Michael Dennison - Management & Budget

I have been Chair of Governors since 2012 and have had a long association with North Oxfordshire Academy and other schools locally. I am also serving on United Learning’s Education Board. My background is in education and school improvement having previously been an academy principal, Ofsted inspector and deputy director in local authorities. I am currently an education adviser to the Department for Education.

I am married (to an ex-deputy head teacher). Our three grown-up children attended local schools; only one became a teacher and is now working in a special school.

Michael.Dennison@northoxfordshire-academy.org

Jon Carlton - Student Outcomes

Jon Carlton is a Chartered Engineer who worked in the electricity and gas industry, both in the UK and USA, for 35 years. He now runs his own consultancy business as well as performing a number of Non-Executive and advisory roles. At the Academy, Jon is taking a lead on raising the profile of STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects. He is also lead governor working with the staff to increase levels of achievement across the curriculum.

Phill Slater - Lead Governor for Teaching & Learning

Phill Slater is Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply and retired Director of Procurement from consumer product company Procter & Gamble in Switzerland. In this role he managed a team of 500 staff located in over 20 countries. He also held senior positions with Gillette and Black&Decker working in UK, USA. Phill is married with two daughters who were both educated locally and has lived in the area since 1990. He graduated from University of Sheffield in 1978 and gained his post-graduate professional diploma at the North West Management School in 1979

Ian McConnachie - Lead Governor for Sixth Form

I am a University Administrator at the University of Oxford working in Admissions, Access and Outreach. I have recently relocated to Banbury from Oxford where I had lived since starting University and I grew up a little further North in Warwickshire.

I am in regular contact with a large variety of schools, candidates and parents, and understand the issues facing students wishing to enter Higher Education in particular. I am the lead governor for the Sixth Form where I work with staff to ensure that students develop skills to succeed in their future careers through both academic and vocational qualifications.

Vacancy

We currently have a vacancy for a new Governor if you are interested please contact Michael Dennison in writing c/o North Oxfordshire Academy.

Governance

North Oxfordshire Academy is a part of United Learning whose Trustees hold the ultimate responsibility for the governance of each United Learning school.

The Department for Education’s governance handbook 2020 identifies the essentials of effective governance as follows:

Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
Holding the executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the effective and efficient performance management of staff; and
Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent.

United Learning’s Trustees delegate certain key roles and responsibilities to the school’s Local Governing Body (LGB) and these are set out clearly in our Scheme of Delegation which can be seen on the United Learning website.

Click here to view the Scheme of Delegation