Stephen Morales
Chief Executive, Institute of School Business Leadership (ISBL)
Stephen has a 20-year career history in operations and finance, working at a senior level in the public and private sectors, both in the UK and abroad.
Stephen presided over the development and implementation of nationally recognised school business leadership professional standards and led the transition from the National Association of School Business Management to the Institute of School Business Leadership.
Stephen works closely with the Department for Education in areas of policy reform, and his commitment to research to aid our self-improving system includes ongoing engagement with international jurisdictions including Australia, Europe, the Middle East and the US.
Paul Edmond
Chief Finance and Sustainability Officer at HEART Academies Trust and Co-chair of the UK Schools Sustainability Network (UKSSN)
Paul joined HEART in 2017 and oversees the work of three great teams, Finance, ICT and Sustainability. Paul is a Fellow of the Institute of School Business Leaders and a Fellow of Thoughtbox Education. He is a member of the DfE working group on academy finance and the DfE Sustainability and Climate Change group.
Paul is a committee member for the Bedfordshire School Business Network and supports the Bedfordshire ‘Our Schools Our World’ sustainability programme. Paul also co-chairs the UK Schools Sustainability Network and sits advisory boards for Climate Adapted Pathways for Education (CAPE) and Learning through Landscapes Climate 180. Paul is a Carbon Literacy trainer and Climate Fresk facilitator.
Speaker TBC
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Biography coming soon…
Work Session Speakers
Rachel Ayuba
School Resource Manager, West Sussex County Council
Rachel has previously worked as a Headteacher and a manager of several children’s centres, London, Abuja (Nigeria), Brighton and West Sussex. She is currently a School Resource Manager, working with 170 local authority maintained schools across West Sussex, alongside Claire and Susana.
Gary Benn
Director of Building & Project Consultancy, Eddisons
Gary Benn is a Director within our Building & Project Consultancy team, specialising in estates advice and project delivery for the education sector. With over 30 years’ experience, he supports academies and multi-academy trusts with funding strategy, condition improvement, feasibility studies and capital project management.
Gary has an exceptional track record in the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) process, securing close to £15 million for clients in recent years. His expertise spans bid development, design coordination, contract administration and overseeing schemes from brief to completion.
Before focusing on funding and project management, Gary led focused teams that delivered wide-ranging refurbishment, compliance and new-build programmes for schools and public-sector organisations.
Known for his practical, solutions-led approach, simultaneously earned during his years as a school governor as well as professionally, Gary is trusted by clients to provide clear advice and deliver high-quality projects that enhance learning environments and support long-term estate priorities.
Ian Henderson
Managing Partner, ACE Advice
Ian Henderson is the Managing Partner of ACE Advice, where he helps SBL navigate complex change Service Contracts in schools and Trusts with clarity and confidence. With a background spanning strategic advisory, transformation, business development and operational leadership, Ian is known for blending commercial rigour with pragmatic, people-focused solutions.
He works closely with executives, and senior teams to turn procurement and operational strategy into action, particularly in periods of growth, restructuring, or uncertainty.
As Managing Partner, Ian leads ACE Advice’s team of consultants and shapes its advisory approach, ensuring it remains practical, ethical, and impact-driven. He is valued for his clear thinking, trusted counsel, and ability to cut through complexity, enabling SBL to make better decisions and deliver sustainable results.
Sam Henson
CEO, NGA (National Governance Association)
Sam has been NGA’s Deputy Chief Executive since January 2024 and previously worked as NGA’s Director of Policy and Communications. Sam oversees NGA’s policy, research, advocacy, external affairs and advice and guidance work. Sam works closely with and deputises for NGA’s Chief Executive, leading the organisation to achieve positive change and drive influence at a national level through our policy and influencing work.
Sam specialises in several areas, including Ofsted, school accountability and workforce. He is the lead author of NGA’s guide, Governing a Multi Academy Trust and authored and co-authored NGA’s policy and research reports Moving MATs Forward, the Mature MAT system, Ofsted and governance and NGA’s annual governance survey reports.
Sam has is frequently featured in education media and has also driven NGA’s governance focus into national policy conversation, featuring in the Independent, the Times, the Guardian and BBC Breakfast. Sam has given evidence to several government inquiries and review bodies, including to the Education Select Committee and STRB, and has been a member of multiple government task forces and stakeholder groups for the Department for Education, Ofsted and others.
Sam has over 15 years of experience working directly in the education sector. Before joining NGA, Sam worked for a large multi-academy trust with more than 30 schools. Sam also worked for a local authority and in the financial services sector.
Elizabeth Jackson
Headteacher, Connaught School for Girls
Elizabeth is a retired primary headteacher. She has been a Chair of Governors of both Primary and Secondary schools in Waltham Forest for many years. She joined Connaught School for Girls as Vice Chair in October 2022 and became Chair in April 2023.
Bushra Nasir
Chair of Finance, Audit and Risk, Connaught School for Girls
Bushra is the Chair of the Finance committee and a community governor. She was a former Headteacher and former CEO of a MAT. She is a member of Re- Connect London and is the Chair of a number of charities. She is an experienced School Improvement partner and is an External Advisor to Governors/ trustees for Headteacher / CEO performance management.
Susana Newhouse
School Resource Manager, West Sussex County Council
Susana began her working life in the UK in HSBC. After 20 years, she swapped the corporate world for a federated infant and junior school in Worthing, as a School Business Professional. Now, currently working across West Sussex as part of the School Resource Management Team, alongside Rachel and Claire.
Alex Silk
Headteacher, Connaught School for Girls
Alex started teaching in a large mixed secondary school in Colchester, in 2006 before moving to Connaught School for Girls as a head of department in 2008. After moving into senior leadership in 2015 Alex was appointed as headteacher in January 2024.
Peter Tomkins
Director of TSO Education, SRMA and off-payroll CFO
Peter was a secondary headteacher for several years and has subsequently worked at senior levels in trusts. He is currently a director of TSO Education who support schools and academies, provide internal scrutiny and develop software like ICFP.school to increase their efficiency. He has been an SRMA for the last seven years.
Claire Young
School Resource Manager, West Sussex County Council
Claire is an Accountant with a finance background specialising in compliance. Working as part of the School Resource Management Team with the local authority, she supports and advises maintained schools across West Sussex with all aspects of finance for Schools, alongside Rachel and Susana.
Speaker TBC
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Speaker TBC
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Speakers, agenda and times may be subject to change
School Resource Management Summit 2026
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