Academy Council
Governance within a multi-academy trust
Herons’ Moor Academy is part of the Cabot Learning Federation, a multi-academy trust that is responsible for a number of academies across Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Gloucester and Somerset. Governance for a multi-academy trust operates at two levels. At trust level, there is a Board of Directors. The directors are accountable to the Department for Education and external government agencies, including the Charity Commission, for the quality of the education the trust provides and the effective use of the associated academy funding. They are required to have systems in place through which they can assure themselves of quality, financial probity, safety and good practice. The Board is provided assurance on a number of these areas through various sub-committees, as shown in the diagram below. Visit the CLF website for more information about the board.
At a local level, each academy has an Academy Council comprising of up to 9 Academy Councillors. Academy Councils are responsible for holding Principals and their leadership teams to account for the quality and effectiveness of the academic experience of the students under their care with the aim of securing effective school improvement. They do this through monitoring performance against an annual academy improvement plan, through monitoring risks and responses to risks, and by overseeing systems and processes for the safeguarding of children and the health, safety and wellbeing of academy staff.
Here are the names of our Academy Councillors at Herons’ Moor Academy :
Karen Ryan – Chair of Academy Council
David Beesley – Student Advocate
Tom Crabtree – Sponsor Councillor
Currently a Senior Business Development Manager at a tech start up in Bristol, Tom has spent the last decade or so in similar roles in the financial services, construction, utilities and logistics sectors. Before that, Tom spent his 20s managing pubs in Portsmouth before returning to his home city, Bristol. It was during this second stint in the city that he married and he & Emily are now parents to three small girls, living on the edge of the Mendips. Thanks to his professional training, Tom brings strong communication skills as well as the ability to interrogate data, think outside the box to find possible solutions to any challenges we may be faced with.
Stuart Harrington – Sponsor Councillor
I was born in Weston and currently have children at CLF Primary and Secondary schools. I am an Operations Manager in the Civil Service, experienced in contracts management, issue resolution, quality, logistics and safety. I have enjoyed being able to give back by transferring these skills to the Academy Council where I hold the linked roles for Health and Safety and Campus Management.
Fleur Kent – Sponsor Councillor
I have lived in North Somerset all of my life and was schooled here as were my children and now my grandchildren. I currently work as Head of Apprenticeships Accounts and Programmes for a global engineering company. My career has been in learning and development and leadership management in both criminal justice and education.
I have worked as a governor before in a different setting and look forward to putting my skills to use at Herons Moor. Positive input into children’s lives is paramount, they are our future.
Andrew Csoka – Parent Councillor
I run an IT consultancy where most of my time is spent solving problems, which is the part of the job I enjoy most. I’ve got a lot of experience working on complex projects, juggling priorities, managing risks, and keeping everyone informed. These are skills I believe are directly transferable to school governance. I pride myself on striking a balance between supporting senior leadership and challenging decisions constructively. Communication is central to how I work and helps create the kind of environment where people feel they can speak honestly. Outside of work, I stay active and enjoy playing sport.
Vacancy – Parent Councillor
Vicky Green – Teacher Councillor
I have been a class teacher at Herons’ Moor Academy since September 2014. I have taught in Years 3, 4 and 5. I also currently support SEN in Key Stage 2..
Wendy Stack – Support Staff Councillor
I am a Higher Learning Teaching Assistant currently working as the Herons’ Moor Academy Nursery Leader. I have worked at Herons’ Moor since 2009.
Documents
Pecuniary Interest Register 2025-26
Pecuniary Interest Register 2024-25
Pecuniary Interest Register 2023-24
