Gary O’Flaherty and Annie Hodge
We are proud to serve as the Joint Chairs of the Board of Trustees at Noadswood School.
Although now retired, we have known one another for more than thirty years, having previously worked in law enforcement in very different roles and environments. This breadth of experience allows us to bring complementary skills, perspectives, and judgement to our shared leadership. By working as Joint Chairs, we are able to combine our time, commitment, and expertise to provide the strong governance and strategic support the school requires — even when the role is demanding.
We are both long-standing members of the local community, with deep connections to the area, its people, its businesses, and to Noadswood itself. Our own children attended the school, as did the children of family members, friends, and colleagues. Through this connection, we developed a strong and lasting interest in the school’s future.
Serving on the Board has been our way of giving back — contributing not only to the success of the school, but to the strength of the wider community by supporting the development of its young people.
Over several years on the Board, we have gained significant knowledge and experience of the school’s governance, processes, and strategic direction. Neither of us comes from a formal education background, and when we joined, we brought fresh perspectives, a willingness to ask constructive questions, and a shared determination to help the school achieve its very best.
We are immensely proud of Noadswood School and of the achievements of its students. Our experience has reinforced how vital education is in shaping today’s young people into the confident, capable citizens of tomorrow.
That is why we are here.
Gary O’Flaherty and Annie Hodge
The School is set up as a Charitable Company, which was incorporated on 5 July 2011, and converted to Academy status on 1 August 2011. The Chairs of the three main committees are the Members of the Charitable Company.
The Charitable Company was incorporated on 5 July 2011, and conversion to Academy status was made on 1 August 2011.
Constitution
Noadswood School is a company limited by guarantee and an exempt charity. The Charitable Company’s memorandum and articles of association are the primary governing documents of the Academy.
The Governors act as the trustees for the charitable activities of Noadswood School and are also the directors of the Charitable Company for the purposes of company law. The Charitable Company is known as Noadswood School (Company Number 07693860).
Principle
The Academy Trust’s principle activity, as set out and defined in its Articles of Association and Funding Agreement is to provide a quality, free education for young people aged between 11 and 16 in the Hythe and Dibden and surrounding areas and additionally to make the school’s facilities available to provide such recreational and leisure activities for the general population of the area as are deemed appropriate and reasonable.
Supplemental Funding Agreement 2021
Supplemental Funding Agreement 2024
Memorandum of Association - Special Resolutions
Terms of Reference and Scheme of Delegation
Organisational Structure
The Governing Body of Noadswood School are responsible for the strategic management of the School; deciding and setting key aspects of the School, including strategic direction, annual budgets, senior staff appointments, policy changes etc. Operational management (the day to day running of the School) is devolved to the Headteacher and Staff. Their activities and decisions are monitored through a small number of Governor Committees into which reports are fed by the Senior Leadership team.
The full Governing Body meets at least five times per school year spread more or less evenly across the school terms. The current Chair is Alison Munden (governance information, including members can be found on the Gov.uk site)
Supporting the Trust Board are three committees:
These committees meet typically 4 times per year to consider reports from the Senior Leadership Team and the Headteacher.
- Co-Chairs of Trustees – Annie Hodge and Gary O'Flaherty
- Chair of Headteacher Performance Management - Gary O'Flaherty
- Chair of Pay and Personnel Committee – Annie Hodge
- Chair of School Improvement Committee – Gary O'Flaherty
- Chair of Finance, Audit and Risk Committee – Helen Sanderson
The register of interests can be found in our specific document.
Trustees Appointments
| Name | Date of appointment | Date term of office ends | Date stepped down |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annie Hodge (Co-Chair) | 08/11/2022 | 07/11/2026 | |
| Helen Sanderson | 31/03/2021 | 12/05/2029 | |
| Kathryn Marshall | 26/09/2016 | ||
| Janet Church | 07/12/2023 | 06/12/2027 | |
| Kyle Hall | 07/12/2023 | 06/12/2027 | |
| Gary O'Flaherty (Co-Chair) | 19/06/2024 | 18/06/2028 | |
| Tom Weeks (Vice-Chair) | 15/05/2025 | 14/05/2029 | |
| Claire Beaney | 03/03/2026 | 02/03/2030 |
Member Appointments
| Name | Date of Appointment | Date stepped down |
|---|---|---|
| Craig Davey | 31/03/2021 | |
| Jackie Rapson | 31/03/2021 | 15/01/2025 |
| Kevin O'Brien | 31/03/2021 | 15/01/2025 |
| Sheryl Cardwell | 14/01/2025 | |
| Steven Shergold | 14/01/2025 |
Historic Trustee Appointments
| Name | Date of appointment | Date term of office ends | Date stepped down |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sarah Balson | 27/09/2016 | 26/09/2024 | 26/09/2024 |
| Sheryl Cardwell | 02/05/2024 | 06/05/2028 | 03/11/2024 |
| Alison Munden | 05/07/2011 | 26/06/2027 | 19/01/2026 |
The following staff members support the Governing Body at Committee or Board meetings:
| Matt Hewitt | Deputy Headteacher |
| Helen Loveday | Deputy Headteacher |
| Eddie Rollett | Assistant Headteacher |
| Dan Rowling | Assistant Headteacher |
| Matt Abbott | Head of Department |
| Sue Fry | Head of Department |
| Carla Bradshaw | Chief Financial Officer |
| Angie Drabble | Finance Manager |
| Carys McKinney | Premises Manager |
Scheme of Delegation
Policies and Procedures
School policies are developed by senior members of the School’s staff, to reflect both the strategic direction agreed by the Governors and also statutory requirements. These policies are approved and adopted by the Governing Body, and implemented as procedures and systems by the SLT and other designated members of staff. You have the right to request a copy of any of these if you so wish, to do so either contact the school, or by visiting our policies page.
Trustee Meeting Attendance
You can view the attendance statistics.
Statement Union Facilities
Interested in becoming a Noadswood Trustee?
Being a Trustee is a challenging, yet hugely rewarding role in which you will make a real contribution to student’s education, opportunities and futures.
We are always looking for a balance of diversity, knowledge and skills in order to make our Trust Board effective. It has been repeatedly noted by Ofsted that the best schools have the most effective Governance. School Trustees and Governors are the largest volunteer workforce in the country, with over a quarter of a million volunteers.
Anyone aged 18 or over can be a Trustee (but there are some exceptions) and you do not need to be a parent. There is no requirement for you to have an understanding of the education system, just the necessary skills, character and time to contribute. Schools need and benefit from a range of professional knowledge on their governing board including education, finance, human resources, legal, marketing and public relations, property and estates management, and organisational change.
We welcome anyone interested in either becoming a Trustee to contact us: info@noadswood.hants.sch.uk or contact the Noadswood office staff who will be able to help you.
Being a Trustee.... What does it mean?
The Trustee board provides strategic leadership, and accountability in schools. Trustees set the aims and objectives for a school and in turn the policies and targets for achieving those aims and objectives. We closely monitor and evaluate the progress the school is making and provide challenge and support to the Headteacher.
Trustees at Noadswood meet for a full Governing Body board meeting at least once per term, and sub committees usually once every half term. Some specific Link Trustee roles are assigned to individual Trustees or smaller teams, in order for us to meet with and work with the school Leaders and staff.
Would you enjoy the role of Trustee ? You probably would if you:-
- Enjoy engaging with pupils, staff and the school community
- Want to support first hand the excellence of our staff and what they do.
- Have the inclination to contribute some time and your experience to help the school provide the best it can in the education of our young people.
- Enjoy working in teams and adding your influence.
- Want to develop and utilise your skills in a board environment
What will be expected of me?
Most Trustees commit around 8 hours per month, although it will vary depending on the needs of the school and any specific responsibilities. Trustees are required to attend Full board meetings, some committee meetings and visit school from time to time. Full induction and training will be provided to all new Trustees upon appointment.
We are members of the National Governance Association and detailed information on becoming a school Trustee can also be found on the NGA website.
