Our Members

Omash Aggarwal 

Omash has lived in Southend for most of his life and is an experienced medical practitioner.  He has been a governor at a local primary school for seven years and Westcliff High School for Girls for fifteen years. Omash is a strong believer in good education and understand that it is not just about the academic side of things, but also about developing the skills, attitudes, and values needed to thrive in the world beyond the classroom. 

Neil Clark

Neil was a Chartered Quantity Surveyor, then a Partner in a practice prior to retiring.  He served as a Governor at Westcliff High School for Girls for two periods: once as a parent Governor from 1990 for some years and again from 2009 to 2012 as an associate Governor.  Neil has served on committees for the Homeless and continues to serve on committees locally for church and an educational charity.

He is a parent of girls educated locally and now a grandparent of children attending local primary schools.

Murray Foster (Chair)

Murray had an extensive career in the finance sector followed by a short period in town centre management before semi- retirement. Having lived in Southend since 1987, during which time his children were educated locally, Murray engaged with several organisations in a voluntary capacity including chair and vice chair positions covering regional social housing, local voluntary services, economic regeneration and education and also as a  senior councillor for Southend Council. For the last fourteen years he has been involved in governance in education primarily relating to Westcliff High School for Girls and then as Chair of South East Essex Academy Trust (SEEAT). Having seen SEEAT through an expansion to a seven school Multi Academy Trust, Murray stepped down as long serving Trustee and Chair at the end of 2022, continuing now as a Member. Currently he is Chair of Southend Business Partnership, Vice Chair of London Southend Airport Consultative Committee and board director of Opportunity South Essex, part of the region’s local enterprise partnership and involved in other local committees.

Sarah Skinner 

Sarah has been in education for 30 years. She started as a PE teacher in Thurrock, moved to Southend as Head of PE and then took up her first Senior Leadership post back in Thurrock. Further promotion saw Sarah take up a Deputy Head role at Farlingaye High School in 2002 and then Headship at Claydon High School in 2009. Sarah sits on the Ofsted Headteacher reference group and was a governor on the Virtual School Board during lockdown. Sarah has supported governance by sitting on a local IEB. In 2018 Sarah was appointed as the CEO of South Suffolk Learning Trust.

Should you wish to view copies of minutes from Trust Board meetings, please email info@seeat.org