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Slump in turnout for elections to powerful committees that oversee schools system
Less than a third of academies voted in elections for the powerful committees that help to oversee the schools system, Tes can reveal.
In September, the Department for Education held ballots for four places on each of the headteacher boards (HTBs) that cover eight regions across England.
The HTBs have become increasingly influential since they were introduced in 2014. They advise and challenge the regional schools commissioners, who make decisions about the futures of academies, free schools and maintained schools.
All academies that were open on 1 June were eligible to vote, but a response to a Tes freedom of information request shows that only 28 per cent actually cast a ballot.
This represents a slump from the turnout of “almost 40 per cent” in 2014.
Maximising votes
In six regions, less than a third of academies voted, with turnout ranging from 19 per cent in North-West London and South-Central England to 38 per cent in the North of England. The reduced turnout came amid a fall in the number of candidates standing for election, concerns about the transparency of HTBs and the fact that the vast majority of schools affected by HTB discussions were not allowed to vote.
The Department for Education dismissed suggestions that the falling turnout showed a lack of confidence in the HTB system, pointing out that there had been a big increase in the number of academies since 2014.
A DfE spokesperson said: “Almost 2,000 school leaders voted in these elections - that’s nearly 300 more than 2014. This is only the second time we have run these elections and, while voter turnout is comparable with similar positions in other professions, we will continue to work with school leaders to maximise the number of votes in future.”
The full results of the elections in each region are shown below.
East Midlands and the Humber
Name Votes Peter Bell 57 Elected Paul Stone 56 Elected Roisin Paul 48 Elected Anne Martin 38 Elected Inderjit Sandhu 32 Andrew Truby 32 Carolyn Robson 31 Sian Hampton 30 Cathy Taylor 30 Adam Cooper 27 Lee Hessey 23 Ged Fitzpatrick 21 Pauline Hagen OBE 21 Adrian O’Malley 12 Chris Mulqueen 10Turnout: 21.34 per cent
East of England and North-East London
Name Votes Caroline Derbyshire 74 Elected Brian Conway 52 Elected Karen Kerridge 50 Elected Nardeep Sharma 49 Elected Helena Marsh 48 Rebecca Newman 42 Susannah Connell 40 Joseph Figg 37 Rich Green 36 Rachel Macfarlane 34 Iain Michael Erskine 33 Shahina Ahmad 32 Tom Canning 32 Diane Rochford 31 Justin James 29 Angela Tempany 29 Jodh Dhesi 25 Simon Gilbert-Barnham 23 Jonathan Taylor 23 Andrew Berry 11Turnout: 32.35 per cent
Lancashire and West Yorkshire
Name Votes Karen Bramwell 56 Elected Julie Bradley 49 Elected Royston Halford 44 Elected Duncan Jacques 43 Elected David Horn 41 Jo Morgan 39 Michael Gosling 34 Pauline Hagen OBE 28 Tuesday Humby 28 Louise Smith 26 David Watson 25 Richard Ballantine 24 Jane Chambers 23 Jon Wright 23 Deborah Mason 19 Michael Tonge 19 Farhat Choudry 16Turnout: 31.28 per cent
North of England
Name Votes Zoe Carr 71 Elected Nick Hurn 65 Elected Chris Clarke 64 Elected Lesley Powell 62 Elected Debi Bailey 48 Dean Judson 30Turnout: 38.33 per cent
North-West London and South-Central England
Name Votes Sarah Bennett 49 Elected Tom Rees 45 Elected Claire Robins 45 Elected Dame Sue Bourne DBE 41 Elected Michelle Willett 40 Teresa Tunnadine CBE 35 Jamie Clarke 32 Gill Labrum 26 Andrew Markham 26 Andy Squires 24 Frances Manning 23 Terry Molloy 21 Vicky Parsey 14 Nikki Lamond 8Turnout: 19.21 per cent
South-East England and South London
Name Votes Jon Chaloner 71 Elected Paula Farrow 68 Elected Sir Andrew Carter OBE 62 Elected Justin Smith 51 Elected Annemarie Whittle 48 David Boyle 47 Graham Chisnell 47 Beverley Gardner 43 Lee Mason-Ellis 39 Rebecca Stacey 34 Alex Russell 32 Marie Sweetlove 30 David Harris 22 Llyn Codling 21 Alex Clark 17 Declan Jones 8Turnout: 26.6 per cent
South-West England
Name Votes Sally Apps 68 Elected Steve Savory 67 Elected Paul Jones 50 Elected Suzanne Flack 47 Elected Jan Woodhouse 46 Robert Gasson 45 Barbara Daykin 40 Clare Crowle 38 Simon Spry 36 Ian Cload 35 Lynn Atkinson 34 Paul Rushforth 34 Neil Blundell 32 Liz West 31 Antus Phillips 30 George Croxford 29 Will Morgan 25 Martin Brook 23 Catherine Hughes 22 Siobhan Meredith 22 Jo Perry 21 Gary Chown 20 Jonathan Bishop 19 David Sammels 14 Catriona Mangham 12Turnout: 33.7 per cent
West Midlands
Name Votes Dame Mo Brennan 72 Elected Mike Donoghue 53 Elected Margaret Yates 43 Elected Sinead Smith 34 Elected Nicola Clay 32 Darren Turner 32 Rebecca Cox 30 Jo Morgan 29 Steve Docking 28 Kevin Simpson 27 Christopher Brislen 26 Catherine Lewis 26 Hazel Pulley 25 Elizabeth Threlkeld 24 Geraint Roberts 23 Michael Barratt 22 Jane Edgerton 22 Richard Redgate 22 Martin Murphy 19 Dan Thomas 17 Stephen Dunster 15 David Coaché 9Turnout: 28.51 per cent
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