Governance Structure
Members
The three founder members established Barnet Special Education Trust as a company limited by guarantee in 2016. The members meet annually and at other times as required with a role to ensure the Trust fulfils its founding principles and to receive the company’s annual report and accounts. They also have responsibility for the appointment of trustees.
|
Members |
Appointed |
Stepped Down |
Relevant business or pecuniary interests |
| Judith Charlesworth Founder Member |
March 2016 | Education Consultant | |
| Anne Etherington Founder Member |
March 2016 | Education Consultant | |
| Desirée Lodge-Patch Founder Member |
March 2016 | December 2024 | Retired Principal, Woodfield Special Academy, Brent; Company Secretary, LP Construction London Ltd; Trustee, The Avenue Free School |
| Steve Palmer | July 2019 |
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees steer the strategic aims of the Trust. They appoint the Chair and community governors of each Local Governing Body, whilst ensuring the election of staff and parent representation for each to keep a general overview of the work of the Trust and its schools. They hold the Executive Headteacher to account and are accountable in turn to the Members, DfE and ESFA for results, finances and managementacross the Trust. The Trust through its Accounting Officer, will ensure that all statutory responsibilities are fully discharged.
|
Trustees |
Appointed |
Stepped Down |
Relevant business or pecuniary interests |
| Ola Ajadi |
December 2020 | September 2024 | Financial Services Executive, London Stock Exchange Group |
|
Tom Burns (Chair of Finance, Audit, Risk & Resources Committee)
|
December 2020 |
Chartered Accountant, Covanta Ltd |
|
| Jane Carroll | September 2024 | Social Worker | |
| Judith Charlesworth (Vice-Chair) | March 2016 | Education Consultant | |
| Janet Dobney | November 2016 | September 2024 | Retired SENCO and Manager of Specialist Autism Resource Provision, Broadfields School, Edgware |
| Pip Hardaker | September 2024 | None | |
| Bhavisha Madhaparia | January 2025 | Civil Servant | |
| Rachel Rai | November 2023 | Education Consultant | |
| Kate Turner | January 2025 | Managing Director, Faust PR | |
| Lynda Walker (Accounting Officer) |
November 2016 | Headteacher, Oak Lodge School | |
| Richard Weisfeld | July 2019 | Financial Consultant | |
|
Val White (Chair) |
July 2018 | Retired senior local government officer |
Finance, Audit and Risk Committee
The Trustees have established a Finance, Audit and Risk Sub-Committee as a direct sub-committee of the Board, in accordance with the Academy Trust Handbook. This committee meets a minimum of three times per year to ensure the Board has sufficient oversight of the financial performance and regularity compliance of Trust activities. Its responsibilities are outlined in our Scheme of Delegation.
Local Governing Bodies
The Trustees establish a Local Governing Body (LGB) for each school in the MAT. Each LGB is a sub-committee of the Board. The Scheme of Delegation outlines the detailed responsibilities of each LGB, which are principally in the areas of teaching, learning, the curriculum, safety and wellbeing, safeguarding and child protection. Each LGB reports to the Trustees and takes a strategic role in the governance of their school to hold the Headteacher and other senior leaders to account in respect of safety and wellbeing, educational standards and achievement of agreed plans and objectives.
Oakbridge Board of Trustees
In order to comply with education funding law in England, the BSET Board of Trustees has established a subsidiary company to separately manage our 19-24 SEN provision. This has its own separate Board of Trustees who act as the company directors and governors of the college. Its responsibilities are outlined in our Scheme of Delegation.