Members
The Primary First Trust is a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT), and so has Members who are akin to the shareholders of a company and are the guardians of the Trust's constitution.
Members have ultimate control over the Academy Trust, with the ability to appoint and remove the Trustees, appoint and remove Members. They have the right to amend the Trust's articles of association and also appoint the trust’s external auditors. They can also change the company’s name, wind up the company.

Hannah Bayley
Member
Hannah Bayley is a school governance specialist and former chair of governors at the Cuxton Schools within the Trust. She completed her NCTL Leadership and Development qualification during 2012 and used this experience to review and overhaul governance at Cuxton. The Partnership with the Primary First Trust and collaborating with other schools and Trusts enabled Hannah to gain experience, CPD and knowledge of outstanding governance. This proved successful with an Ofsted visit to Cuxton in May 2017 for the KS1 remaining Good and in July 2017 the KS2 becoming Good with Outstanding Leadership and Management and Personal Welfare and Behaviour, with an empowered leadership team and a dynamic ever evolving Governing Body. Hannah supports Governing Boards and leadership teams of schools within The Primary First Trust, The Rivermead Inclusive Trust, Medway Local Authority and KCC, assisting with complaints, sharing good practise, overhauling policy and procedures, ensuring compliance, offering support, mentoring and coaching.

Jon O'Neill
Member
Jon is a Chartered Engineer with 30+ years automotive industry experience since 1994 with Ford Motor Company, holding various positions mainly in Advanced Propulsion Product Development and more recently in Ford Pro Special Vehicles. Jon’s key responsibilities and specialist skills include project management, effective cross team collaboration for business growth strategies delivering these to budget and time deliverables. Jon typically works up front in business and embraces developing others and enjoys innovation, having secured several patents.
Jon was a Barnehurst School Governor between 2008 to 2017 coincidentally where he also attended as a pupil. Jon held various positions including Vice Chair and Chair of Infant School Finance Committee and was a key passionate team member in appointing the then Executive Head and Heads of Schools, assisted during the schools earlier transition in becoming ‘federated’ and improving its Ofsted status to ‘Outstanding’. Jon’s special achievement was celebrating with the team in 2014 when Barnehurst was nominated in an award celebration at Westminster having reached the top 6 ‘national’ primary schools!
Jon was delighted when Bill Harwood, Chair of Trustees, asked him to re-engage, this time adding value as a ‘member’ from academic year 2022-23.

Dr Roger McDonald
Member
Roger McDonald is an Associate Professor of Primary Education (Literacy) in the School of Education at the University of Greenwich with a passion for creating curiosity, and intrigue and generating love and desire to learn from children and adults alike. His research interests include: the pedagogy of imagination, reading for pleasure, the power of picture books, drama education, and the place of emotion in teaching.
Roger has a long history of working with The PFT and before taking on the role of Member, was Chair of Governors at Wayfield Primary School.