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Trustees & Members

Birdwell School Members and Board of Trustees

The Trust’s Governance Arrangements

Constitution

The Birdwell School Academy Trust was incorporated on 1 March 2013 and opened as an Academy on 1 April 2013. It is a company limited by guarantee and an exempt charity. The Charitable Company's Memorandum and Articles of Association are the primary governing documents of the Academy Trust. The Members and Trustees of Birdwell School are also the directors of the Charitable Company for the purposes of company law. The Charitable Company operates as Birdwell School.

Method of recruitment and appointment or election of Members and Trustees

The Academy has up to five Members. Founding Members were appointed at the time the Academy Trust was incorporated and others, typically retiring Trustees, have been invited to become Members by the Founding Members. The Members provide independent oversight of the Trust’s activities and work with the Board of Trustees to set strategic direction for the Academy.

 

The Academy's Board of Trustees comprises the Headteacher, a minimum of 2 Parent Trustees, up to 3 Staff Trustees (providing that the total number of Trustees, including the Headteacher, who are employees of the Academy Trust, does not exceed one third of the total number of Trustees) and up to 8 other Trustees.

Trustees are appointed for a four year period, except that this time limit does not apply to the Headteacher. Subject to remaining eligible to be a particular type of Trustee, any Trustee can be re-appointed or re-elected.

 

When appointing new Trustees, the Board will give consideration to the skills and experience mix of existing Trustees in order to ensure that the Board has the necessary skills to contribute fully to the Academy's development.

Organisational Structure

The Board of Trustees normally meets once each term. The Board establishes an overall framework for the governance of the Academy and determines membership, terms of reference and procedures of Committees and other groups. It receives reports including policies from its Committees for ratification. It monitors the activities of the Committees through the minutes of their meetings. The Board may from time to time establish Working Groups to perform specific tasks over a limited timescale. There are currently three committees as follows;

Audit and Finance Committee - responsible for monitoring, evaluating and reviewing policy and performance in relation to financial management, compliance with reporting and regulatory requirements and reporting, receiving reports from the internal audit and drafting the annual budget including setting staffing levels. It also incorporates the role of an audit committee

Curriculum and Standards Committee - responsible for monitoring, evaluating and reviewing Academy policy, practice and performance in relation to curriculum planning, communications, target setting and assessment, examinations and all pastoral issues.

Premises, Health and Safety Committee – considers management and development of the Academy premises and site and to gain assurance over safeguarding.

Birdwell School Members

 AppointedStepped Down (where applicable)Relevant business and pecuniary interests
Geoff Mountjoy1st April 2013 
  • Director of GM Consultancy Service
  • Work with Delegated Services
  • Consult for Teaching School Council
  • Employee of Catherdral Schools Trust
Michael Shelley1st April 20131st September 2022None noted
Nick Thompson26th September 2019 None noted
Robert Goodwin1st January 2022 None noted
Tabetha Newman1st July 2020 None noted

Rob Goodwin

Rob joined Birdwell School’s Board of Trustees in 2018. He actively supported both the Finance Committee and Premises, Health and Safety Committees and Chaired the Board of Trustees for a year before joining the Members of Birdwell School in 2022.

Geoff Mountjoy

Geoff works with the Teaching School Council as Regional Governance Lead helping to broker support for schools in the Region who have Leadership and Management issues. He is also works part time as a governance coordinator for the Cathedral School Trust.

Dr Tabetha Newman

Tabetha sat on the Board of Trustees for nine years prior to becoming a Member. Tabetha’s key focus has always been the Curriculum and Standards Committee and supporting staff and pupil wellbeing. Tabetha is an honorary research fellow at the University of Bristol. She moved from academia to science communication, and in 2003 she set up Timmus Limited, a digital research consultancy. She is a mum to two children, both of whom attended Birdwell School.

Nick Thompson

Nick was a Trustee of Birdwell School for four years and was Chair of the Finance Committee for much of that time before being asked to become a member.

Birdwell School Trustees

Trustees Name

Specific Role

Appointed by

Appointed

Stepped down (if applicable)

Term of Office

Relevant business and experience

Clare Sutherland

Co-Chair of Trustees

Board of Trustees

20 April 2021

 

19 April 2025

Work as School Improvement Officer at Bristol City Council

Helen Vye

 

Board of Trustees

28 April 2021

 


27 April 2025

 

Employee of KPMG

Henry Springate

 

Board of Trustees

17 January 2022

 

17 January 2026

Teacher at school

Jennifer Haimes

 Board of Trustees25 June 2023  None noted

Kevin Davies

Chair of Audit and Audit Committee

Board of Trustees

10 May 2022

 

9 May 2026

None noted

Laura Humphreys Board of Trustees29 August 2023  None noted

Liz Anderson

 

Board of Trustees

1 September 2022

 

31 August 2026

None noted

Lucy Durham

 

Board of Trustees

1 April 2013

 


31 March 2025

 

Teacher at school

Marc Cornford

 

Board of Trustees

26 September 2019

 

25 September 2023

None noted

Michael Wells

 

Board of Trustees

7 May 2022

 

6 May 2026

 

None noted

Paul Sainsbury

Accounting Officer

Board of Trustees

1 April 2013

 

Limited by employment

Headteacher of school

Roxanne Ismail

Co-Chair of Trustees and Chair of Premises, Health and Safety Committee

Board of Trustees

6 January 2021

 

4 January 2024

None noted

Emily Lake

 

Board of Trustees

20 October 2021

14 November 2022

 

None noted

Geoff Mountjoy

 

Board of Trustees

25 September 2020

31 December 2022

 

• Director of GM Consultancy Service

• Work with Delegated Services

• Consult for Teaching School Council

• Employee of Cathedral Schools Trust

Geraint Bowers

 

Board of Trustees

25 October 2019

4 July 2022

 

None noted

Robert Goodwin

 

Board of Trustees

25 September 2020

18 June 2022

 

None noted

 

Jennifer Haimes

Laura Humphreys

​Laura is a Senior Corporate Health & Safety Advisor for a local authority and carries out monitoring visits and offers advice & support to maintained schools, she is a Chartered Member of Institute of Occupational Safety & Health. Laura has two children that attend Birdwell School, and is also the Communications Manager for Birdwell School PTA. 

Liz Anderson

Liz is a resident of Long Ashton. Through her work with the council, Liz co-ordinates the Long Ashton Memory and the Community Choir and was previously a Parish Councillor. Until recently, Liz was a lecturer in medical education at Bristol University and holds a doctorate in education.  Although her career has focused on Higher Education, the themes of inclusion, students as partners, social accountability and citizenship are common across all sectors.

Marc Cornford

Marc Cornford is a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. He has spent the majority of his career teaching young pilots to fly various types of military helicopter from Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton. In recent years he has worked extensively in the governance and assurance of flying standards in the Fleet Air Arm. Marc lives in Long Ashton and has two children who attended Birdwell School.

Kevin Davies

Kevin is an Audit Director at a top 7 accountancy firm and a Chartered Accountant with over 15 years’ experience. He also has two children who attend Birdwell School.

Lucy Durham

Lucy is an Assistant Head at Birdwell School

Roxanne Ismail

Roxanne is joint Chair of the Board of Trustees and Chair of the Premises, Health & Safety Committee.  Roxanne is a commercial barrister who has practised in London and Hong Kong. She is mother to two boys who started their schooling in Hong Kong and are now finishing secondary school in Bristol.

Paul Sainsbury

Paul is the Headteacher of the school.

Henry Springate

Henry is a class teacher at Birdwell School.

Clare Sutherland

Clare is joint Chair of the Board of Trustees. Clare works within school improvement as her day job. She has a wealth of school leadership experience both as a Deputy Headteacher and Headteacher of three primary schools in Inner London and Bristol. Clare has worked as a system leader within a federation, supporting schools in the group and beyond with curriculum development, data and assessment as well as mentoring new senior and middle leaders.

Helen Vye

Helen is a Chartered Accountant and works as an Internal Audit manager at a big four accountancy firm.

Michael Wells

Michael is a Crown Servant working in Logistics and is also CIMA qualified (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants).  Alongside this, Michael undertakes charity work with the RN Rugby Union as Treasurer and is a fitness coach to LAFC U10s.  Michael is also a parent helper at Beavers/Cub Scouts and has two children at Birdwell School.

Trustee attendance at Board and Committee Meetings during academic year 2022-23

 

Full Board of Trustee Meetings

Audit and Finance Committee

Curriculum and Standards Committee

Premises, Health and Safety Committee

 

Attended

Out of Possible

Attended

Out of Possible

Attendance

Out of Possible

Attendance

Out of Possible

Emily Anderson

 5

6      

Marc Cornford

2

6

 

 

 

 

3

3

Kevin Davies

6

6

5

5

 

 

 

 

Roxanne Ismail

5

6

 

 

 

 

3

3

Emily Lake

0

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Geoff Mountjoy

2

2

4

4

3

3

 

 

Paul Sainsbury

6

6

4

5

3

3

2

3

Henry Springate

5

6

 

 

2

3

 

 

Claire Sutherland

6

6

 

 

3

3

 

 

Helen Vye

4

6

5

5

 

 

 

 

Mike Wells

6

6

5

5

 

 

1

1

Lucy Durham05      
Laura Humphreys00      
Jennifer Haimes11      

 

 

 

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