Barnet Special Education Trust

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 (Chair)
Founder Member
March 2016   Education Consultant
Anne Etherington
Founder Member
March 2016   Education Consultant
Desirée Lodge-Patch
Founder Member
March 2016   Retired Principal, Woodfield Special Academy, Brent; Company Secretary, LP Construction London Ltd; Trustee, The Avenue Free School
Steve Palmer July 2019   Communications Manager, Social Care Institute of Excellence.

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
December 2020 Chartered Accountant, Pearson plc
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
Rachel Rai November 2023 Education Consultant
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.