Structures and Oversight
Overview
Committed trustees and governance, working within robust structures, ensure that our Trust Executive is held to account.
The Newham Community Learning Governance tab on the DfE’s Get Information About Schools platform provides a live listing of our company members, our trustees and our senior executives. Attendance at meetings – recorded here – along with school visits and meetings with the Trust’s executive and school leaders, are all key to effective discharging of governance duties.
Our Trust structure diagram provides an overview of the how our governance arrangements operate.
Our company members
Our company members act as the ‘guardians of governance’ at Newham Community Learning, and as such, hold a separate and distinct role in our governance structure. Our members hold an annual general meeting once a year.
Mr Abdul Rahim
Mr Haydn Powell
Mr Dave Wood
Ms Helen Lam
Mr Sinnathurai (Steve) Loganathan
Our trustees
Collectively, our board of trustees:
- Sets the overall vision, ethos and strategic direction of the Trust
- Holds executive leaders to account for the educational performance of all students, and the performance of all staff
- Oversees and ensures effective financial performance
Further information regarding the operation of the board of trustees is available on the Funding and Scheme of Delegation page.
A qualified youth and community worker and youth work consultant with over 33 years’ experience in both the statutory and voluntary sector, extensive experience in leadership and management including: Chair of governors: Sarah Bonnell School, member of governing body of Heathcote school, Chair of Newham Independent Advisory Group (IAG) to the Met Police.
With twenty years’ experience as a BBC journalist and television director, Janette has developed many transferable skills that she brings to our Trust Board; good communication, planning and logistics, researching, assessing and analysing information, relationship building, budgeting, problem solving, listening and patience, collective problem solving and team work. Her most recent role was Senior Project Manager for the BBC’s media literacy programme for 11 to18 year olds. This role required her to work with multiple stakeholders to establish a 200-strong staff volunteer base to deliver content in schools. The success of this project demonstrates her ability to navigate legal and editorial compliance, the importance of child safeguarding, and her commitment to BBC values, and puts her in a strong position to support the Trust. In May 2020, Janette stepped away from the BBC in order to bring her media literacy skills to an even wider audience, as the founder and owner of Be Smart Cookie.
Tanveer is an experienced Senior Project and Portfolio Manager with over 10 years’ experience in Programme and Project Management. Tanveer specialises in IT-enabled Business Change transformations, Business Analysis and PPM Assurance. She has successfully delivered many high-quality solutions on significant programmes within the public and non-profit sector in a 20-year IT career. She holds MSc in Information Technology Security and is a certified PRINCE 2 and Managing Successful Programme practitioner.
Neil is a solicitor with the Insurance & Reinsurance Group of CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP. He is a leader in his organisation on insurance and reinsurance issues, most recently advising both insurers and policyholders on coverage for business interruption and event cancellation following the COVID-19 outbreak. Neil is also involved in insurance disputes, including claims arising from natural catastrophes, onshore and offshore energy losses and financial scandals. He further advises on the drafting of insurance policies and reinsurance treaties, and advises insurers, reinsurers and brokers on regulatory investigations. He became a Co-opted governor and then Vice-chair of the governing board for Lister Community School in 2014 and was involved in the formation of Newham Community Schools Trust (which merged with the Leading Learning Trust in September 2022 to form Newham Community Learning).
Pam is a parent of three children who attend a primary and secondary school in the London Borough of Newham, who has been a resident in the London Borough of Newham for the last 20 years. She has worked in the education sector since 1998, both in primary and secondary settings. Her area of expertise is Pastoral, Parental Support, Attendance and Safeguarding. She have been employed as part of the Primary Pupil Referral Unit and Outreach Behaviour Team, After School Club Manager, Home School Liaison Worker / Designated Safeguarding Lead and currently as an Attendance Advisory Officer. She has been a Governor at a Newham primary school since October 2013 currently chair of governors since 2018. During this time the school went through an Ofsted grading of Required to Improve to Outstanding. The school also went through a process of due diligence and consultation and joined an existing MAT. Pam joined the NCL as a Trustee in May 2019 and also serves on the Standards Committee.
Christina developed her senior leadership and governance skills through wide-ranging experience in complex organisations (central government, NHS, Charity Commission, charities, schools and London Livery). She is a qualified Chartered Secretary (governance professional), holds academic degrees (MA and BA) and for much of her career worked as a senior qualified technical tax inspector. Christina was awarded an OBE for her services to the Home Office as an Operations Director in the Immigration Department. Formerly, Christina was a school governor of three primary schools over a period of 10 years. She became chairman of one, leading and responsible for school recovery after a dismal Ofsted. In her retirement, Christina is a trustee for Age UK Bromley and Greenwich (Vice Chair), a visiting lecturer in a Tanzanian college, and Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators.
Kiran is a London School of Paediatrics Trainee with a special interest in medical education and clinical leadership. She has a longstanding interest in quality improvement, in particular, improving the patient experience. She is currently working at Newham Hospital as a Paediatric Registrar and will be pursuing a medical education fellowship.
Sarvesh is a Director at EY-Parthenon, part of EY’s Strategy and Transactions practice. He has over 10 years of experience in advising complex international organisations on a wide range of strategy and M&A related topics including growth, performance improvement, operational turnarounds and mergers/ carve-outs. He has lived and worked in London, Paris, Dubai, Kenya and Mumbai. He studied Financial Strategy at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and has qualified as a Chartered Certified Accountant.
Momodou’s primary area of expertise is in Education. He has a BA degree in International Development Studies with a Minor in English Language from St Mary’s University, Halifax, Canada, as well as a Graduate Diploma in Psychology from University of East London. He previously taught at both primary and secondary schools in Gambia. Momodou has worked in various teaching roles in Newham schools since 2005.
Mohammed Mansoor Siddique is an Aerospace Engineer working as an Enterprise Architect for the Ministry of Defence, Formula 1 and Airbus and is a Lead Project Manager on range of international Aerospace and Engineering projects that span several countries. He has strong leadership and financial management skills as well as high-end data analysis skills. Mansoor has a PhD in Active Control of Turbulent Boundary Layers in Low Reynolds Flow. He currently runs his own IT consultancy.
Sergey’s interest in the role of trustee comes from his strong commitment to the community, with an ability to influence one of the most important aspects of young people’s lives – their education. Throughout his career as a General Insurance Actuary with significant experience both in London and in international markets. Sergey brings this experience to support the budgeting and strategic decision making as a trustee.
Our committees of the Trust Board
Our Articles of Association (available on the Funding and Scheme of Delegation page) include provision for the Trust Board to establishment of any committee to support its work. The terms of reference for all the Trust Board’s committees are also available on the afore-mentioned page; membership details are below.
The following trustees form the membership of the committee: Momodou Sanyang, Kiran Rahim, Janette Ballard, Sarvesh Ramachandran.
Charlotte Robinson, Executive Leader – Secondaries and Emma Nicholls, Executive Leader – Primaries are both permanent guests of this committee.
The following trustees form the membership of the committee: Neil Beighton (Vice Chair), Momodou Sanyang, Paul Leslie, Mansoor Siddique, Sergey Sidorov.
Jacqui Waine, COO and Abi Ejiofor, CFO are both permanent guests of this committee.
This committee combines the Growth Committee and the Audit and Risk Committee, as per the Trust Development Plan approved by the board in December 2023.
The following trustees form the membership of the committee: Christina Parry, Sergey Sidorov, Sarvesh Ramachandran, Neil Beighton, Pam Chadha, Paul Leslie and David Lock (independent).
Anthony Wilson, CEO and Jacqui Waine, COO, are both permanent guests of this committee. Chairs of local governing bodies are also involved.
The following trustees form the membership of the committee: Paul Leslie, Christina Parry, Sarvesh Ramachandran.
Our local governing bodies
Representing local interests, at the school level, our local governing bodies:
- Are comprised of staff, parent and Trust appointed representatives.
- Sets the overall vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school.
- Drives school improvement at their school – using the School Development Plan and the School Evaluation Plan.
- Using the Headteacher’s Report, analyses pupil and staff data to help inform an understanding of how the school is performing. Supported by School Visits and Link Governor Visits.
- Being part of the local community that the school serves – supporting the work of the school leadership team to ensure that it is the school of choice for local families.
- Approval (as a ‘first review’) of the school’s budget (which is then approved by the Trust Board).
Attendance at local governing body meetings is key to effectively discharging the duties above. Attendance is captured and published here.
Eastlea Community School LGB – Chair of Governors: Ms Julianne Marriott
Lister Community School LGB – Chair of Governors: Mr Kamran Ansari
Portway Primary School – Chair of Governors: Ms Jenni Rhodes
Rokeby School – Chair of Governors: Mr James Griffiths
Sarah Bonnell School – Chair of Governors: Mr Paul Leslie
Selwyn Primary School – Chair of Governors: Mr Matthew Carlile