The Governing Body

A Message from Tony Franks, Chair of Governors

I am honoured to have been appointed Chair of Governors at Copthall School in July 2026. Having previously served as Chair of the Finance and Resources Committee for two years, I am proud to continue supporting the school in this new role.

My career has been largely dedicated to education, teaching and leading in London schools, complemented by experience in private industry and running my own company. I am excited to work with the entire Copthall community as we rise to future challenges and build on our many successes. It is a genuine privilege to be part of this vibrant and ambitious school.

Copthall School is a company limited by guarantee and a Single Academy Trust. We are the directors of the company and the trustees of the Academy Trust. We are referred to as the 'Board of Governors' or the 'Trustees'.

Contact the Chair of Governors, Claire Buxton via email chair@copthall.barnet.sch.uk

Members are guardians of the governance of the trust. The board of trustees is the accountable body and it delegates its functions to committees, senior leaders and the headteacher.

The Board of Governors has three core functions:

1. Setting the school’s vision, ethos and strategic direction;

2. Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff; and

3. Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

While the Board of Governors is responsible for setting the strategy, it is not responsible for implementing that strategy or for operational matters. The Headteacher is responsible for the internal organisation, management and control of the school and the implementation of the strategic plan.

For more information on the role and expectations of governors at Copthall please see our Governor Job Description and our Code of Conduct below.

Meetings and Committees

The Full Board of Governors meets four times a year. In addition we have three committees that meet once or twice a term and each governor is assigned to a committee. Governors are also linked to particular areas of the school and/or members of staff. All non-confidential meeting minutes are available on request. For details of governors, committees and link arrangements please see below.

Contacting the Governors

For most school related matters your first point of contact should be a Copthall School staff member. However, if you would like to contact the Governors you can do so at chair@copthall.barnet.sch.uk

Become a Governor

If you are interested in becoming a Governor we would love to hear from you. Please contact us at chair@copthall.barnet.sch.uk.
 

• Meet our Governors
• Financial Statements
• Trade Union Facility Time Report

Our Governors

Committees & Members