Trustees and Governance

Our Trustees

The Board of Trustees is the Governing Body for the organisation and remains accountable in law and to OFSTED for the exercise of its functions. It is the accountable body for the performance of all Academies within the Trust and has four key functions:

Ensures clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
Holds the CEO to account for educational performance and the performance management of staff
Oversees the financial performance of the Trust, ensuring financial probity and value for money
Holds the Local Stakeholder Boards to account

The Trust board meets at least termly and has a number of committees which meet at least termly. Trustees have decision making powers described fully in the Scheme of Delegation and are both company directors and charity trustees as academies have the legal status of both company and charitable trust.

To support the work of schools and the Trustees, Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust ensures the local stakeholder voice is represented and heard through our Primary Advocates and Secondary Local Stakeholder Boards. They provide a local level of access and accountability for our parents and carers, framed within a cooperative structure to build and deepen partnership and connection. This is the place where the individual pupil and parent voice is heard and understood; where the lived experience of our provision and offer is felt and triangulated.

Information about our Trustees, and the various committees and their terms of Reference can be found below:

Jessica Hardie - Chair of Trustees
Emma Neath - Vice Chair of Trustees
Philip Sanders - Safeguarding Trustee
Beth Carter
Graham Hill - Whistleblowing Trustee
Mark Harris

If you would like to make contact with the Trust Board please email the Governance Team via governance@dmatschools.org.uk

Our Governors

Mel Holyoak

Mel has been involved in school governance since 2019, initially at Chagford C of E Primary School before serving as Chair of Governors for the Three Hares Hub, incorporating Exbourne, North Tawton, South Tawton and Chagford. Her focus is now back solely on Chagford, where she continues to serve as a governor.

With a professional background of 20 years in business management and the legal industry, Mel first became involved in governance when her daughter began primary school. What started as an opportunity to contribute to her local school and community quickly developed into a real passion for children's education, wellbeing and the importance of giving every child the best possible start.

Her experience in governance ultimately inspired a significant change of career and, in 2026, Mel established Chagford Childcare, helping to address the shortage of early-years provision in the local area.

Mel brings business experience, strategic thinking and strong local knowledge to her governance role, together with a genuine commitment to supporting rural schools and the communities they serve.

mholyoak@dmatschools.org.uk

To support the work of schools and the Trustees, Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust ensures the local stakeholder voice is represented and heard through our Governors in our primary schools and Local Stakeholder Boards with our secondary settings. They provide a local level of access and accountability for our parents and carers designed to build and deepen partnership and connection. This is the place where the individual pupil and parent voice is heard and understood; where the lived experience of our provision and offer is felt and triangulated.

In our primary schools we have Governor roles and these governance colleagues link directly with one school to support and act as conduits sharing stakeholder voice upwards to the newly formed Primary Stakeholder Board, a sub-committee of the Trust Board. The secondary schools still continue to have Local Stakeholder Boards. To find out more about our local governance click here.