The Local Advisory Board of the Academy of Woodlands consists of at least 7 governors
- CEO / Headteacher
- At least 3 Co-opted Governors
- 2 Parent Governors, elected by parents of registered pupils at the Academy
- 1 Staff Governor, elected by members of staff at the Academy
- Governance Structure
The Local Advisory Board is a committee established by the Trustees to carry the Trust’s vision, policies and priorities forward based on the specific qualities and community characteristics of each academy.
Governors are responsible for driving educational improvement via the monitoring and evaluation of the School Development Plan (SDP), provision of challenge, as well as support to hold school leaders to account for school standards; pupil outcomes for all; wellbeing; stakeholder engagement and regulatory compliance i.e. safeguarding, health and safety, SEND.
The Local Advisory Board meets four times per academic year, with extra-ordinary meetings convened if necessary.
Rivermead Inclusive Trust (RIT) governs its organisation via a Committee Structure. The Trust Board has two committees: Finance Audit and Risk and School Improvement, with each academy within the Trust having its own Local Advisory Board. The Articles of Association allow the Board of Trustees to delegate its powers and functions to any committee/LAB; and the implementation of their decisions and the day to day management of the Trust to any person or committee. The Scheme of Delegation sets out the extent to which the Trustees have delegated responsibilities to Committees and the Chief Executive.
Trustees believe delegated governance is an effective way to:
a) Bring governance deeper into the organisation and to staff.
b) Ensure RIT’s schools are embedded within their local communities.
c) Attract external expertise to the organisation.
The Board has decided that the extent to which it delegates powers and functions should be planned and regularly reviewed. Where responsibility is delegated, all decisions and actions taken will be reported back to the Board and properly recorded. Trustees are clear about the matters it will not delegate.
The board as a corporate body is accountable for all actions taken in its name by committees or individuals to which it has delegated functions. Where the Chief Executive delegates tasks to other members of staff the Chief Executive remains accountable to the Board of Trustees. Trustees/directors do not incur any personal liability in respect of anything done honestly, responsibly and in good faith exercising their powers or delegating that power to the Chief Executive.
Please click below for details on the Academy of Woodlands Governors:
Chloe Brown - Head of School
Role: Head of School of the Academy of Woodlands
Date of Appointment: 01/09/2022
Attendance at Meetings:
Attended - 22/9/22, 8/12/22, 30/3/23, 13/7/23, 21/9/23, 7/2/24, 16/05/24, 18/07/24, 19/09/24, 06/02/25
Luke Geary - Chair of Governors
Role: Co-opted Governor
Date of Appointment: 01/09/2021
Reappointed: 01/09/2022
Term of Office: 01/09/2022 - 31/08/2026
Attendance at Meetings:
Attended - 22/9/22, 8/12/22, 30/3/23, 13/7/23, 21/9/23, 7/2/24, 16/05/24, 18/07/24, 06/02/25
Apologies - 19/09/24
Craig Mackay - Vice Chair of Governors
Role: Co-opted Governor
Date of Appointment: 15/11/2016
Reappointed: 01/09/2022
Term of Office: 01/09/2022 - 31/08/2026
Attendance at Meetings:
Attended - 22/9/22, 8/12/22, 30/3/23, 21/9/23, 7/2/24, 16/05/24, 18/07/24, 19/09/24, 06/02/25
Apologies - 13/7/23
Claire Hill
Role: Parent Governor
Date of Appointment: 09/01/2025
Term of Office: 09/01/2025 - 08/01/2029
Attendance at Meetings:
Attended - 06/02/2025
Abi Beer
Role: Teaching Staff Governor
Date of Appointment: 24/09/2019
Reappointed: 06/12/2022
Term of Office: 06/12/2022 - 05/12/2026
Attendance at Meetings:
Attended - 22/9/22, 8/12/22, 30/3/23, 13/7/23, 21/9/23, 7/2/24, 16/05/24, 18/07/24, 19/09/24
Apologies - 06/02/25
Lee Costidell
Role: Co-opted Governor
Date of Appointment: 22/09/2021
Reappointed: 01/09/2022
Term of Office: 01/09/2022 - 31/08/2026
Attendance at Meetings:
Attended - 22/9/22, 8/12/22, 30/3/23, 13/7/23, 21/9/23, 7/2/24, 16/05/24, 18/07/24, 19/09/24, 06/02/24
Register of Pecuniary Interests
Business or Pecuniary Interests
| Name Of Governor | Business Or Pecuniary Interest | Nothing To Declare | Date Of Declaration | ||||
| Name Of Business/ Institution | Nature Of Organisation | Governor's Interest | Date Interest Began | Cessation Of Interest | |||
| Craig Mackay | Naked Wines Charitable Trust |
Raise money for Carmen's Kids School in South Africa |
Trustee | Mar-21 | 23/09/2022 | ||
| Luke Geary | The Robert Napier School | Medway Secondary S | Teacher/Employee | Sep-19 | 21/09/2023 | ||
| Bill Cooper | 08/11/2023 | ||||||
| Lee Costidell | 18/09/2023 | ||||||
| Abi Beer | 21/092023 | ||||||
| El Stamp | 07/11/2023 | ||||||
| Alex Lawrance | Coca-Cola Europacific Partner | Supplier (via Third Party) | Employee | Oct 21 | 17/03/2023 | ||
| Kate Turner | ⚫ | 30/03/2023 | |||||
| Claire Hill | ⚫ | 14/01/205 |
Relationships and Optional Declarations
| Name Of Governor | Relationships | Optional Declarations | Nothing To Declare | Date Of Declaration | |||||
| Name Of Staff Member/Governor | Relationship | Name Of Person With Interest | Relationship To Person | Interest To Be Declared | Date Interest | Cessation Of Interest | |||
| Craig Mackay | ⚫ | 23/09/2023 | |||||||
| Luke Geary | ⚫ | 21/09/2023 | |||||||
| Bill Cooper | Claire Cooper (Staff) | Spouse | 08/11/2023 | ||||||
| Jack Enright (Casual Staff) | Son | ||||||||
| Ollie Cooper (Casual Staff) |
Son | ||||||||
| Lee Costidell | Anne Costidell (Trustee) |
Husband | 18/09/2023 | ||||||
| Rebecca Mitchell (Staff) | Daughter | ||||||||
| Amy Costidell (Staff) |
Daughter-in-law | ||||||||
| El Stamp | Child A | Daughter | 07/11/2023 | ||||||
| Abi Beer | Child B (Pupil) | Daughter | 21/09/2023 | ||||||
| Alex Lawrance | ⚫ | 17/03/2023 | |||||||
| Kate Turner | ⚫ | 30/03/2023 | |||||||
| Claire Hill | ⚫ | 14/01/2025 |
Governors Served within the last 12 Months
Keziah Morgan
Role: Co-opted Governor
Date of Appointment: 03/02/2023
Date of Resignation: 27/6/23
Bill Cooper
Role: Co-opted Governor
Date of Appointment: 101/09/2022
Date of Resignation: 28/11/2023
El Stamp
Role: Teaching Staff Governor
Date of Appointment: 06/12/2022
Term of Office: 06/12/2022 - 05/12/2026
Attendance at Meetings:
Attended - 22/9/22, 8/12/22, 30/3/23, 13/7/23, 7/2/24
Apologies - 21/9/23
Date of resignation - 2/2/25
Alex Lawrance
Role: Parent Governor
Date of Appointment: 08/02/2023
Term of Office: 08/02/2023 - 07/02/2027
Attendance at Meetings:
Attended - 30/3/23, 13/7/23, 21/9/23, 7/2/24
Apologies - 06/02/25
Date of resignation - 25/02/25