Natalie-Jane MacDonald

Natalie-Jane Macdonald has been a Governor of the Unicorn School since 2012. She is Chief Executive of Acorn Care and Education, a leading Children’s Services provider, which runs 15 schools across England for children who have special educational needs, and supports 1,800 looked after children in fostering placements.

Acorn’s Longdon Hall school in Staffordshire was named SEN school of the year in July 2014. Natalie-Jane’s previous experience is in healthcare. She qualified as a doctor in Scotland and worked in the NHS for a number of years before moving into healthcare management. She spent a number of years at BUPA in a variety of senior management roles. She is also a non-executive director of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore.

Natalie has been awarded an MBE for services to healthcare in the 2021 list of New Year’s Honours. She received the prestigious award in recognition of her successful 30-year career and for effectively leading Sunrise’s care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is married with three children.