Trustees
Braunton Academy Board of Trustees
As a single academy trust (SAT) Braunton Academy has a Board of Trustees who work in line with its Articles of Association. These set out the framework for Academy Governance and are subject to regular review.
Trustees are drawn from our parents/carers and the local communities. Community Trustees may be from local business or the public sector, past parents /carers, or educational specialists. Each Trustee (apart from the Principal) is a volunteer and brings their own unique skills and experience to the work of the Board enabling it to achieve its aims.
Aims and Values:
Braunton Academy Trust Board are committed to supporting the central aim of the school, to inspire students to Aspire and Achieve by creating a safe, fair, and inclusive environment for all students to flourish. We are united by our core values – Community, a Love of Learning, Respect and Character.
Role and Purpose:
Our role and purpose are outlined in a number of key documents including our Articles of Association, the Academy Trust Handbook, and the Academy Trust Governance guide.
Academy Trust Handbook - Guidance
We have three over-arching objectives.
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Strategic oversight of the Academy Trust
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Accountability and Assurance including the provision of education, pupil welfare, overseeing and ensuring appropriate use of funding and keeping the estate safe and well maintained.
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Engagement: the Board has strategic oversight of relationships with our stakeholders
To ensure we achieve these objectives we attend at least four full Board meetings a year. In addition, we are assigned to memberships of one of the following committees:
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Quality of Education
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Behaviour, Attitudes and Personal Development, including safeguarding.
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Estates, Finance and Audit
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Leadership, Management and Risk
The Trustees also attend the Academy on a regular basis to visit departments or areas of responsibility e.g. SEND, Equality and Diversity and Safeguarding, to meet with staff and students and attend Academy events such as Open Evening, Sports Day, Drama or Music productions to name a few.
Standards of Behaviour:
Trustees apply the highest standards of personal conduct to their role and work to ensure a culture of ethical leadership by following the Seven Principles of Public Life also known as the Nolan Principles. The Seven Principles of Public Life.
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Selflessness
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Integrity
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Objectivity
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Accountability
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Openness
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Honesty
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Leadership
Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.
If you would like to find out more about our work, please contact our Governance Professional Sam Morgan at smorgan@braunton.academy
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For information on Braunton Academy Trustee Body, including:
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Names of Trustees
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Term of Office
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Register of Business Interests
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Membership of Portfolio Groups
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Attendance at Portfolio Group and Full Trustee Body meetings
Please click the links below.
Julie Fry MBE
Chair of Trustees
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How long have you been a Trustee? Since September 2022 - I am a Community Trustee and, for continuity, I am also a Trust Member.
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Committee attached to: I am Chair of Trustees and have membership on Attitudes and Behaviours (Safeguarding) Leadership and Management and Quality of Education. I am also the Safeguarding Lead.
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In 2020, following a 30-year career in Policing (Hampshire and the Isle of Wight), I realised my lifelong
dream and relocated to Braunton.
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I had a broad professional experience, ranging from Firearms Commander to the Head of Initial Training, with Inclusion, Equality and Diversity a common thread throughout. I worked extensively with professional partners to safeguard children (and adults). With particular focus on domestic abuse and violence and adverse childhood experiences.
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I have regularly, managed complaints, grievances and chaired misconduct meetings.
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I have knowledge and understanding of current Equality legislation and the duties required of organisations.
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I have previous Governor experience, having spent seven years at a Southampton 6th Form College, as Deputy Chair and Safeguarding Lead.
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I am passionate about ensuring young people have a more inclusive experience within education and the wider social framework, which fits well with the Braunton Academy values.
My proudest moment was receiving an MBE for my work in policing.
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I have a CMI Level 6 Certificate in Management & Leadership - Leading & Diversity.
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I have a Level 1 – Cricket Coaching Qualification and Volunteer at Braunton Cricket Club (‘All-stars’ & Dynamos’). I am also starting a women’s team and last year entered the Women’s Softball Cricket League.
Alison (Ali) Jerrard
How long have you been a Trustee? Since October 2023
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Committee attached to:
As a new Trustee I am currently rotating around all the various portfolio groups to improve my knowledge of the Academy and where my skill set might be best suited.
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We moved to Braunton in 2023, having retired after 17 years as Headteacher of Ricards Lodge High School in Wimbledon. I spent my 30 year teaching career in South West London after graduating from Exeter University in 1990. However Braunton is in my DNA with at least 3 generations of my family living and
working here. As a History graduate I have a special interest in the role that our area played in the Second World War as my grandfather trained on the beaches here in preparation for the Allied invasion of Europe in 1944.
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In my role as a Trustee I hope to be able to both support and challenge the Academy as it enters a new period of expansion and development and bring the broad experience I have had in leading and managing a large and successful school to the Board.
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I am very much looking forward to contributing my skills to the school community to ensure Braunton Academy can fully realise its vision, deliver the best education it can for our students and enable them to go on to lead happy and successful lives.
Barrie Eason
How long have you been a Trustee? >25 years
Committee attached to: Leadership & Management, and Disciplinary Committees.
I am currently a Community Trustee and Trust Member, having originally joined the school’s Governing Body as a Parent Governor, (all three of our children attended the school). Currently I am an active member of the Leadership & Management Portfolio group, and the Disciplinary Committee. I act as lead Trustee in relation to Risk Management.
Previously, I have served on the Finance & Estate committee (which I chaired for several years), and was Chair of Governors for many years. I have participated in five Principal Appointments, leading two of these campaigns. I led the school’s initiative to become an Academy, and have been involved in several major capital projects.
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I work as a Registered Qualified Person, within the Quality Assurance Team of Perrigo, Braunton. This business is a pharmaceutical manufacturing company, specialising in solid-dose pain relief, could & flu remedies and other self-care medicines. I am a chartered chemist with a master’s degree in Business Administration. I have both Production and Quality Management experience, to site head level.
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I have served as director of another local charitable trust.
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I have lived in Braunton for over 40 years, and continue to strive to ensure that Braunton Academy delivers the best possible education to the young people of our community.
Andy Clee
How long have you been a Trustee? 8 years
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Committee attached to: Finance, Estates & Audit
Behaviour, Attitudes & Outcomes
Climate Change, Sustainability & Environment WG
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I became a Parent Governor to support Braunton Academy and to improve my understanding of how our young people are being educated. To me, how we raise our young people is one of the most important things that we do as a society, and I wanted to contribute to that in our community.
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Although I am not from an educational background, during 24 years' service in the Army I have learnt a lot about training young people to equip them with a range of skills to allow them to operate successfully in very demanding circumstances. My family background and career in the Royal Engineers have given me a strong grounding in construction, from ‘operating’ a shovel through to project planning and management and I retrained as a traditional carpenter when I retired from the Army.
I am passionate about nature and volunteer for several local environmental charities, both as an excuse to get outside with good people and to do my bit as part of a wider community in tackling the climate, nature and pollution crises that we are facing. In doing so, I have learnt a lot about these problems, some of the solutions to them and, critically, how our children’s future is dependent upon a healthy environment and how beneficial nature is to their wellbeing and learning. As a result, I’m putting an increasing amount of time and energy into helping Braunton Academy to develop its response to climate change and improve its sustainability and the natural environment on campus.
Dave Hartnoll
How long have you been a Trustee? Ten years plus
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Committee attached to: Chair of Finance, Estates & Audit Portfolio
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Director of Tor Group Ltd and F J Hartnoll & Son. Owner Greatfield Lodges. Public body official Braunton Marsh Drainage Board. Treasurer of skittles team.
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Emma Trueman
How long have you been a Trustee? Since September 2020
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Committee attached to: Quality of Education and Careers & Enrichment
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I am currently a Parent Trustee, having joined the school’s Governing Body in 2020. I am the Lead Governor of the Quality of Education portfolio group, and Link Governor for the Expressive Arts Department and Careers & Enrichment.
I have two children; one about to head off to university having attended Braunton Academy and Petroc College, and my younger one is currently at Braunton Academy, about to embark his GCSEs. It’s great to be involved with the school at this level and I enjoy being able to help make Braunton a place children want to come and learn. It’s rewarding to know you are supporting both staff and students, helping to shape the school as it grows.
Will Griffiths-Jones
How long have you been a Trustee? Since September 2024, prior to that I was a Governor for 4 years at Caen Primary School
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Committee attached to: Finances, Estates & Audit and Leadership & Management
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I am a consultant Orthopaedic surgeon at North Devon District Hospital as well as being Clinical Director for Trauma and Orthopaedics, Spinal surgery and Plastic surgery across NDDH and Exeter hospitals. My job includes being responsible for the medical workforce in these departments across both sites and responsibility for the governance processes that ensure a safe and efficient service within these departments. My experience in personnel management and quality and assurance processes translates to the education sector.
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Seb Latimer
How long have you been a Trustee? Since May 2024
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Committee attached to: Quality of Education
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I’ve previously worked as a Chartered Marine Engineer, and a Maths Teacher, (including part-time at Braunton Academy in the academic year 22/23). After completing a further degree in Theology I have
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led South Street Church here in Braunton, full time since 2016. Elements of my role which may be relevant to the role as trustee include: visiting, supporting and signposting (including vulnerable) adults and children. Overseeing Braunton Foodbank and Community cafe. Managing our youth worker who comes into the Academy to run ‘Quiet Club’ on Mondays and ‘Christian Union’ on Fridays. Taking assemblies in the three primary schools in the village. Co-running youth activities, including weekend camping trips. My church role necessitates keeping up to date with relevant safeguarding training and making occasional referrals. I am dad to two boys, one of whom has special educational needs. One is at Braunton Academy, the other will start next year. Through being a community-leader I have a broad perspective on the local community and through my short role as a Maths teacher at the Academy and as a parent of a child at the Academy, I also have a twin aspect on the the Academy.
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I’m happily married to an illustrator, dyslexic, probably undiagnosed ADHD, a bee-keeper, a keen kite surfer, ski/snowboarder and I’m trying to learn to wing foil.
Roxanne Reader
How long have you been a Trustee? Since May 2024
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Committee attached to: Behaviour & Attitudes
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Anthony Wainer
How long have you been a Trustee? Since September 2024
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Committee attached to: Finance, Estates & Audit
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I joined the board as a Trustee in September 2024.
I bring a wealth of experience to the Finance Committee, having served as a Finance Governor at Caen Primary School, where I played a key role in budget management and financial planning.
With a previous career in banking and finance, I possesses a deep understanding of financial principles and compliance, making me an asset to our Board and the Finance Committee in overseeing the financial health of the Academy.​​