Academy Trust

Eaton Bray Academy Trust is a single academy trust.

The trust operates as an Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11 and for pre-school children serving a catchment area of Eaton Bray and surrounding villages. It has a pupil capacity of 210 in the main school and 45 in the Pre-School.

Trustees / Governors: Governing Body

The Governing Body of Eaton Bray Academy exists to ensure that the school fulfils its aims and objectives and meets statutory requirements. Governors also serve as Trustees of the Academy.

All members of the governing body are firmly committed to inclusive education for the whole community.
All Governors contribute their time freely.

Governance Structure

Please see a diagram of our governance structure below, and a list of Members and Trust Board members.

The Trust Board have established two Committees. These are listed below along with each Committee’s key purpose and Terms of Reference.

Term of Governors is 4 Years

Finance, Personnel and Premises Committee

Purpose: to ensure that the Trustees and School Business Manager and the academies are operating within the parameters of the Funding Agreements and Academies Financial Handbook with a particular responsibility on Audit and Finance and providing value for money.

Terms of Reference

Teaching and Learning Committee

Purpose: to consider what is taught in lessons, how it is taught and how all pupils are helped to achieve the best they can, whatever barriers there might be to their learning. They meet with subject leaders to find out about developments in the curriculum and how it is delivered.

Terms of Reference

Members of Trust

Robert McVeigh (Trust Member)
Catherine Wendeler (Eaton Bray Academy Trustee Representative)
Jenny Lyons (Trust Member)
Vacancy (Trust Member)
Vacancy (Trust Member)

Board of Trustees

Emma Howe

Chair of Governors
Safeguarding Governor
Governor for Mathematics

My name is Emma Howe and I have been working within the education sector now for 16 years in various roles and capacities. Within the school, I chair the trustees and have been on the board of trustees for 2 years. I enjoy supporting the SLT with the strategic side of running the school and also working closely with the other board members to support and help the staff at the school.

Day to day, I run an education consulting and tutoring business, supporting teens and their families in their state school setting, as well as supporting teens with alternative provision. I have a little girl that attends the school and in my spare time I love reading, growing food and enjoy spending time with my friends and family.

Lynne Mercer

Headteacher

I am proud to be the Headteacher of Eaton Bray Academy and as part of this role I also sit as a trustee. I have been Headteacher at the school since September 2020, having previously worked in schools in Buckinghamshire.

Outside of school I have three young boys and enjoy spending weekends with my family.

Simon Hardy

Vice-Chair
Chair of Finance, Facilities and Personnel Committee
Governor for Health & Safety and Physical Education

I became a Governor when my daughter was at EBA.

I have recently retired from a profession in Facilities and Health and Safety Management.

I have been involved in sport as a competitor and coach, across various disciplines, most recently as referee for my daughter’s football team.

Enjoy driving the mini-bus

Stuart Wright

Vice Chair of Finance, Facilities and Personnel Committee
Governor for Art, DT and Computing

I live in Eaton Bray with my wife and 2 girls, both of whom attend EBA. I have been a Parent Governor of the school since Summer 2022 and hope that in this position I can help the school continue to deliver a great education for the pupils with fantastic experiences.

Day to day, I am a Chartered Engineer and a Programme Manager with a keen passion for continuous improvement. I enjoy spending time at the zoo and in the local parks with my girls. In any spare time I have, I like to play golf or visit the gym.

Grace Wilkinson

Governor for Science, PSHE and SEND

Paul Cross

My name is Paul Cross and I joined the Eaton Bray governing board in Spring 2024 supporting with subject and learning, specifically Geography and History.

I am currently work for a corporate organisation managing employees global relocation.

I have two children at Eaton Bray Academy and I enjoy running, tennis and collecting Lego.

Estelle Marshall

Hugh Ponsford

My name is Hugh Ponsford and I became a parent governor early in 2024. I have lived in the village with my family for the past 3 ½ years, but have spent most of my life living locally. My daughter attends EBA and absolutely loves it, and as a governor I hope to be able to help ensure that she and all the other children at EBA receive a great education, but really enjoy themselves at the same time.

In my normal life I am a dentist, and have worked locally in Hertfordshire for the past 20 years.

In my spare time I’m a keen mountain biker, but with my family we try to visit the zoo regularly, and generally spend time messing around outdoors.

Leena McDonagh

My name is Leena McDonagh. I’ve lived in Eaton Bray village for 7 years with my husband and my 3 kids. I enjoy spending precious time with my family and going to places with beautiful scenery and peaceful surroundings.

Contact

If you wish to contact our trustees you can do this through the chair:

Emma Howe
C/O – Eaton Bray Academy, School Lane, Eaton Bray, LU6 2DT
01525 220468
governors@eba.ec

Minutes of the Trust Board can be obtained by request by emailing the clerk at admin@eba.ec

Register of Business Interests

Our Governors have a statutory obligation to list any relevant business and pecuniary interests recorded in the Statutory Register of Business Interests. This includes governance roles in other educational institutions; any material interests arising from relationships between governors or relationships between governors and school staff (including spouses, partners and close relatives).