Executive Team
Our Leadership
Meet Our Executive Team
Our experienced Executive Team brings together decades of educational expertise and a shared commitment to excellence.
Chris Staley
CEO
Chris has been CEO of Loughborough Schools Foundation, having previously held the same role at Coventry School Foundation.
Chris’ career in education started 33 years ago and he has worked in a variety of education settings.
He started working in the state sector in Kent and quickly transitioned to the independent sector with 15 years at Cranleigh School in Surrey, Deputy Headship in Dorset, then onto Headship at Wisbech Grammar in Cambridgeshire, before his move to Coventry.
Chris is, by his own admission, a classic all-rounder with an insatiable thirst for learning. He has a number of passions – sport, music, drama, cars and family (including his Rhodesian Ridgeback dog).
He has an MBA from London University, has been an Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) inspector, an has had a seat on the boards of a number of other independent HMC schools. He has also contributed to the debates surrounding AI and education, leadership skills within schools, mentoring of current Heads, through sitting on the HMC Professional Development sub-committee as a co-opted member.
Helen Stockhill
Head of Governance & Corporate Affairs
Helen joined Loughborough Schools Foundation in 2022 as Head of Governance & Corporate Affairs. She supports the Board and its committees through governance advice, board administration and supporting effective risk management and decision-making across the Foundation.
Previously, Helen held senior governance roles in education, including Head of Governance at Discovery Schools Academy Trust, where she led the development of governance arrangements across a growing multi-academy trust. She also led governor development services for Leicestershire County Council, working with governors and trustees to strengthen governance practice.
Earlier in her career, Helen worked in senior roles in the private sector, bringing a practical understanding of risk, compliance and operational delivery.
Outside of work, she enjoys the creative arts, time in the countryside and long dog walks.
David Goodacre
Bursar
David joined Loughborough Schools Foundation in June 2024 and is responsible for the Foundation’s finance, estates, operations, IT, commercial and legal activities.
Originally training at KPMG, David has worked in the finance team across several large retail businesses before moving into the not-for-profit sector and taking on leadership roles of cross-functional teams.
Outside of work, David coaches cricket in a local village and enjoys running and outdoor pursuits with his family.
Andrew Earnshaw
Head
Andrew joined the Loughborough School Foundation as Head of Fairfield Prep School in January 2013. Since then, he has led the school through a period of significant change and growth, including the completion of an £8 million investment to create state-of-the-art facilities to meet the growing demand for places in Kindergarten and Lower Prep. The project also established a centre of excellence for PE and other specialist subjects such as ICT, Science and DT.
Andrew also manages Loughborough Nursery. Prior to his headship at Fairfield Prep School, he was Head of Nottingham High Junior School from September 2007 to December 2012, during which time the school was awarded the highly coveted Sunday Times Prep School of the Year title in 2012.
Andrew has accumulated a diverse range of educational experience across the state, independent and overseas sectors.
Andrew is married to Julie, who teaches at Fairfield Prep School. Both of their sons attended Fairfield Prep School and Loughborough Grammar School.
James Neville
Head
Headmaster of Loughborough Grammar School, James Neville is passionate about the transformative power of education and brings a wealth of experience in senior leadership in the independent day, boarding and maintained sectors.
Before becoming Head within the Loughborough Schools Foundation, James was Vice Principal in the maintained sector at English Martyrs’, and before that, Assistant Head (Sixth Form) at the HMC boarding school, Ratcliffe College. His career began in Wales, and as Assistant Head (Academic) at St John’s College Cardiff, the School achieved its highest results at A Level (98% A* – B), leading to a top ten position in national league tables.
Originally from Cardiff, James graduated in Modern History from Magdalen College Oxford before completing an MPhil at King’s College Cambridge. At Cambridge he was a Choral Scholar in the world-renowned Choir of King’s College. James is married with two children who are pupils in the Loughborough Schools Foundation.
Fiona Miles
Head
Fiona has been Head of Loughborough High School since 2019 and is proud to have been at the helm as the school celebrated its 175th anniversary in 2025. Since 1850, the school has been educating brilliant, bold and forward-looking young women and Fiona is passionate about continuing to develop the female leaders of the future.
Born and raised in the East Midlands, Fiona studied English Literature at the University of Cambridge and taught for several years before retraining at King’s College, London, to pursue a career in medicine. Subsequently, she returned to teaching, where she had a series of different roles at Habs Girls, Elstree, eventually becoming Senior Deputy Head. A strong advocate of girls’ education, Fiona sits on the Council of the Girls’ School Association and is Chair of the GSA Midlands group of heads. Fiona has been a governor of a primary school and in her spare time, she is an amateur organist, pianist, and volunteer for a military veterans’ charity.
Latest News & Events:
Taking grassroots football to the next level
Football pathways for young athletes
How can schools bridge the gap between grassroots and elite development centres for aspiring footballers? Loughborough Schools Foundation’s Head of Football, Perry Wild, delves into this topic through discussion with Habtamu (Habs) Ayele – a coach from Burnley FC who specialises in developing players at the foundation stage. With expertise as a UEFA A licensed coach, …
A pioneering brand transformation
Loughborough Schools Foundation receives a commendation from the Independent Schools of the Year Awards
We are delighted to share that Loughborough Schools Foundation has been commended in the The Marketing Award for Effective Brand Communication category by the Independent Schools of the Year Awards 2026. This award category shines a light on the story behind a school’s …
