DSAT Members

Director of Education for the Diocese of Sheffield

• 25 years in primary education as teacher and headteacher
• Former lecturer in English and Education at Sheffield Hallam University
• Church of England curate
• Established the Diocese of Sheffield Academies Trust

Brings skills in school leadership, supporting schools, Diocesan leadership and working with the Church of England

I am Senior Lecturer in Ancient Near Eastern History and Literature at the University of Sheffield. I also serve as Director of Admissions, which includes outreach to secondary schools, and various other issues related to how primary and secondary education feed into higher education.

I am Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Palestine Exploration Fund, the oldest organisation for the archaeological exploration of the Levant. Along with leading the Board, I have oversight for the investment of PEF’s ca. £5,000,000 endowment.

I was ordained Deacon in 2018 and Priest in 2019 here in Sheffield. I served my curacy at St Thomas Crookes, with placements at All Saints Ecclesall and St Gabriel’s Greystones. I am now Minor Canon Theologian at the Sheffield Cathedral. I also serve as Bishop’s Advisor for Inter-Faith Affairs, supporting Bishop Pete in his engagement with other faith communities and political leaders in the region.

I am now in my second term on the Diocesan Board of Education.

Derek Grover served as a senior civil servant in the Department for Education and Employment, latterly as the Director of Adult Learning responsible for national policy on education and training post-16 outside universities.