Trust Founders

In Memoriam

Sadly, since we started our journey as an organisation we have lost key friends and contributors along the way. This section of our website remembers those who are no longer with us.

John Coleman

6 November 1955 – 25 February 2022

Member and Director of Nexus MAT (21 March 2016 – 25 February 2022)

John was a founding Member and Director of Nexus MAT, and was a relentless champion for the children, families and staff we serve.

John gave his life to public service, starting his career as a teacher before training to become an Educational Psychologist, working in his early career at Rotherham Council. A bright and highly capable man, John served as the Principal Educational Psychologist at Sheffield City Council in the 1990s and early 2000s before moving to the Department for Education as a regional director of the then National Strategies programme, which was a New Labour Government initiative aimed at supporting underperforming schools across the country.

Latterly, John was the commissioner for special educational needs at Rotherham Council, closing the circle on his career before retiring in 2015.

Following his retirement, John was an active volunteer Director/Trustee of Nexus Multi Academy Trust, and also worked in a voluntary capacity with the National Governance Association – work which continued his lifelong commitment to changing our state education system for the better. John served as chair of the local governing bodies at Pennine View, Abbey and North Ridge Schools during his time with Nexus MAT, and was also Chair of the Management Committee at The Rowan Centre, a pupil referral unit in Rotherham.

John will always be an irreplaceable member of the Nexus MAT community and is someone who made an immeasurable contribution to the lives of children and young in our country. He will always be missed, and never forgotten by those who had the privilege to work with him.