{"id":84519,"date":"2024-06-20T09:31:05","date_gmt":"2024-06-20T09:31:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.taylorroot.com\/?p=84519"},"modified":"2025-04-09T12:36:15","modified_gmt":"2025-04-09T12:36:15","slug":"taylor-root-uk-trustee-network-interview-with-kate-burns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.taylorroot.com\/zh-hans\/career-advice\/taylor-root-uk-trustee-network-interview-with-kate-burns\/","title":{"rendered":"Taylor Root UK Trustee Network: An interview with Kate Burns"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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As part of our interview series for our Trustee Network, Taylor Root Partner, Georgia Morgan-Wynne<\/a>, recently spoke to Kate Burns VP Business Operations and General Counsel at MOO<\/a> about her experience as a Trustee for Wandle Learning Trust<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Can you talk us through your journey to being a Trustee?<\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

I started off by getting involved in my then law \ufb01rm’s Year 10 Mentoring Scheme. We took on groups of one to three Year 10 girls from a local school and mentored them for an academic year. I was a mentor for seven years which I loved – seeing the girls transform from our \ufb01rst meeting to the last was so rewarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This led to being asked to become a Governor of their school. It wasn\u2019t a conventional start as, at my \ufb01rst meeting the school was put into special measures by the Local Authority for management issues! But it was a fantastic experience and a great school, and I was a Governor for eight years. During that time, I had a huge range of experiences, from working as a team to get the school back on track, to thinking really hard about the values and culture to (as a lawyer) sitting on disciplinary hearing panels (for both staff and students). It was in these panels that I had my \ufb01rst real – and raw – experience of very dif\ufb01cult conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I left my law \ufb01rm in 2016 and my new job was a long way away from the school. I had also done two terms as a Governor, so it was time to \ufb01nd something new. I wanted to \ufb01nd something where I could give back to my local community and where the role was a bit different. Which is where Wandle Learning Trust<\/a> came in. I joined shortly after it had been set up – a Multi Academy Trust with (then) two schools. It now comprises \ufb01ve schools, teaching school hubs and a phonics programme used by 5500 schools nationally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Can you share more about your current NFP that you are a Trustee of?<\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Wandle Learning Trust<\/a> is a Multi Academy Trust with, currently, \ufb01ve schools (one secondary and the rest primary). All the schools are Ofsted outstanding or good rated (although not all were on joining our Trust). In addition to schools, Wandle Learning Trust takes a lead role in a teaching school, an Early Years Hub, an English Hub and a Maths Hub to create a teaching community with limitless opportunities for collaboration and development. On top of that, in partnership with another school and Harper Collins, we develop and run one of the country\u2019s leading phonics programmes which is used by over 5,500 schools nationwide. I am a Trustee, Chair of the Standards Committee and also a link Trustee for SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) and EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Trust is growing very quickly – we have about \ufb01ve new London schools interested in joining and may also soon be starting a hub of schools in an adjacent county.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What was it like being one of the \ufb01rst Trustees? <\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Hard work! With the Government policy drive to move all schools to Academy status, you would think there would be a blueprint to follow, but it wasn’t as straightforward. We were a small group of Trustees and, until we were big enough to recruit a central team employed by the Trust, we did a lot of the initial work setting up systems and processes ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it was a great way to get to know everyone and there is nothing more inspiring than being surrounded by a group of volunteers who are really good at what they do and are passionate about education and making a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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