About Us

J & G Marshall Ltd is a company created to help schools not just understand the academy conversion process, but to navigate successfully and effectively through it.

Our approach is, however, based on more than just the outcome. As nearly all J&G Marshall staff sit on Trust Boards and governing bodies, our founder has been a primary school Chair of Governors for over 20 years and a governor for over 30 and is also MAT Trust Member, we see the process from the point of view of the schools, not the policy makers.

We appreciate that there is lots of conflicting information about academy conversion. We know that trying to determine whether your school should consider creating an academy trust with other schools or be part of a larger MAT poses questions that most school leaders have never had to face.

What schools need is independent advice that enables and facilitates them to make the right decision for their school, and then guidance as to how to make that decision a reality.

With over 320 academy conversions to our name, J & G Marshall has that expertise.

Furthermore, our support grows with you. We have the credentials and experience to help MATs grow and flourish. We can highlight your strengths and signpost areas to develop before they become critical concerns. This understanding is a vital part of a healthy academy trust.

Our aim is to be a long-term partner, allowing educationalists to focus on outcomes, and our team of experts to ensure the framework is in place for your school and MAT to flourish.

 

About Jeff Marshall

 

 

Jeff has been a school Governor for 31 years and Chair for 24, at one of the first 5 Primary Schools in the country to become an academy. For over a decade, he has been an Academy Trust Member and Chair of Trustees. He is also a Trust Member of a successful Multi Academy trust.

Jeff is MD of J & G Marshall Ltd which, since the company was formed, has supported over 330 schools to academy conversions around the country. The company supports many MATs in MAT Growth Audits, MAT MOTs, Trust Mergers and Due Diligence. J&G Marshall Ltd was voted Academy Conversion Provider of the year in both 2022, 2023, 2024 and Multi Academy Trust Support Company of the Year 2025.

He is also MD of Marshall Professional Development Ltd, a CPD, training and coaching company. Jeff has written accredited courses for Trustee Development, Being a MAT CEO and Maintained School Governance. Marshall Professional Development was voted Best Corporate & Education Training Provider 2023 – U.K, Best Education Training Provider 2024 and School Governance Training Provider of the Year 2025.

Jeff was a National Leader of Governance and Reviewer of Governing Bodies for 8 years. He has personally undertaken over 100 External Reviews of Governance on Maintained schools and Academy Trusts. Both of Jeff’s companies undertake Governance Review and Governance training work.

He is a Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute, a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and a Fellow of the Institute of CPD.

 

 

When we started on our MAT journey Jeff’s company came up in our research. They had testimonials from other trusts in our area and from people I knew and respected. After making contact with Jeff, back in November 2019, and up until the present day, I cannot speak highly enough of the service he and his team have provided. Jeff has supported us, challenged the DfE on our behalf, assisted us in jumping through numerous hoops, used his nationwide contacts to ensure we were best placed for conversion and has become a personal friend and guide to me and our chair of trustees. Jeff and his team worked with us for over two years before we paid anything to his company for the services provided. That spoke volumes! Jeff went out of his way to find out whether our Trust was eligible for TCaF funding, and when we were, provided support and guidance leading to the Trust receiving a significant sum to develop central functions. This was beyond the remit of the conversion contract and there was no charge for this. We have been so impressed by his team’s work that we have commissioned Trust and LGB audits from him, along with a growth audit and CEO training course. All of these have been of high quality and helped the Trust develop further. I would be happy to speak to anyone considering using J&G Marshall to tell them of our experience which was first class and definitely value for money.

Steve Campbell, CEO, LET Education Trust