Meet The Steering Group

Chair - Sarah Wynde

Sarah was a parent governor at Guildford County School from 2013 to 2022, and its Chair of Governors for three years. Sarah grew up in Guildford, lives locally with her husband and three children, who are current/past students at Guildford County. She has a passion for helping young people and educators to raise their aspirations and achieve more than they thought possible.  She is excited about partnering with the Trust and Surrey University to open the new Surrey Maths School.

Sarah began her career as a health psychologist, then held global HR leadership roles at Mars and Vodafone. She set up her own talent consultancy in 2012, and delivers leadership and team development, executive coaching, facilitates teams working on complex business challenges and consults on talent strategy. Clients include adidas, Bacardi, Pandora, Centrica and Atkins. She is also a pro-bono consultant with Impetus PEF who partner with charities to upscale their provision of services supporting disadvantaged children and young people from cradle to career, to help unlock their full potential.  She is fascinated by applied neuroscience, has recently learnt how to upholster chairs and loves walking her dog in the Surrey Hills.

Ian Roulstone

Ian is Head of Department of Mathematics at the University of Surrey, where he has held a teaching and research position since 2004.  Prior to this Ian gained 15 year of research and leadership experience in the scientific civil service.  He has been the co-theme leader in the National Centre for Earth Observation since 2008.

Paul Smith

Paul Smith is Professor of Composite Materials and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Surrey.  He is an engineer by background and has been working on the mechanical properties of materials for over 30 years.

Paul also has a strong interest in education.  He holds a PGCE, with mathematics as his primary subject.  He also served on the governing bodies of two schools in Guildford (Merrow Infants and Bushy Hill Junior) including a term as chair.

Andrew Roach

Andrew is the Director of Education for Learning Partners Academy Trust. Andrew has significant experience of secondary school leadership including a number of years as a Senior Deputy Headteacher in a large north London comprehensive.  In addition, he has been a facilitator for the National College of School Leadership delivering LfTM, Leadership Pathways through the Institute of Education and most recently as Lead Facilitator for STSN’s NPQSL programme. He is also an on-line facilitator supporting the NPQ suite of courses.  Andrew is currently delivering the ECF in George Abbot School’s role as a Regional Delivery Partner on behalf of South Farnham Teaching School hub and acting as the Appropriate Body for all secondary ECTs.

He has been a Leadership Development Advisor of the Fast Track and the Accelerate to Headship programmes.  Between 2016-21, he was employed as the Director of the Teaching School alongside his role as Director of Education.

Areas of expertise: Provision and delivery of school-based and external training. bespoke workshops and training programmes.  Coaching support, career consultations and interview support for Deputy Headteachers and Headteachers.

Gwen Feng

Gwen's educational journey began at King's Maths School, where she was a member of the very first class. 

After completing her Master's in Civil and Architectural Engineering, Gwen ventured into bridge design with Mott MacDonald, contributing to significant construction projects. Her career later transitioned into the tech sector, still serving the construction industry and mesmerised by the complexity of delivering megaprojects on time. During her university years, she led the Inclusivity Office for the student union, delivered an engineering program to pupils aged 16-18 for three years, and spearheaded partnerships that helped young entrepreneurs secure their initial funding and opportunities.

Being an alumna of King's Maths School uniquely positions Gwen to understand SuMS's mission and the critical role mathematics could play for students. Gwen's perspective as both a beneficiary and an exemplar of the school's values equips her with the insight and empathy needed to guide the school's future directions effectively. Her diverse experiences, from leading inclusivity initiatives to fostering young talent in engineering and entrepreneurship, further enrich her ability to contribute meaningful insights and leadership to the educational community.

James Boyce

James is a pilot for British Airways, and, in addition to a first-class BA (Hons) in Air Transport Management, he was awarded he was awarded a distinction in his Master of Business Administration (MBA). 

James has extensive entrepreneurial experience covering property management and online retail. Most recently, he founded Access-air-bility, an organisation whose mission is to make air travel more accessible for passengers with disabilities, aligned with his passion for disability inclusion. He also has a range of professional memberships. In addition to being a member of Mensa, he is a Fellow of the Society of Crematorium Organists and, in 2022, became the youngest Fellow of the National Federation of Church Musicians. He is also a Member of the Royal Aeronautical Society, bringing with him many industry contacts that could support the professional development of Surrey Maths School students.