Claudia is retired. She has taught in Primary, Secondary and Tertiary phase. Claudia was a primary phase Ofsted Inspector for 8 years and worked for local authority school improvement teams for more than 25 years and as an independent consultant providing bespoke leadership, governance and school improvement support for schools, academy chains and local authorities.
Claudia has been a school governor for more than 35 years, chairing primary and secondary school governing boards and Multi Academy Trusts. Claudia has also served as a Justice of the Peace for 35 years.

Sam Strickland is the Principal/CEO of The Duston School and The Luminara Education Trust.  He has helped to guide Duston's GCSE results from the bottom 20% nationally to the top 20% and A Level outcomes to the top 5% nationally.  Sam began his teaching career as a History teacher in Bedfordshire having completed his PGCE in secondary History at the University of Cambridge under Christine Counsell.  His career quickly accelerated and he became Head of History and Classics.  He then moved on to become a Lead Profesional and worked for the North Beds SCITT Consortium.  During his time as an Assistant Head teacher he had responsibility for the Sixth Form and led a Post 16 consortium arrangement.  Sam also served as Vice Principal, where he directly oversaw student care, the Sixth Form, the curriculum, SEND, behaviour and served as the safeguarding lead for an entire trust.  Sam has served as an Associate Principal, with GCSE and A Level results under his tenure recieving commendation from the DfE, Nick Gibb and the SSAT.  The organiser of ResearchED Northampton and author of Education Exposed, Education Exposed 2, The Behaviour Manual, They Don't Behave For Me, Creating Positive Classrooms and Is Leadership A Race?, he is a leading voice in the current conversation in education.  He has had educational resources and research published and he regularly delivers courses and keynotes nationally.  Sam also has extensive experience of working with the DfE and other school leaders via his school serving as a national behaviour hub lead school and he has served as a lead facilitator for a variety of NPQs. 

Tyrone joined the board of trustees in 2025 and supports the Resources and Audit Committee. He is an experienced finance and governance professional, currently serving as Chief Financial Officer at a Financial Events and Roadshow company, where he leads on financial strategy, compliance, and operational efficiency.  Tyrone has extensive experience in financial management, risk oversight, and strategic planning, having worked across multiple sectors, including the financial services and legal industries. 

As a resident of Northamptonshire, Tyrone is looking forward to contributing to the financial stewardship of The Duston School and supporting the school's long-term sustainability. He has two children, one of whom is currently studying at the school.

Vikki brings over 15 years of experience in safeguarding and SEND, having historically worked closely with police and social care teams.  They currently work as Head of Safeguarding for a national apprenticeship provider in the motor industry.  A former pupil of The Duston School, Vikki has a strong personal connection to the school community and is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all students. She also has a daughter attending both the primary and secondary schools, providing additional insight into the student experience.  

Tim is teacher of two 'good' secondary schools in Leicestershire. As a current headteacher Tim was keen to join the governing body of Duston, both to offer support and expertise but more selfishly to learn from the excellence on show at Duston.

Nik works as an Assistant Principal in a local secondary school. Nik has worked in education for over 10 years. He trained as a Maths teacher, prior to this Nik completed a degree in Mathematics at Coventry University.

Nik has a keen passion for ensuring students get the best personal development support. He also works as a team leader for the exam board. Nik is currently signing up to be a school inspector.

Nik enjoys travelling the world when he can (which is most holidays) and enjoys playing cricket for a local team.

Pippa  joined The Duston School Governing Body in 2022. Pippa lives locally and is parent to two young people in the   secondary phase of the school.

 Pippa manages the local Family Nurse Partnership programme within the 0-19 service (Health Visiting and School Nursing). Pippa’s clinical background is Children’s Nursing and School Nursing and she has been a passionate   advocate for tackling the inequalities which impact on health and impact children’s chances of reaching their full  potential. Pippa is a specialist public health nurse and will bring this knowledge and skill base to support the school with building on our strengths in relation to providing a health promoting, inclusive environment. Pippa will support the  school in navigating the health and social care system to enable children and young people timely access to services outside of school.

Andrew grew up in Northampton and attended the, then Duston Upper School. Having returned to the area after studying Chemistry, Andrew served 12 years as a governor, 11 of those as chair of governors, at a local primary school. He oversaw two ‘good’ OFTSED outcomes and the transition from Local Authority to Multi Academy trust control. For his day job Andrew is the CEO of life science consulting firm specialising in supporting pharmaceutical companies to launch new drugs for rare diseases into different markets across the world. He is passionate about equitable chances for all members of the community which has led him to help lead the efforts to set up Sixfields Upton parkrun and help it thrive. 

Matt joined the Governing Body in 2024, initially in the position of Parent Governor.   

A local resident since 2011, Matt has a child is in the secondary phase at TDS, having been part of the school community since starting at TDS in EYFS. 

With over 20 years' experience in the automative sector, including having held management positions within several major motor manufactures, Matt is looking forward to bringin his diverse experience to the board of Trustees.  As a parenrt with a child currently at the school, he is also able to draw on his own experience. 

Matt is looking forward to contributing to the continual improvement of TDS and is focussed on supporting the leadership team in delivering outstanding academic outcomes, creating a rewarding and supportive environment for students and staff, and securing the school's position as an integral part of the local community.  

As the Director of Communities for a software company and a parent of two children at The Duston School, I am excited to bring my diverse experience and passion for education to the role of parent governor. With a background in forensic investigation, law enforcement, and executive leadership, I have honed my operational and strategic skills, which I believe will be valuable assets in supporting the school's mission. 
I am dedicated to creating equal opportunities for all children and ensuring that parents' perspectives are considered in decision-making processes. As a parent governor, I will strive to work collaboratively with school leadership, staff, and fellow governors to maximise the potential of every student, fostering an environment where they can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. I am committed to helping The Duston School continue to be a place where every child can learn, grow, and succeed. 

Mara joined The Duston School's governing body in 2025.  She lives in Northamptonshire and has two daughters at a local primary school.

Mara has worked in financial services all her career and is currently Digital Project Manager at one of the large banks. Having worked with children in part-time roles before graduating from university and since becoming a parent, Mara has been increasingly passionate about supporting young people's mental health and is currently training to be a counsellor. Mara is very keen to apply her skills and knowledge to support the local community and her financial experience in strategic planning, e-commerce and marketing will enable her to support the school in financial matters.