Committee Members
Jane Aukett
Jane has been a governor at Tollbar Academy, a large 11-18 secondary school of 2000+ students, for 18 years with 16 years as Vice-Chair. Tollbar, rated as outstanding by Ofsted, became a training school in 2008 and is an accredited school provider. The school became a type 2 Academy in September 2010. During Jane's tenure of office she has developed a broad spectrum of experience being Chair of the personnel and pupil exclusion committees, sitting on finance, target setting and having input into curriculum development committees. Her remit also encompasses governor training, SEN/LDD, Looked After Children (LAC) and Child Protection issues.
In 2010 Jane became a director of Tollbar Edge, a charitable trust set up to support low achieving schools and is co-lead sponsor for Cleethorpes academy [a previously failing school], where she is also Vice-Chair of the governing body. In March 2012 in conjunction with two fellow governors, she became a founding member of Tollbar Family of Academies, a Multi Academy Trust.
Jane has recently been appointed as an Academy representative to the local Schools Forum.
Peter Beaven
Peter has been Headteacher of Norton Hill School, Somerset , an 11-18 comprehensive school, since 1994. There are 1500 pupils on roll with 250 in VI Form. In 2007 Ofsted judged the school to be 'outstanding' in all categories. Norton Hill has specialism in Maths and ICT and Languages. It is a Training School, a Leading Edge School, a centre for Gifted and Talentedand a Foundation School.
Norton Hill is now in a hard Federation with Somervale School and Peter will be Head of both schools (not an Executive Head!).
Peter is a National Leader in Education and has supported schools in Special Measures and National Challenge. He has been involved in promoting workforce reform and has done some work on this for the SSAT.
Joan Binder - Vice Chair
Joan is currently a member of the FASNA Executive Board and is largely responsible for the continuing expansion of FASNA professional development programme for governors, head teachers and senior leaders. New topics recently introduced include Effective Governance with an accompanying workbook, an introduction to Academy Status and follow up workshop events and the Role of the Company Secretary in an Academy. She is a key presenter at many of the seminars.
Joan has been an elected member of the FASNA predecessor organisations since 1994 representing the interests of autonomous schools to many other organisations including NEOST (National Employers Organisation for School Teachers), National College, unions and participating in a wide range of DfE consultation and strategy groups focusing on employer and governance issues.
In 2007 Joan won the East of England Governor of the Year award and is chair of governors of a large 11 – 18 secondary converter academy in Essex and chair of governors of a local 300+ pupil community primary school.
As a member of the FASNA Board Joan is involved in strategic discussions and decisions aimed at ensuring FASNA remains an effective influence on national policies and an important network within which member schools can consolidate the opportunities of greater autonomy.
Roy Blackwell
Roy is Clerk to the United Westminster Schools/Grey Coat Hospital Foundation, an ancient (1594) charity which has strong links with Westminster Abbey. He is also Clerk to the governing bodies of the schools which make up the Foundation, an unusual mixture of independent and maintained schools with the latter being inner city, voluntary aided comprehensives.
He started his working life as a teacher, after which he became Education Officer for a Local Authority before spending ten years in the civil service which led to him travelling around Europe negotiating bi-lateral and multi-lateral treaties for HM Government.
Tom Clark CBE FRSA - Chairman of the Board
Tom is a former Governor of Greenwood Dale School - Nottingham
He was an Associate Director of the Schools Network and led on ‘workforce-remodelling', working with Professor Alma Harris at The Institute of Education.
Tom has organised conferences and training programmes in the USA and provided performance management training in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur where he has been an Ofsted inspector. He has co-authored and led training programmes for middle and senior school leaders in England, Hong Kong and Australia and has published booklets on ‘study leave', ‘benchmarking and financial planning' and ‘workforce reform' for the TDA, DfE and The Schools Network.
Tom was formerly Principal and Chief Executive of George Spencer Foundation School and Technology College in Nottingham which was a ‘Training School', a TDA ‘Designated Recommending Body' and a school in the ‘Leading Edge' programme. George Spencer School received three consecutive ‘outstanding' Ofsted reports.
Tom is a Trustee of the West Bromwich Albion Football Club Foundation and was made a CBE in 2003.
Debbie Clinton
Debbie has been Headteacher of Nunthorpe School, Middlesbrough since September 2003. This is an 11-18 school holding a dual specialism in Science and Business Enterprise, and was the first in England to become so in September 2006.. The school is regularly over-subscribed, especially in the Sixth Form which was opened in September 2008. There are currently 1533 pupils on roll and the school is more than full! Nunsthorpe School became a Foundation school in April 2006.
Debbie has previously been Vice Principal of Coopers Technology College (also a Foundation school) in Bromley, South London. She is currently the Chair of her local PRU Management Committee and represents local secondary Headteachers on her Children's Trust Executive Board. She has been an active FASNA member since September 2005.
Debbie believes that school autonomy is the only way to really ensure sustainable school improvement and looks forward to furthering this vision with members.
Helen Hyde - President
Helen is the Headteacher of Watford Grammar School for Girls. The school has Visual Arts and Maths and Computing Specialist Status, is a national training school for the De Bono thinking tools and has accredited status as a ‘Thinking School' by Exeter University. The school became an Academy in September 2010. Helen trains schools across the country in the use of these thinking tools.
Helen is a Fellow of Holocaust Studies at the Imperial War Museum and takes many groups to visit Holocaust sites in Eastern Europe. Helen is on the board of the NCSL.
Patricia Sowter
Patricia Sowter is the Executive Principal of Cuckoo Hall Academy Trust in Edmonton, North London. Cuckoo Hall became one of the first Outstanding Primary Schools to become an Academy in September 2010. To further educational opportunities for children in the area, and to meet parental demand Patricia recently opened Woodpecker Hall, a new two form of entry primary school, and she will be opening a further primary school in the Edmonton area in 2012. All schools will be led and managed by CHAT (Cuckoo Hall Academies Trust).
Patricia has been a FASNA member for 6 years and has a strong belief that autonomy with accountability can help to raise standards.
David Wilson
David is Chair of Governors of Christ the King Catholic School and Sixth Form College in Nottinghamshire. He also currently works in The Joseph Whitaker School which is a foundation school also in Nottinghamshire. David has worked in the education sector in a variety of roles for most of his career and has a background in education personnel and resources, having previously been a management consultant. David supports Joan Binder as a member of the SSSNB and is a former adviser to NEOST.
David believes that collaboration through FASNA, together with schools being empowered to take decisions at Governing Body level, is the only realistic template for the future given the funding realities for local authorities in the current economic climate. As a member of the Committee, he welcomes alliances with other organisations representing schools to promote school improvement through such autonomy.
Lynne Hoptroff - Chief Administrative Officer
Lynne has many years experience in PA roles, within banking and Local Authority (in Education). She works in the FASNA registered office and deals with member queries and enquiries.
