Hailsham Academy is a MARK Education Trust school.
MARK Education Trust’s board of trustees is the accountable body for the trust and must ensure that the trust meets its charitable purpose which is to advance education for public good. It does this by undertaking the three core strategic functions.
- Ensuring there is clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
- Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation, its students, and the performance management of staff.
- Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent.
To find out more about the role of the board of trustees at MARK Education Trust, please visit our trust website.
Governance at Hailsham Academy
The trust board has established a Local Governing Committee (LGC) for Hailsham Academy that includes members of the local community, as well as elected parent and staff governors. The LGC is delegated by the trust to monitor key aspects of the school’s performance in more detail. This includes:
- Considering strategies to improve the quality of education and outcomes for all students, but especially disadvantaged students and those with Special Educational Needs.
- Ensuring that students and staff are safe and happy, with a specific focus on improving behaviour and attendance.
- Engaging with stakeholders to ensure that parents, staff, students and the wider school community are informed and work collectively for the good of the school.
Individual governors also take on specific responsibilities as “link governors” in key areas of the curriculum and aspects of the school’s life.
Hailsham Academy Local Governing Committee
Hailsham Academy LGC has up to seven community members who are appointed by the trust board, two parent governors who are nominated/elected by the school’s parent body, and two staff governors who are nominated/elected by the school’s staff.
Information about our Local Governor Committee members can be found below. For information about our trust’s Academy Members and Board of Trustees, please click here.
To view documents relating to the Hailsham Academy LCG please click here.
For documents relating to MARK Education Trust, including financial reporting information, please click here.
The Chair of LGC, Ms Lesley Farmer, can be contacted in writing via the trust’s governance professional on email:
To find out more about joining the Hailsham LGC, please click here.
Meet Our LGC Members
Lesley Farmer – Local Governing Committee Community Chair
I am a ‘Londoner’ at heart and was lucky enough to attend London’s biggest and first purpose-built comprehensive school. It was an inspiring experience, to which I attribute my lifelong passion for education. I went on to graduate from a good university with a degree in French & Italian and taught in South London schools for a large part of my career, which I loved. l became a deputy headteacher in Tilbury and thereafter spent 18 very successful years in headship: firstly, in the London borough of Lambeth and latterly in Hailsham where I remained as the principal of the community college from 1998 until 2011. My career choices were deliberate; I wanted to work with young people and communities, not all of whom might have valued education as much as I did. I take immense pride in what was achieved over those years. In 2010, I was offered a secondment to Ofsted which led to a further 5 years inspecting schools as an HMI and delivering training to secondary inspectors. In 2016 I hung up my ‘clipboard’ for the last time and continued to support schools in consultancy on a part-time basis until the pandemic. During this latter period l helped establish Safeguarding practices in a large academy chain and chaired an LGB in another.
Since the pandemic I decided to spend more time with my husband, ‘led by’ our two working cocker spaniels enjoying rural England and France! Recently, after a serious illness I also decided to volunteer in local hospitals which I thoroughly enjoy. The latter also enables me to occasionally and legitimately escape from hair-raising dog-walking activity! I look forward to renewing our acquaintance.
Theresa Phillips – Local Governing Committee Community Member
I am an experienced education professional with over 40 years in the field. My career has spanned a variety of roles, including teaching science across a range of schools and working as a science consultant. I spent nine years in senior leadership as both Associate Headteacher and Headteacher in two secondary schools facing challenging circumstances.
For six years, I served as one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) with Ofsted, leading inspections of primary, secondary, and all-through schools. Most recently, I worked for four years as a secondary school adviser in East Sussex, supporting school improvement across the county.
I also have governance experience, having served on the interim governing bodies of two special schools in East Sussex.
Outside of education, I enjoy walking my dogs, spending time with my young grandchildren, and am an active member of the local branch of Soroptimist International.
Vicky Rowe – Local Governing Committee Community Member
As an alumna of the school, I am proud to serve the LGC as a community governor and also the link safeguarding governor. I have an extensive background in social care, with significant experience in child protection and keeping children safe. For the last eight years, my focus has been specifically on safeguarding within education settings. I bring this expertise and commitment to my role, ensuring that the school maintains the highest standards of child safety and wellbeing.
Katie Manley – Local Governing Committee Staff Member
Originally from South East London, I completed my undergraduate studies in Biology before moving to Leicester to earn a Masters degree in Molecular Genetics. My career initially began in a research laboratory in Sussex; however, I soon realised my skills were better suited to more people-focused roles. After exploring diverse avenues—including driving instruction and wedding cake design—I found my true vocation while working as a Teaching Assistant in Lewes.
During that time, I discovered a passion for supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). This inspired me to complete my PGCE and qualify as a primary teacher. I joined Hailsham Academy Primary Phase in 2022 as one of the founding KS2 teachers, helping to establish Year 3. My commitment to inclusive education continues today as I work towards my NPQ SENCo qualification.
Outside the classroom, I am a dedicated runner and can often be found running locally with my husband and dog, or playing the viola in a local orchestra.