have a diagnosis of autism. In 2012 Bridget received her MEd in Special Education (Autism) from Birmingham University. Since 2005 Bridget has worked at a community primary school in Southwark as Assistant Inclusion Manager and Autism lead. She is very proud to be Chair of the newly formed Spa Education Trust and is excited to be able to work alongside the outstanding leadership team at Spa, to make the school a happy experience for young people with autism and to provide support for their families and carers. Bridget was the Chair of Governors at Spa School for several years before the creation of the Trust in 2018.
Steph Lea - Executive Headteacher
Governor
Steph has worked in special needs education for more than 25 years. She has been the Deputy Headteacher at Spa School in Bermondsey from 2011 to 2018 and is delighted to become the Headteacher Designate for Spa School Camberwell. Prior to joining Spa she was the Deputy Head at the Bethlem and Maudsley Hospital School. She has worked as a link advisor for the General Teaching Council, as an Inclusion Manager in a Lambeth community primary school and as a learning support leader at The United Nations International School. Steph has Bachelor of Education degree in Primary Teaching, the National Professional Qualification for Headship and a master’s degree in the Psychology and Education of Children with Special Needs. Steph has extensive leadership experience and has been an Acting Head of both a Primary and Secondary Special School.
William Page
Trustee
Bill is a retired postal worker and is married with two grown up children. Bill’s son has Asperger’s Syndrome who is coming up to 29 years old. Bill’s son was a student at Spa from September 2001 until July 2009. He really loved his time there where the education and life skills teaching, he received were absolutely first class. He still has very fond memories of this period in his life. In July 2008 Bill became a Parent Governor at Spa. He then became a Community Governor and is now a Trustee of the academy. Along with the excellent, hardworking teaching staff and teaching assistants that the academy has and also a superb group of trustees and members involved Bill looks forward to helping the academy in continuing excellent work in the education it provides for youngsters with varying levels of A.S.D.
Dr Lipi Begum
Trustee And Governor
Lipi Begum PhD is an educator with over 15 years’ global experience in Higher Education and Further Education. She is passionate about inclusive Fashion, Design and Enterprise education; creating change and committed to developing diverse leaders. She is a member of the Young Governors Network, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Lipi joined the governing body of Spa School in 2018and is looking forward to her first tenure as a Trustee to ensure outstanding provision for learners.
Holly McAlpine
Chair of Trustees
Holly joined the Spa Trust in 2018 as a Co-opted Trustee and chairs the education committee. Holly is a Head of HR who has a particular interest in diversity and inclusion, particularly in the tech industry. Holly holds a Masters in Human Resource Management and postgraduate qualifications in both Management and Employment Law, and is a member of the Australian Human Resources Institute and the CIPD. Holly is a volunteer facilitator with Diversity Role Models, a charity committed to ending homophobic, biphobic, and transphobic bullying in schools, and is also a volunteer mentor with CIPD Steps Ahead, working with young jobseekers to improve their confidence and employability.
