The Howard Academy Trust is constituted as a multi-academy trust (MAT) and is governed by a Board of Directors, which comprises representatives from the community with areas of business specialism. Its constitution is set out in the Articles of Association, which is shared with individual academies via the Schemes of Delegation.
The Chair of our Board of Directors is Dan McDonald. Owen McColgan, Chief Executive, is a qualified teacher and has led the school through academy conversion from a Foundation School to a Multi-Academy Trust.
The Board delegates certain responsibilities and roles to the Trust Committees, the Local Academy Boards, and their senior leadership teams as outlined in the Scheme of delegation and the individual committee and Local Academy Board terms of reference documents.
Our clear aim is to bring about school improvement via partnership with practical and targeted support in a cooperative framework. School improvement and support are the primary purposes of our relationships with our individual Trust academies.
For further details, including Declaration of Business Interests, visit the Members and Directors sections below. For requests to inspect our Register of People with Significant Control, please contact enquiries@thatrust.org.uk. Please note, a charge may be incurred if a copy is requested.
For more information on our Governance structure member details, please see GIAS online via the link below:
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THAT Committees
Finance, Audit and Resources Committee
Combines the Finance, Personnel & Estates Committee and the Audit, Risk Management and Policy Committee.
Members: Simon Bass (Chair), Dan McDonald, David Giles, Donna Cusack, Arun Prasanth, Marc Hoodless, Peter Sheldrake
Overview
Finance
- Agreeing the annual budget for all academies within the Trust.
- Agreeing the central operations budget and use of Top Slice funds in line with the Top Slice Policy.
- Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of finance-related policies in relation to accounting and investment.
- When appropriate, issuing a Financial Notice to improve academies within the Trust running at a deficit to partially restrict or fully restrict their powers.
Human Resources
- Monitoring of HR across the Trust, including KPIs for absence.
- Setting and monitoring of Trust-wide policies in relation to pay, performance management, managing sickness and absence, capability of staff, grievances, flexible working, disciplinary, maternity and paternity.
Estates
- Health and Safety Action Plan for the Trust.
- Condition Surveys for Trust Schools.
- Oversight and agreement of the Trust Estate Management Plan and any funding.
- Responsible for ensuring that all academies are compliant with statutory requirements.
Audit
- Review reports from the responsible officer and responsible for overseeing any corrective action that may be required.
- Review of the management letter and year-end financial statements.
- Determination of Trust Accounting Policies and Investment Policies.
- Overview of Trust Financial Processes.
- Determine the scope of work for the internal auditors, review any reports and actions.
Risk Management
- Review and assess the levels of risk within the Trust.
- Maintain and update the risk register for the Trust.
- Update the Trust's risk management strategy and business continuity plans when necessary.
Policies
- Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of policies across the Trust.
- Update and review Trust-wide policies depending on their review frequency or changes to statutory guidance.
Academic Standards Committee
Members: David Giles (Chair), Marc Hoodless, Tina Butler, Lorraine Clarke OBE
Overview
The Academic Standards Committee advises the Board of Directors of matters relating to the standards, quality and curriculum at each Trust academy.
The Committee focuses on:
- Data on attainment and achievement for all of the Trust Academies.
- The external reports commissioned by THAT and Academies actions in response to these.
- Overall performance of each of the Academies.
- Leadership standards.
- Governance effectiveness.
- Academies quality improvement and intervention strategies and plans.
- Special Educational Needs (SEN) and inclusion.
- Partnership working.
- Admissions.
- Safeguarding arrangements.
Members and Directors can be contacted by email enquiries@thatrust.org.uk
Directors
Current Directors
Simon Bass (Whistleblowing Link)
Member Appointed
(Term of Office 4 Years)
15/10/2022
Responsibility
|
Attendance 2024/25
|
| Trust Board | 6 of 6 meetings |
| Finance, Audit & Resources Committee | 4 of 4 meetings |
Declaration of Business Interests
Essex Wildlife Trust (since 2013)
Crooms Hill Limited (Dormant)
Golding Homes Limited - Non-Executive Director (since May 2023), The Yalding Group Limited, Director (since 2016)
Wormshill Village Hall, Treasurer and Member of Management Committee, Chair of the Poors Land Charity and the Shornden Charity, both for the parish of Wormshill (since 2013)
Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (since 1981), and the Association of Corporate Treasurers (since 1999)
David Giles (Director)
Member Appointed
(Term of Office 4 Years)
15/10/2022
Responsibility
|
Attendance 2024/25
|
| Trust Board | 5 of 6 meetings |
| Finance, Audit & Resources Committee | 4 of 4 meetings |
| Academic Standards Committee | 3 of 3 meetings |
Declaration of Business Interests
Deanwood Primary School: Chair of Governors (since 1985)
Barclays Bank: Retired employee (from 1964 to 2003)
Waterfront UTC: Chair of Governors (since April 2018)
Trustee: Deanwood School PTA (since 1st September 2004)
Simon Giles - Son - CEO Axis Group Integrated Services Ltd
Owen McColgan (Chief Executive/Accounting Officer)
Member Appointed
(Ex-Officio by Virtue of Office)
01/01/2020
Responsibility
|
Attendance 2024/25
|
| Trust Board | 6 of 6 meetings |
Declaration of Business Interests
Director Medway Academy of Performing Arts (since January 2023)
Medway Academy of Performing Arts hire facilities at Waterfront UTC and The Howard School (since 2023)
Governor at Featherby Infant and Junior School (October 2024)
Chair of Governors at St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School (since October 2024)
Ofsted Inspector (since March 2022)
Interim CEO of the Rainham Mark Trust (since July 2025)
Dan McDonald
Member Appointed
(Term of Office 4 Years)
15/10/2022
Responsibility
|
Attendance 2024/25
|
| Trust Board | 5 of 6 meetings |
| Finance, Audit & Resources Committee | 1 of 4 meetings |
Declaration of Business Interests
Medway Council: Elected Councillor (since May 2023)
Trustee – Relate Medway & North Kent, Medway Volunteer Centre (since March 2012)
Medway Volunteer Centre (since December 2011)
CEO of Medway Citizens Advice (since June 2010)
Donna Cusack (Safeguarding Link)
Member Appointed
(Term of Office 4 Years)
28/06/2022
Responsibility
|
Attendance 2024/25
|
| Trust Board | 6 of 6 meetings |
| Finance, Audit & Resources Committee | 3 of 4 meetings |
Declaration of Business Interests
HR Director at The Kings School Canterbury (since August 2024)
Director - Maritime Children's Foundation (Charity) (since August 2024)
Lorraine Clarke OBE
Member Appointed
(Term of Office 4 Years)
06/03/2025
Responsibility
|
Attendance 2024/25
|
| Trust Board | 2 of 2 meetings |
| Academic Standards Committee | 1 of 1 meeting |
Declaration of Business Interests
Employment at Ark School (since September 2014)
Tina Butler MBE
Member Appointed
(Term of Office 4 Years)
06/03/2025
Responsibility
|
Attendance 2024/25
|
| Trust Board | 1 of 2 meetings |
| Academic Standards Committee | 0 of 1 meeting |
Declaration of Business Interests
Full-time Director of Forty4 Consulting Ltd (since March 2023)
Member of Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (MCIPS) (since February 2012)
(Professional Body - no control)
Marc Hoodless
Member Appointed
(Term of Office 4 Years)
06/03/2025
Responsibility
|
Attendance 2024/25
|
| Trust Board | 2 of 2 meetings |
| Academic Standards Committee | 1 of 1 meeting |
| Finance, Audit & Resources Committee | 0 of 2 meetings |
Declaration of Business Interests
Independent HR Consultant Director Evolvent (since January 2021)
Trustee/Member - Inspiring Change Multi Academy Trust (December 2018 to February 2025)
Fellow of Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (since 1995)
ICMAT acquisition by THAT (since February 2025)
Arun Prasanth
Member Appointed
(Term of Office 4 Years)
09/03/2025
Responsibility
|
Attendance 2024/25
|
| Trust Board | 1 of 2 meetings |
| Finance, Audit & Resources Committee | 1 of 2 meetings |
Declaration of Business Interests
Senior Director, Hexaware Technologies (since 1st July 2024)
Peter Sheldrake
Member Appointed
(Term of Office 4 Years)
22/03/2025
Responsibility
|
Attendance 2024/25
|
| Trust Board | 1 of 2 meetings |
| Finance, Audit & Resources Committee | 1 of 2 meetings |
Declaration of Business Interests
Self-Employed – Director Socios Solutions Ltd (since November 2023)
Directors resigned in the last 12 months
Caron Johnson
Resigned
31/08/2024
Member Appointed
(Term of Office 4 Years)
15/10/2022
Responsibility
|
Attendance 2023/24
|
| Trust Board | 5 of 6 meetings |
| Academic Standards Committee | 2 of 2 meetings |
Declaration of Business Interests
Governor: Fortis Trust (since March 2025)
Members
Current Members
Alan Norman
Appointed
3rd May 2017
Attendance
2 of 2 meetings
Declaration of Business Interest
Retired
None
Alan Reed
Appointed
7th January 2019
Attendance
1 of 2 meetings
Declaration of Business Interest
Retired
Fellow, Institution of Mechanical Engineers (FIMechE) (since 1973)
Ben Gallafant
Appointed
26th May 2023
Attendance
1 of 2 meetings
Declaration of Business Interest
Member: Solicitors Regulation Authority (since September 2016)
Commercial Property Solicitor: Whitehead Monckton (since July 2022)
Susan Mason
Appointed
8th May 2024
Attendance
2 of 2 meetings
Declaration of Business Interest
Headteacher: Brompton Westbrook Primary School (since January 2021)
Members resigned in the last 12 months
Dr Chinwedu Ude
Resigned
18th July 2025
Appointed
30th June 2022
Attendance
0 of 1 meeting
Declaration of Business Interest
Director: HealthyMary UK (since 20th June 2023)
Paediatric Consultant: Darent Valley Hospital Dartford (09/06/22)
Director at: Dr Ude Paediatric Practice (09/06/22)
Director at: Hub and Haven Interior Design Ltd (09/06/22)
Members and Directors can be contacted by email at enquiries@thatrust.org.uk