Leadership Team
HEADTEACHER OF balcarras school
Dominic Burke is the Headteacher of Balcarras School. Dominic has spent over twenty years in the profession as a history teacher and since 2011 as a senior school leader. In 2016 Dominic became Head of Balcarras and under his leadership the school has gone from strength to strength. In 2020 the Sunday Times awarded Balcarras the prestigious “School of the Decade Award” and in 2025 OFSTED rated the school ‘outstanding’ in every category. The school continues to achieve results which place it amongst the highest performing comprehensive schools in the country. Dominic led the team that submitted Balcarras’ bid to sponsor the new secondary school for Cheltenham and from 2018 to 2020 directed the preparations needed to bring the school to life. The High School Leckhampton opened in September 2021. Dominic was also the founder CEO of the Balcarras Trust leading the Trust from its inception in 2020 before stepping down to concentrate on the headship at Balcarras in August 2025. As well as Headteacher Dominic also holds the following roles:
Chair of the Gloucestershire Initial Teacher Education Partnership (GITEP) Board
Director of the Gloucestershire Association Secondary School Leaders Limited (GASSL Ltd)
Academy Representative of the Gloucestershire Schools Forum
Member of the GLOW Maths Hub Strategic Board
Member of the Balcarras Teaching School Hub Strategic Board
Treasurer of the Cheltenham Association of Secondary Headteachers
Member of the Gloucestershire Association of Secondary School Leaders (GASSL)
Member of the Gloucestershire Education Forum
Headteacher of The High School Leckhampton AND INTERIM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Helen Wood is The Balcarras Trust Interim CEO and Headteacher of The High School Leckhampton—Gloucestershire’s newest school. Helen spent over 20 years at Prince Henry’s High School in Evesham where was latterly the Senior Deputy Head. She joined the Balcarras Trust in January 2021 as the first Headteacher of The High School Leckhampton.
The school opened in September 2021 to 120 Year 7 pupils and will grow eventually to be a school of 900. The school is located in a brand new purpose built accommodation at Farm Lane in Leckhampton.
HEADTEACHER OF WINCHCOMBE SCHOOL
Parin Gohil is the Headteacher of Winchcombe School.
Parin has been a teacher for over twenty years and has spent the majority of his career in middle and senior leadership positions. In September 2025, he was appointed Headteacher of Winchcombe School. His leadership experience spans a wide range of areas including’; mathematics, safeguarding, behaviour, and SEND, giving him a broad understanding of the factors that contribute to a successful and inclusive school.
Parin is committed to building on the strong foundations already in place at Winchcombe and ensuring that every student is supported to thrive academically and personally. He brings a proven track record of school improvement and a clear vision for raising aspirations, strengthening community partnerships, and providing the very best opportunities for young people.
ACTING CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Vicky Butters has over 25 years of experience in financial management within the education sector, supporting schools, academies, and multi-academy trusts. As Assistant Director at SAAF Education, she leads the finance support teams and provides expert consultancy across a wide range of services, including budget setting, forecasting, and medium-term financial planning.
AAT qualified since 2004, Vicky joined SAAF in 2013 after more than a decade in local government finance, including key roles in school finance and funding at Nottingham City Council. She has also acted as interim CFO for several trusts, bringing strategic insight and strong leadership to every role.
Vicky’s in-depth sector knowledge ensures clients receive practical, high-quality support that improves financial efficiency and ensures compliance with regulatory requirements.
