Governance Overview
We have been part of the NEAT Academy Trust family of schools since 1 April 2017.
The levels of governance in NEAT include:
- Members
- Non-executive directors/trustees
- Local governing committees
Our NEAT Board and committee role overview shows the relationships between the different levels of governance.
Constitution
Our local governing committee has:
- Two parent members (elected by parents of pupils at the school)
- One staff member (elected by staff of the school)
- Headteacher member (ex-officio)
- Eight trust members approved by the NEAT board of directors.
- Three co-opted members approved by the Local Governing Committee
The terms of office of all members are four years, except:
- Any co-opted members where the term of office is one year
- Ex-officio appointments which are based on the person holding a particular office and continue as long as the person remains in post
Local Governing Committee members
Shah Yaseen Ali
Trust Member
Appointed by NEAT Trust Board: 25.03.24
Term of office ends: 24.03.28
Declared interests: Employee – Newcastle University Students’ Union since 19.06.23; Director/partner – NUSU Trading Ltd since 26.03.23; Council member – Newcastle University since 26.06.23; Governor – Newcastle University Students’ Union since 01.07.22
Philip Anderson
Trust Member (LGC Chair)
Appointed by NEAT Trust Board: 05.07.19
Re-appointed: 05.07.23
Term of office ends: 04.07.27
Declared interests: Employee – Teach First since August 2019
Angela Rose Birt
Trust Member (LGC Co-Vice Chair)
Appointed by NEAT Trust Board: 19.10.18
Re-appointed: 19.10.21
Term of office ends: 18.10.25
Declared interests: Employee – Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Hospitals Trust
Connor Campbell
Co-opted Member
Appointed by Local Governing Committee: 21.03.24
Term of office ends: 20.03.25
Declared interests: Employee – Newcastle United Foundation since September 2022
Lynne Elizabeth Cope
Trust Member
Appointed as co-opted member: 22.09.22
Appointed by NEAT Trust Board: 26.01.23
Term of office ends: 25.01.27
Declared interests: Employee – Education Development Trust since 29.06.09
Susan Currey
Co-opted Member (Co-Vice Chair)
Appointed by the Local Governing Committee as Co-opted member: 13.03.23
Appointed by NEAT Trust board as Trust member: 04.12.23
Term of office ends: 03.12.27
Declared interests: Employee – Pearson Edexcel since 28.03.22
Carole Ann Day
Parent Member
Elected by parents of Benfield School: 09.05.22
Term of office ends: 08.05.26
Declared interests: Employee – NEAT Academy Trust since June 2023
Christopher Fairs
Co-opted Member
Appointed by Local Governing Committee: 21.03.24
Term of office ends: 20.03.25
Declared interests: Partner – Value Added HR Ltd since March 2024; Employee – Peacocks Medical Group Ltd since October 2023; Sole Trader – Property Investment since December 2002
James Holdsworth
Trust Member
Appointed by NEAT Trust Board: 13.07.22
Term of office ends: 12.07.26
Declared interests: Employee – Newcastle City Council since 14.11.16
Anthony Martin
Headteacher
Ex-officio position based on role as Headteacher from 01.09.22
Declared interests: Employee – NEAT Academy Trust since 01.09.22
Stephanie Murray
Staff Member
Appointed by staff at Benfield School: 11.03.21
Term of office ends: 10.03.25
Declared interests: Employee – NEAT Academy Trust, Benfield School
Carolyn Reay
Trust Member
Appointed by NEAT Trust Board: 17.03.21
Term of office ends: 16.03.25
Declared interests: Employee – NEAT Academy Trust since April 2017
Hamdi Torun
Trust Member
Appointed by NEAT Trust Board: 13.07.22
Term of office ends: 12.07.26
Declared Interests: Employee – Northumbria Unversity since 30.10.17; Business interest – GlakoLens (Istanbul) since 01.01.16
Neil Jonathan Walker
Co-opted Member
Elected by the Local Governing Committee: 13.03.23
Re-elected: 25.01.24
Term of office ends: 24.01.25
Declared interests: Employee – Westfield School since September 2017
Former LGC members in the last 12 months
Sarah Studholme
Parent Member
Elected by parents of Benfield School: 21.02.18
Re-elected: 29.06.21
Resigned: 22.01.24
Declared interests: Employee – NEAT Academy Trust, Benfield School
Ray Duell
Co-opted Member
Appointed by the Local Governing Committee: 13.03.23
Resigned: 20.11.23
Declared interests: Employee/ Owner – Duell Training Associates since 2011
Dan Kane
Trust Member
Appointed by NEAT Trust Board: 15.11.21
Resigned: 16.10.23
Declared interests: Director – Little Coffee Bean Company since October 2019; Director – L W Rail Magazine since September 2019; Employee – Projects Pick N Mix Ltd since January 2019; Director – Health and Safety Event Management Ltd since August 2004; Employee – Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust since January 2000
Rebecca Nicholson
Trust Member
Appointed by NEAT Trust Board: 27.06.18
Re-appointed: 10.07.21
Term of office ended: 06.07.23
Declared interests: Employee – Northumbria University Since May 2022; Business partnership/ directorship – RN Education Consultancy Ltd since September 2021
Local Governing Committee Meetings
The Scheme of Delegation of Governance sets out the role and responsibilities of each school’s local governing committee and the decisions that the NEAT Board of Directors has delegated to it.
Meetings
The local governing committee meets up to six times each year: twice in each of the Autumn, Spring and Summer Terms.
Attendance register
The attendance of local governors at meetings in 2022-23 is shown below: