THPT Governance
Our model of governance is designed to ensure that all THPT schools are truly bringing out the best of all our children and young people and remain rooted in their local communities. Strong governance is essential in ensuring high educational standards and excellent provision. In line with the statutory responsibilities for multi academy trusts, statutory governance responsibilities are held by the Trust Board, who ultimately govern each of our schools. These responsibilities are delegated to the CEO and in turn executive leaders within the Trust, then to our Principals. These leaders hold responsibility for overall performance, financial viability, legal compliance and statutory duties.
More information about our Board of Trustees & wider governance can be found here.
Helping us to remain strongly connected to delivering for our communities, our Local Boards (LBs) have an important advisory role. They receive regular updates on school life and engage closely with stakeholders, particularly our children and young people, parents and our staff. LBs do not however represent statutory governance and have no statutory responsibilities.
More information about this school’s LB can be found below.
In order to remain at the forefront of professional practice, our Heads of Phase, on behalf of the CEO, line manage our school Principals and have responsibility for academy target setting and monitoring progress towards addressing improvement priorities as well as ensuring an effective culture of safeguarding.
More information about THPT’s executive leaders can be found here.
The following table shows the members of our 2026 - 2027 Local Board and their roles and responsibilities.
| Local Board Member | Term of Office - Start | Term of Office - End | Appointing Body | Additional Role/ Responsibility |
Attendance* AY 2024-2025 |
| Hannah Cooper-Burrows | 17/05/23 | 16/05/27 | THPT |
1/2 |
|
| Fiona Chapman | 10/05/23 | 09/05/27 | THPT | Co-Chair, Parent LBM |
2/2 |
| Cheryl Meyrick | 28/03/24 | 27/03/28 | THPT |
1/2 |
|
| Claire Rainey | 04/08/26 | 03/08/30 | Local Board |
N/A - joined August 2026 |
Local Board Members who have stood down in the last 12 months:
| Local Board Member | Term of Office - Start | Term of Office - End | Appointing Body | Additional role / responsibility |
Attendance* AY 2024-2025 |
| Richard Harrold | 14/7/22 | 13/7/26 | THPT | Co-Chair, Parent, LBM | 2/2 |
|
Rachel Bell
|
20/04/22 | 19/04/26 | THPT | 1/1 | |
| Andrew Murfin | 28/03/24 | 27/03/26 (stepped down) | THPT | 0/1 |
Register of Interests
|
Local Board Member |
Name of Organisation | Nature of Business | Nature of Interest | Date declared/updated |
| Fiona Chapman |
1. Howard of Effingham School 2. JUSTICE 3. Guildford Sea Cadets 4. Bar, England & Wales 5. Western Circuit |
1. Education Provider
2. Charity 3. Charity 4. Legal 5. Legal |
1. Parent of students
2. Chief Executive & Member 3. Trustee 4. Member 5. Member |
September 2025 |
| Hannah Cooper-Burrows |
1. Howard of Effingham School 2. NASUWT |
1. Education Provider
2. Trade Union |
1. Employee (Head of Textiles & Year Leader 2. Member |
September 2026 |
| Cheryl Meyrick |
1. East Sussex County Council
2. BMG 3. Howard of Effingham School |
1. Local government
2. Trade Union 3. Education Provider |
1. Employee (Senior Manager for Education Countrywide) 2. Member, January 2026 3. Parent of student (Sept 2026) |
September 2026 |
| Claire Rainey |
1. Claire Rainey Consulting
2. Parklands Residents' Association 3. Howard of Effingham School |
1. Consultancy business for research agencies 2. Residents' Association
3. Education Provider |
1. Sole owner (August 2026)
2. Director (May 2024)
3. Parent of students (2026) |
September 2026 |
Local Board Members who have stood down in the last 12 months:
| Local Board Member | Name of Organisation | Nature of Business | Nature of Interest | Date Declared/updated |
| Rachel Bell |
1. Ministry of Justice |
1. Civil Servant | 1. Employee | September 2025 |
| Richard Harrold |
1. Howard of Effingham School 2. National Association of Headteachers |
1. Education Provider 2. Trade Union |
1. Parent of student
2. Member |
September 2025 |
| Andrew Murfin |
1. Danes Hill School |
1. Education Provider | 1. Employee | September 2025 |
Contacting the Local Board
Parents or Carers wishing to contact the Chair of the Local Board, or any other Local Board Member, should email the school.
The Howard of Effingham Local Board does not currently have any local board member vacancies. If you are interested in becoming a local board member at one of the other schools in our trust, the following links provide more information about the role, together with an application form:
Recruitment Pack please click here
Recruitment Flyer please click here
Application form please click here