Governors
‘Aspirational for those with SEND'
'Enabling each pupil to believe in and value them self, to have inspirations to be the best they can be. To unlock a positive future for each pupil through working collaboratively with them, their families and outside agencies and the wider community'
James Marks Academy is part of the James Marks Academy Trust whose aim is to create a community of outstanding schools with the highest aspiration and dedication to achieving the best outcomes for all learners. Governance plays a key role in shaping the strategic direction of the Trust and its schools by challenging the school leaders to ensure every pupil has the opportunity to achieve their personal best.
The James Marks Academy Trust delegates its powers and responsibilities through the Scheme of Delegation.
"The Management Committee is highly effective."......"Leaders demonstrate strong knowledge and expertise in supporting pupils with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs."....."Members of the Management Committee take their roles and responsibilities seriously. Members use their wide knowledge and experience to make sure that leaders have a precise focus on improving pupils’ outcomes." - Ofsted
As directors of a charitable trust, our board ensure that they comply with charity and company law.
The board of the JMAT has three core functions:
Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
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Holding Executive Leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils and the performance management of staff; and
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Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent.
The board is supported by the Executive Team consisting of the Executive Head and Chief Financial Officer.
As a multi-academy trust, the board is responsible for all of the academies in the Trust. We exercise this responsibility by delegating functions to Sub-Committees, the Executive Team and Academy Head Teachers through our scheme of delegation.
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Chair of the Board |
Eugene Billeter |
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Executive Head (Accounting Officer) |
Trevor Orchard |
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Chief Finance Officer (Company Secretary/Clerk) |
Mandy Crow |
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Chair of Finance (Audit) Business Committee |
Mark Braley |
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Chair of Standards and GDPR Committee |
Alan Clark |
TRUSTEES (DIRECTORS)
Role: To oversee the strategic direction of the Trust, ensure full compliance and hold its executives to account.
Eugene Billeter – Strategic Management Trustee & Chair
Trustee (Member Appointed)
Term of office 01/04/2021 - 01/04/2025
2021-2022 Attendance at Full Board Meetings: 4 out of 5
2021 - 2022 Attendance at Finance (Audit) Business Committee Meetings: 3 out of 4
Register of interests: Family member used to work in Finance for Herts For Learning.
Eugene has extensive management skills gained in commercial business and a long term interest in special needs and disabilities. He was the treasurer for Herts Inclusive Theatre for 8 years until 2017.
Eugene's business background is a result of 30 years working in commercial IT services, retiring in August 2019 as a programme manager overseeing up to 20 million pounds of project works per annum, within a variety of industries and clients, utilising strategic partners and third party agents to deliver solutions and services within time, quality and cost constraints. He was responsible for developing the five-year business plan for Network Rail’s core IT systems, developing the business case for projects to be commissioned with a 100% approval rate from the Group investment panel.
Nik Pringle – Safeguarding Trustee, Health & Safety Trustee and Vice Chair
Trustee (Member Appointed)
Term of office 01/04/2021 - 01/04/2025
2021-2022 Attendance at Full Board Meetings: 4 out of 5
2021 - 2022 Attendance at Finance (Audit) Business Committee Meetings: 4 out of 4
Register of interests: None
Nik is a Retired Police Officer who now works as a Special Inspector and Staff Manager for Herts Constabulary.
His neighbourhood responsibilities include delivering Policing/Prevention messages to Primary/Secondary Schools and Local Colleges with Hertfordshire Constabulary. 1980-2010.
Nik has a particular interest in Safer Recruitment, Safeguarding and Health and Safety.
Trevor Orchard – Executive Head (Accounting Officer) and Trustee
Trustee (Member Appointed)
2021-2022 Attendance at Full Board Meetings: 5 out of 5
2021 - 2022 Attendance at Finance (Audit) Business Committee Meetings: 4 out of 4
Register of interests: None
Trevor is the Executive Head for James Marks Academy Trust, including the Roman Fields Academy, Forest House and the James Marks Academy which opened in September 2024. He has had over 26 years in Education in a variety of roles, including over 10 years at Roman Fields (our founder school) as Headteacher. He has led Roman Fields to being rated Outstanding by Ofsted on more than one occasion and winning the NAS 2018 Excellence award. In June 2024 Ofsted made a return visit. The inspectors again deemed that Roman Fields is 'outstanding'. Please note this judgement in no way relates to the James Marks Academy, which, as a new free school is yet to be inspected. We are told the first inspection of our new academy will be seven terms after opening. This should therefore happen in the autumn term of 2025. We will of course publish the report as soon as it becomes available.
Prior to working in education, he was a Project Manager in the construction industry. He has experience in leadership, finance, SEND, strategic planning and delivery.
Trevor took on a significant amount of responsibility fairly early on in his teaching career as a Head of Year in his second year of teaching, which has provided the opportunity to learn from and work closely with 5 Head Teachers over his early career. In his last post, Trevor was a mainstream Deputy for 8 years and built strong teams of entirely committed individuals, leading the SEND and behaviour teams and all staff in the Autistic Resource Provision alongside the Heads of Year.
He believes that great schools are built on relationships, creativity, positivity, and trust. He has learned that the leader of an organisation can really impact on the culture, results and inclusivity of an organisation; and that accountability directly affects outcomes.
Mark Braley – Chair of Finance and Business Committee
Trustee (Member Appointed)
Term of office 01/04/2021 - 01/04/2025
2021-2022 Attendance at Full Board Meetings: 5 out of 5
2021 - 2022 Attendance at Finance (Audit) Business Committee Meetings: 4 out of 4
2021 - 2022 Attendance at Standards and GDPR Committee Meetings: 3 out of 3
Register of interests: None
Mark is the Head of Product Management, European Equity Research for Jefferies International.
He is a chartered Accountant with 20 years of experience in Financial Services and is regularly involved in Change Projects (IT, Compliance and Business facing) and personnel matters.
Mark's role as Head of Product Management involves challenging and mentoring highly experienced individuals.
Alan Clarke – Chair of Standards Committee
Trustee (Member Appointed)
Term of office 01/04/2021 - 01/04/2025
2021-2022 Attendance at Full Board Meetings: 3 out of 5
2021 - 2022 Attendance at Finance (Audit) Business Committee Meetings: 2 out of 4
2021 - 2022 Attendance at Standards and GDPR Committee Meetings: 3 out of 3
Register of interests: None
Alan originally joined the Roman Fields Management Committee as a Local community governor and is a neighbour of the school. Jubilee House Care Trust is a charity that provides residential and short break services for both children and adults with learning difficulties.
Alan has Governance and management experience in running organisations that care for vulnerable people, using KPI’s and uncomplicated management information to help understand how the organisation was performing. Also, continually monitoring and looking to improve outcomes and processes which helped to control finances and budgets; setting achievable targets and ensuring the right people where in the right roles.
Simon Newland – Trustee
TRUSTEES WHO HAVE STEPPED DOWN BUT SERVED IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS
Eliane Yebkal - Trustee
Trustee (Member Appointed)
Term of office 06/12/2021 - 06/12/2025
2021-2022 Attendance at Full Board Meetings: 3 out of 4
2021 - 2022 Attendance at Standards and GDPR Committee Meetings: 2 out of 2
Register of interests: CEO at Eliane Champagne
- CEO at Eliane Champagne
- Over 28 years of experience in general management
- High knowledge of food and beverage control management, operational management and analysis, management accountancy, strong sales techniques
Gemma Cunningham – Trustee
Trustee (Member Appointed)
Term of office 03/10/2023 - 04/03/2024
2022-2023 Attendance at Full Board Meetings: 1 out of 1
2022 - 2023 Attendance at Standards and GDPR Committee Meetings: 1 out of 1
Register of interests: School Business Manager at Woodfield School
Gemma previously worked at Roman Fields as a Finance Assistant, before leaving and becoming a School Business Manager. Gemma has come back to offer support as a Trustee and learn about academy finance to develop her knowledge further.
The Finance (Audit) and Business Committee
The Finance (Audit) and Business Committee is a subcommittee of the main Board of Trustees and is responsible for exercising the powers and duties of the MAT Board in respect of matters relating to the finances, staffing, the maintenance of estates and general resources of the Trust, except for those items specifically reserved for the MAT Board and those delegated to the Executive Head and other staff.
The purpose of the Finance (Audit) and Business Committee is to assist the decision-making of the Executive Head. With appropriate challenge and support, this will enable more detailed consideration to be given to the best means of fulfilling the MAT Board's responsibility. This will ensure sound management of the Trust’s finances, staffing, the maintenance of estates and resources, including proper planning, monitoring and probity. The committee will then make appropriate comments and recommendations on such matters to the MAT Board on a regular basis.
The Finance (Audit) and Business Committee shall report on decisions taken under delegated powers to the next meeting of the MAT Board (predominantly through the receipt of the Minutes of the Committee meetings, which shall be a standing agenda item for meetings of the MAT Board). If a major concern is raised by the Committee, its Chair will consult with the Chair of the MAT Board on whether a special meeting of the MAT Board should be convened.
The Finance (Audit) and Business Committee is authorised by the MAT Board to obtain outside legal or other independent professional advice. The Committee is authorised by the MAT Board to request the attendance of individuals and authorities from outside the MAT with relevant experience and expertise if it considers it necessary or expedient to carry out its functions.
During the year, the Executive Head, Chair of Trustees and Finance Link, all of whom are members of the Finance (Audit) and Business Committee, have received financial reports from the CFO (via email each month) and will challenge the information provided to ensure the end of year accounts are accurate and can be consolidated.
The Standards and GDPR Committee
The Standards and GDPR Committee is a subcommittee of the main Board of Trustees, and it is responsible for exercising powers and duties in relation to educational policies and standards and overseeing the implementation and success of GDPR across the Trust.
The purpose of the Committee is to scrutinise educational policies and standards at trust level and review risks to progress and provide appropriate challenge and support to their schools in terms of Key Performance Indicators.
The Standards and GDPR Committee will report directly to the MAT Board through information provided by the Minutes and by an oral or written report from the Chair of the Committee.
The specific objectives of the Committee are:
- To set and monitor standards and to hold the Executive Leader to account for these;
- To provide scrutiny of policies that apply across all the schools in the Trust and to review these in line with an agreed schedule;
- To consider the risks which may affect achievement and actions taken to minimise the risk;
- To monitor the performance of governance in each School through Governor hub initially and through an annual review process thereafter;
- To recommend further policy development in relation to governance.
