The names of 32 academy leaders who will play a crucial role overseeing the schools system in England over the next three years have been revealed.
The Department for Education this afternoon announced the results of the elections to the eight headteacher boards (HTBs) in England.
The boards advise regional schools commissioners on decisions including who runs academies, what happens to struggling academies and non-academies, and which free-school applications are approved.
Four current or recent leaders of top-rated academies have been elected in each region following a ballot in which all current academy leaders were entitled to vote. The election rules included provisions to ensure that the primary and secondary phases are represented on each HTB.
Additional members of HTBs can be co-opted or appointed.
The number of candidates varied from 25 in the South West region to just six in the North.
The system of HTBs and regional schools commissioners was introduced in 2014, as the DfE struggled to directly oversee the increasing numbers of schools that were becoming academies.
Leaders’ expertise ‘is so important’
The government said the election of local headteachers brings expertise to decisions about schools in each region. However, concerns have been raised about potential conflicts of interest, and a lack of transparency about how the headteacher boards operate.
National schools commissioner Sir David Carter said: “Over the last three years, the expertise of headteacher boards has been so important in helping to create a self-managing and ever-improving education system.
“I know from personal experience how much headteacher boards help inform decisions, and I’m looking forward to working with the newly-elected members to help make our school system even better.”
See below the full list of candidates elected to each headteacher board:
North of England
Zoe Carr (WISE Academies), Chris Clarke (Lunesdale Learning Trust), Nick Hurn (Trinity Catholic Trust), Lesley Powell (North East Learning Trust)
Lancashire and West Yorkshire
Julie Bradley (Tauheedul Education Trust), Karen Bramwell (Forward As One Church of England Multi-Academy Trust), Royston Halford (The Rowan Learning Trust), Duncan Jacques (Exceed Academies Trust)
East Midlands and the Humber
Peter Bell (Community Inclusive Trust), Anne Martin (QEGSMAT), Roisin Paul (Chorus Education Trust), Paul Stone (Discovery Schools Academy Trust)
West Midlands
Dame Mo Brennan (Matrix Academy Trust), Mike Donoghue (John Taylor MAT), Sinead Smith (Holy Spirit Catholic Multi-Academy), Margaret Yates (All Saints Catholic Collegiate)
South-West England
Sally Apps (Cabot Learning Federation), Suzanne Flack (The Redstart Learning Partnership), Paul Jones (retired from First Federation Trust Academy), Steve Savory (Gloucestershire Learning Alliance)
North-East London and East of England
Brian Conway (St John the Baptist Catholic MAT), Caroline Derbyshire (Saffron Academy Trust), Karen Kerridge (Benflet Schools Trust), Nardeep Sharma (Thrive Partnership Academy Trust)
North-West London and South-Central England
Sarah Bennett (Inspiring Futures Through Learning), Dame Sue Bourne (retired from The Avenue School - Special Needs Academy Trust), Tom Rees (Northampton Primary Academy Trust), Claire Robins (Sir John Lawes Academies Trust)
South London and South-East England
Sir Andrew Carter (South Farnham Educational Trust), Jon Chaloner (GLF Schools), Paula Farrow (Nexus Education Schools Trust), Justin Smith (The Primary First Trust)
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