Local Academy Board
Dr Paulette Osborne MBE - Chair
Mr Philip Hynan – Headteacher
Mr Daniel Martin – Staff Governor
Mr Vimla Devi – Staff Governor
Mrs Gurpreet Kaur – Community Governor
Mr Sharunjeet Singh – Community Governor
Mrs Harleen Kaur – Community Governor
Ms Raz Garcha – Parent Governor
Ms Ihsaan Ali – Parent Governor
Ms Meena Mattu – Foundation Governor
Father Dominic Melville - Ex-officio Foundation Governor
Updated December 2023
BDMAT Directors & Members
Contact the Chair
To contact the chair of the Local Academy Board, please address any correspondence for the attention of the Chair of the Local Academy Board and address to the school office.
Governance documents
Become a Governor
Are you passionate about improving children’s outcomes? Would you like to make a valuable contribution in your local community and support our school?
We’re recruiting local governors to help shape the future of our school and community. Being a school governor is a challenging but extremely rewarding role. In return for your valuable contribution, the role provides:
- the knowledge that you’re making a difference to children, the school and the community
- an opportunity to learn and practise key employability skills
- strategic management experience
- free training and support
Become a Governor: How it Works
St. Michael's has a Local Academy Board, made up of local governors. Their primary role is to set the strategic direction of the school and monitor educational performance. Governors are absolutely vital to the success of our school.
Being a governor is a voluntary role and has an average commitment of around 3 hours a term. This largely consists of attending meetings, visiting schools and reading background material. You’re not expected to be an expert in education – our governors bring a diverse range of different skills, knowledge and experience.
Myths About Being a Governor
I need to be a parent
This is the most common misconception. It’s true that some of our school governors are parents but this isn’t a prerequisite at all.
Anyone over the age of 18 can apply to become a governor and as long as you are committed to improving the lives of young people, you can make a valuable contribution.
I need to have education knowledge
There are no specific skills or qualifications required to become a school governor and while knowledge of the education sector can be helpful, it’s not essential. We provide free training and support to help you in your role.
We’re looking for people who can bring a wide range of experience to the role, for example legal, human resources, IT, marketing and leadership. And life skills are just as important and valuable too.
I don’t have time to be a school governor
Being a school governor does involve a time commitment, but it may not be as much as you think. It averages about 3 hours per term and this is mainly made up of attending meetings, visiting the school, completing training and background reading.
I’ll have to quit my job
Being a governor is a voluntary role and many of our governors fit it in around their jobs. Governors are not expected to get involved in the day to day running of a school.
If you’re employed, you are entitled to ‘reasonable time off’ to undertake public duties under Section 50 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 and this includes governance. Reasonable time off isn’t defined in law, so you’ll need to negotiate with your employer how much time you’ll be allowed.
However, most of the work associated with being a school governor can be done outside of working hours and during term-time anyway.
There’s no diversity on school boards
Traditionally, school boards have been seen as old-fashioned but this is certainly not the case. Diverse boards mean better governance.
People from all walks of life become school governors and we want our boards to reflect the diverse community our schools serve. Whatever your background, age and skill-set, you have something unique and important to offer.
