Executive Team
Dan Lodge
CEO & Executive Principal of Collyer's
Key Skills & Experience
Education, Leadership, Partnerships, Governance (Secondary & Post-16)
Biography
After an early career in marketing for international companies, Dan qualified as a teacher in 2004 and has spent over 20 years in education as a teacher and then senior leader working in three large outstanding sixth-form colleges. At Reigate College he launched one of the very first PGCE courses in a sixth form college as well as teaching GCSE in a local partner 11-16 school. Moving to Esher College as Assistant Principal and then Vice Principal (Pastoral), Dan managed a range of key student services including being the designated safeguarding lead. Now working at Collyer’s since 2017, Dan led quality and curriculum as Vice Principal - both years achieving top state provider of A Levels in West Sussex - and took over as Principal in 2020. Acting as Accounting Officer for the College, he has recently guided Collyer’s through a fundamental review of its mission, vision and values as well as development of a suite of strategic plans and delivering £5M of capital building projects. He was until recently Chair of S7 – the consortium of eight sixth form colleges in the southeast of England. Dan lives in Horsham, his wife works at a local primary school and his two children attended Forest Play Group, Heron Way, Forest / Millais and then Collyer’s.
Ian Straw
Deputy CEO & Headteacher of Forest
Key Skills & Experience
Education, Leadership, Governance (Secondary), Charity
Biography
Ian qualified as a teacher in 1999 and has dedicated almost 24 years to education, with 22 of those in Senior Leadership roles. Over the course of his career, Ian has worked in three secondary schools. Prior to joining The Forest School, he spent 18 years at a school in Worthing, where he progressed from a Science Teacher to Assistant Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher, and eventually, in 2017, Interim Headteacher—a position he held for 18 months.
Seeking a new challenge, Ian joined The Forest School as Headteacher in September 2018. Since then, he has successfully overseen its transition from a single-sex to a co-educational institution, along with significant reputational improvements.
In addition to his professional achievements, Ian is deeply committed to education beyond the UK. For much of his career, he has been a Trustee and Chairman of a small charity that owns and operates a school in Mombasa, Kenya. Under his leadership, this school has grown from being run out of a small house to a thriving institution serving over 300 children.
Stacey Kearns
Chief Financial and Operating Officer
Key Skills & Experience
Financial Strategy, Operational Leadership, Education and Trust Strategy
Biography
Stacey began working in education in 2007 as a School Business Manager for a secondary school with early years provision, during which time she completed the Certificate of School Business Management. In 2010, she joined a newly formed academy where she oversaw a £37m new build project and took responsibility for all aspects of financial and operational strategic development.
Over the past 18 years, she has worked at a senior strategic level, most recently providing executive support to a second academy within the Trust. She completed the Diploma of School Business Management in 2011 and in 2025 achieved the CIPFA Level 7 Diploma in Schools Financial and Operational Leadership.
Her key areas of expertise include financial management, people management, estates management and risk management. Before moving into education, she spent 12 years in legal finance running the accounts departments of two large solicitor firms.
