Accountability Strands and Framework

Leadership and Management at Freemantle (To be read in conjunction with the Scheme of Delegation & Finance Policy)

The academy has a number of levels of management, accountability and responsibility, each layer builds on the previous with key members of staff, directors and members integrated in a ‘cross reference model’ to provide clear, transparent and effective communication channels whilst ensuring accountability sits within all groups.

The Senior leaders (HT, AHTs and other senior leaders) work with middle leaders and teaching staff on curriculum development and implementation via professional development meetings, CPD and training as examples.

There are weekly strategic and day to day meetings held between SAT (Senior Accountability Team) Strategic group and SAT Curriculum group:

The HT, AHTs, Executive Officer (ExO) and Chair of Directors (CoD) meet weekly for strategic and ongoing needs meetings. These meetings highlight proactive and reactive elements as the needs of the academy evolve and change; day to day outcomes, policy development, curriculum development (needs), staffing needs, safeguarding, SEF updates, attendance updates, executive developments, finance updates, premises development, EYFS, feedback on training, MHWB for children and staff.

The curriculum SAT group is made up of the HT, AHTs, SENCo and phase leaders who meet weekly to focus on updates from the key phases, SEND issues and ongoing curriculum development.

The AHTs meets with the Curriculum and Standards Committee half termly, chaired by the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors, with a key strategic focus on curriculum development, the HT does not attend this meeting so that triangulation between the HT, CoD and directors is clear and can be challenged where necessary.

The HT meets with the CoD weekly, following the SAT meeting to ensure effective support is on offer to the HT whilst considering the ongoing needs and education of all pupils.

The ExO meets with the finance officer weekly to look at weekly cash flow implications and ongoing expenditure, this ensures cash flow and resourcing is monitored effectively and efficiently.

The ExO sits, as an invited guest, on the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee, (FAR) with the CoD in attendance too with other directors. The ExO, meets the finance officer weekly and reports to the FAR half termly, with weekly cash flow updates and monthly management accounts, and identifies key issues and or over underspends and the actions being taken to remedy these issues.

The HT, ExO, Chair of FAR and Chair of Curriculum report to the Full Board of directors’ half termly on all aspects of the specific outcomes from each of their respective meetings. The HT and ExO, prepare full reports for academic outcomes, and finance & premises respectively.

The ExO is an invited guest to the Board of Members (BoM) that meets three times annually. A report highlighting key issues within the academy is shared in good time to allow the members to ask questions or challenge/support decisions. To ensure effective triangulation, the CoD also sits as on the BoM, this again ensures transparency and effective communication.

The ExO meets with the Chair of members (CoM) approximately six times per year off site to discuss any issues or concerns that may be affecting the academy. The CoM is a ‘sounding board’ for the ExO and ensures a perspective is kept on WLB and mental health, whilst ensuring the academy continues to thrive and is a financially sustainable position.

The BoD and BoM, each receive the full set of audited accounts annually and any actions required from them.

Freemantle is a partner school with the Southampton Co-operative Learning Trust. This is a co-operative trust with the following schools;

Regents Park Community College (Partner School)

St Marks All through Primary and Secondary School (Partner school)

Polygon School

St John’s Primary School

Banister Primary school

Southampton Solent University (Partner)

All schools and academies within the trust work collegiately for the benefit of Southampton pupils.

The ExO and HT are members of the trust panel as the academy’s representatives (each school designates a leader to sit within the panel), in addiiton the ExO is the current SCLT Chairperson. The group have a strategic focus and work corporately together.

SCLT also has an additional group Primary Leaders Network (PLN) who focus on curriculum development and staff CPD.

The Board of Directors

The number of directors varies according to the size of the school or academy. Freemantle's directors are made up of:

• Staff directors
• Foundation directors (members appointed by the Church)
• Community directors
• Parent directors (normally parents or carers of children currently attending the school)

In addition the Headteacher (Miss N Myszkowski) and the Executive Officer (Mr K Barnett) are invited guests to the board of directors meetings but have no voting rights.

Roles of Directors

Directors are the strategic leaders of our schools and have a vital role to play in making sure every child gets the best possible education. The purpose of the Board of Directors is to conduct the academy with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement. In addition to the appointment of leadership roles, the roles of the directors monitor and challenge progress and attainment, the effectiveness of the curriculum, the health and safety of pupils, staff and visitors, and ensuring the academy's finances are spent wisely and for the benefit of the children's education.

To ensure these areas are fully explored, the directors have established a number of committees and working groups and these meet regularly during the year. The full board of directors meets twice each term, receiving reports from the various groups, looking closely and specific areas, such as SATs results, and discussing a headteacher's statement at each meeting. The board of directors also tries to maintain close links with parents or carers and welcomes comments and questions from any parent or carer of children at the school.

Vacancies:

The Board of Directors (Governing Body) are currently looking for new Directors to join their team. To register your interest please contact our Chair Of Directors, Val Caldwell, via email on the following address: val.caldwell@freemantleschool.co.uk. You must be 18 or over to apply and all Directors must have Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. Thank you.

Director Committees:

Curriculum and Standards

Chair: Mrs Janet Parker MBE

Mrs V Caldwell

Finance, Audit & Risk Committee

Chair: Mrs Val Caldwell

Mr Richard Ejaz  

Mr Kevin Barnett (Invited guest)

Miss Nina Myszkowski (Invited guest)

Directors Link Curriculum Areas

Governance Clerk: Mrs Tracy O'Connor

Contact: tracy.oconnor@freemantleschool.co.uk  

External Assessor- IARO (previously Responsible Officer): Juniper Education

The directors have consulted on the academy’s admissions policy for 2024/25. The policy is available on the academy website (see Admissions). If you would like to make any comments about the policy, please e-mail them to the academy’s admissions consultant, Mrs Jo Glenton, at jo.glenton@googlemail.com or put your comments in writing, marked for the attention of Mrs Jo Glenton to the school office.

The information on governance included here supplements that described in the Directors' Report and in the Statement of Directors responsibilities.

As part of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report, the following information is provided: Percentage of Race and Ethnic backgrounds- 75% White British, 25% Non WB ethnicity.

The Directors will formally meet six times across this academic year. Attendance at full Board of Director meetings is recorded below and updated after each meeting:

The Board of Directors formally met six times during the last academic year. Attendance during the year 2024 - 2025 was as follows:

Attendance during the year 2023 - 2024 was as follows:

Kathryn Bevan-Mackie retired 31st December 2025

Mike Denness appointed 11th December 2025

Lois Torpey appointed 11th December 2025

Richard Ejaz appointed 30th January 2025

Karen Linington appointed 26th September 2023

Sarah Groszewski appointed 26th September 2023

Jeremy Moulton resigned 29th December 2023

Sarah Groszewski resigned 27th June 2024

Zak Leigh resigned 3rd July 2025

Agreed Board of Directors meetings for 2025 - 2026

Autumn 1 - Thursday 18th September 2025 at 5pm

Autumn 2 - Thursday 11th December 2025 at 5pm

Spring 1 - Thursday 29th January 2026 at 5pm

Spring 2 - Thursday 26th March 2026 at 5pm

Summer 1 - Thursday 21st May 2026 at 5pm

Summer 2 - Thursday 9th July 2026 at 5pm

Agreed Curriculum and Standards meetings for 2025 - 2026

Autumn 1 - N/A

Autumn 2 - Wednesday 3rd December 2025 at 9.30am

Spring 1 - Wednesday 21st January 2026 at 9.30am

Spring 2 - Wednesday 18th March 2026 at 9.30am

Summer 1 - Wednesday 20th May 2026 at 9.30am

Summer 2 - Wednesday 1st July 2026 at 9.30am

Agreed Finance, Audit and Risk Committee meetings for 2025 - 2026

Autumn 1 - N/A due to term dates (Finance shared at SAT weekly)

Autumn 2 - Tuesday 25th November 2025 at 16.00 am

Spring 1 - Wednesday  14th January 2026 at 09.00 am

Spring 2 - Wednesday 11th March 2026 at 09.00 am

Summer 1 - Wednesday 13th May 2026 at 09.00 am

Summer 2 - Wednesday 24th June 2026 at 09.00 am

Pecuniary Interests

The Board of Members

Academy trusts are charitable 'companies' and have a board of members. Members have a similar role to shareholders of a company. 

The members hold the trust board and officers to account for the effective governance of the trust but have minimal involvement in running the trust There is clear separation between the board of members and the board of directors.

Members are essential to the integrity of the academy trust governance structure. They will make critical decisions, especially if a trust is failing. The members remain informed of trust performance and will/can appoint new directors to the full board of directors.)                 

The last Members meeting took place on Tuesday 24th March 2026.

Agreed Members meetings 2025-2026

Mark Tolcher- Resigned  19 November 2024

Dean Strange- Resigned 25 March 2025

Agreed Members meetings 2024 -25

19th November 2024

25th March 2025

1st July 2025

Agreed Members meetings 2024-2025