Governance
Chair of Trustee Board: Rosemary Edwards
Vice Chair of Trustee Board: Tom La Dell
The Governance Structure at Horsforth School is made up of 7 seven members and 11 Trustees.
Members & Trustees
As charitable companies limited by guarantee every trust has Members who have a similar role to the shareholders in a company limited by shares.
The Trustees are both charity trustees and company directors and they manage the business of the academy trust and may exercise all the powers of the academy trust.
The Members meet a minimum of 2 times throughout the year. The Trustee Board meets a minimum of six times throughout the year.
The Core Functions of the Trustee Board are:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
- Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the performance management of staff
- Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent.
The Members:
- are signatories to the articles of association which includes definition of the trusts’ charitable object and governance structure (where they are founding Members);
- may, by special resolution, amend the articles of association, subject to any restrictions created by the trust’s funding agreement or charity law;
- may, by special resolution (which requires 75% rather than a simple majority of Members to agree) appoint new Members or remove existing Members other than, where there is one, the foundation/ sponsor body and any Members it has appointed;
- have power to appoint Trustees as set out in the trust’s articles of association, and have power under the Companies Act to remove any or all serving Trustees;
- may by special resolution issue direction to the Trustees to take a specific action;
- appoint the Trust’s auditors and receive the trust’s annual audited accounts; and
- have power to change the name of the charitable company and ultimately, wind up the academy trust.
Key Elements of our Governance
Effective governance in our Academy Trust is supported by the following:
- Trust Members – the guardians of the constitution, the right to appoint and remove Trustees, the equivalent of shareholders in a company.
- Trust Board – the Directors / Trustees:
- Ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction for the Trust.
- Supports and holds the Leadership of the school to account for educational performance.
- Approves the budget and has oversight of all strategic decision and direction.
- Responsible for appointing the Headteacher.
- Audit, Risk and Finance Committee:
- Assist the Trust Board in meeting its responsibilities for financial reporting, internal and external auditing.
- Recommend Appointment of Auditors to the Members.
- Agree a schedule of audit.
- Ensures adequate risk management processes are in place
- Ensure rigor and scrutiny in budget management.
Expansion Committee (Ad hoc committee):
- To oversee and facilitate all components of the Horsforth School expansion project.
If you are interested in becoming a Horsforth School Trustee please contact Tracy Hartley, Clerk to the Trustee Board at info@horsforthschool.org.
Trustees
Names, Terms of Office and Declarations of Interest(s)
| Trustee Name and Term of Office |
Appointed By | Declaration of Interests |
|---|---|---|
| Paul Bell (Headteacher) 01.09.2016 |
None | |
| Keith Bothamley 19.03.2018-19.03.2026 |
Members | Member of Moorlands Learning Trust |
| Ian Dixon 23.02.2021-23.02.2025 |
Parent Trustee (Election process) | Director of Brightpath UK (dormant company) |
| Rosemary Edwards (Chair) 29.11.17-29.11.2025 |
Members | None |
| Tessa Freer 29.11.17-29.11.25 |
Members | Manager of Horsforth Children’s Service. Horsforth School commissions part of the funding towards Horsforth Children’s Service. |
| Mr Martin Hicks 03.10.22 – 03.10.26 |
Parent Trustee (Election process)
|
None |
| Mr Tom La Dell 02.10.18-02.10.26 |
Members | Employed by Anderson Anderson & Brown Wealth Ltd. Director at Hentons Wealth Ltd. |
| Samantha Lightfoot 08.05.2019-08.05.2023 Resigned June 2022 |
Parent Trustee (Election process) | None |
| Shaun Riordan 21.09.2020-21.09.2024 |
Members | Employee of IFS. Director of West End Night Owls |
| Damon Shaw 12.12.2022-12.12.2026 |
Members | Head of Commercial Enterprises, Leeds Trinity University |
| Helen Shearer 20.09.20- 21.09.24 |
Members | None |
| Ruth Stokes 01.07.2019-01.07.2023 Resigned January 2022 |
Staff Trustee (Election process) | Membership of NASUWT |
| Steve Wood 01.07.2019-01.07.2023 |
Members | None |
Trustees
Attendance at Meetings, Lead Roles and Committee Membership
| Trustee Name and Term of Office | Lead Roles/Committees | Governance in other Institutions | 2022-2023 Attendance Trust Board Meetings |
2022-2023 Attendance Audit Committee |
2021-2022 Attendance Expansion Committee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Bell (Headteacher) 01.09.2016 |
N/A | 6 of 6 | 3 of 3 (in attendance) |
0 of 0 | |
| Keith Bothamley 19.03.2018-19.03.2026 |
|
N/A | 5 of 6 | N/A | 0 of 0 |
| Ian Dixon (Parent Trustee) 23.02.21-23.02.2025 |
|
N/A | 6 of 6 | N/A | N/A |
| Rosemary Edwards (Chair) 29.11.17-29.11.2025 |
|
N/A | 6 of 6 | 3 of 3 | N/A |
| Tessa Freer 29.11.17-29.11.25 Maternity Leave from 01.04.22- 01.04.23 |
|
N/A | 1 of 2 | N/A | N/A |
| Mr Martin Hicks 03.10.22-03.10.26 |
5 of 6 | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Mr Tom La Dell 02.10.18-02.10.26 |
|
N/A | 3 of 6 | 3 of 3 | N/A |
| Shaun Riordan 21.09.2020-21.09.2024 |
|
N/A | 5 of 6 | N/A | 0 of 0 |
| Damon Shaw 12.12.22-12.12.26 |
|
N/A | 3 of 4 | N/A | N/A |
| Helen Shearer 20.09.20- 20.09.24 |
|
N/A | 5 of 6 | 3 of 3 | N/A |
| Steve Wood 01.07.2019-01.07.2023 |
|
N/A | 6 of 6 | 3 of 3 | 0 of 0 |
Trustee Diversity Data
Members Declarations of Interest(s)
| Name | Interests |
|---|---|
| Ray Agar (Resigned December 2023) |
None |
| Jamie Bentley |
|
|
Colin Booth
|
|
| Rosemary Edwards | None |
|
Paul Higgins
|
|
| Martin Hughes |
|
| Jenny Share |
|