David Boston

Trustee of the Robert Owen Foundation

Director of the Marches Consortium

Outside Representations, Interests and Areas of Expertise:

I have recently retired as Headteacher at Sir Thomas Boughey Co-operative Business College in Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Staffordshire. Whilst being at the school I have seen the school transform from one which gained around 28% 5 A-C grades to our recent 82%. The school was a net loser of pupils to other schools and is now one of the most oversubscribed in the area. One of the main reasons behind our success is the strong value driven culture based on Co-operative Values which is central to all we do at the school. We have recently (Feb 2010) been rated as Outstanding by Ofsted.

In other matters I have been a lifelong co-operator and am active within the movement. My school was one of the first co-op school in the UK. In am currently an elected member for the Central Midlands region of the Co-operative Group and am active in the foundation of a number of emerging co-operatives in the education sector.