Isleworth & Syon School has a long and distinguished history, dating back to 1630, and over time it has been through several different designations. In 2012, the school converted to an Academy, retaining its long-established status as being independent of local authority control.
The Trustees of the school have legal responsibilities as set out in the Funding Agreement and in our Memorandum & Articles of Association. Members of the Board of Trustees are comprised of Foundation Trustees (nominated by The British & Foreign School Society [BFSS], Brunel University and The Senate of the University of London); elected Parent/Carer Trustees; Community Trustees; and Staff Trustees.
The Board of Trustees meets formally once per term and committees also meet on a termly basis. The duties are varied and include setting an annual budget, ensuring that statutory policies are in place, and providing support and challenge for the school’s Senior Leadership Team.
All trustees can be contacted via the school.
The Trustees of Isleworth & Syon are responsible for the overall decisions made with regards to the school.
| Designation | Appointed by | Name | Term of office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation Trustees | British & Foreign School Society | Dr Emily Tomlinson | 1 March 2020 – 29 February 2024 |
| Ms Sandra Lawman * | 1 September 2019 – 30 March 2021 | ||
| Brunel University | Dr Derek Healy | 22 June 2021 – 21 June 2025 | |
| Dr Cathy Gower * | 1 March 2020 – 26 January 2021 | ||
| Senate of the University of London | Dr Roy Gardner * | 1 March 2020 – 6 July 2020 | |
| Parent/Carer Trustees | Parent/Carer Election | Miss Amal Bolbol | 21 June 2018 – 20 June 2022 |
| Mrs Batul Khan | 3 June 2019 – 2 June 2023 | ||
| Community Trustees | Foundation/Trust | Mr Alan Smith | 1 March 2020 – 29 February 2024 |
| Mr Vanessa Smith | 1 March 2020 – 29 February 2024 | ||
| Staff Trustees | Elected by school staff | Ms Tamsin Billimoria | 1 September 2017 – 31 August 2021 |
| Miss Georgina Breach | 15 May 2020 – 14 May 2024 | ||
| Miss Sophie Hannon | 15 May 2020 – 14 May 2024 | ||
| Ex officio by virtue of office as Headteacher | Mr Euan Ferguson | 4 September 2000 to present (no term of office) |
* Please see the ‘Documentation’ tab for statements about these trustees. We are awaiting new nominations for these roles.
The Members of the Academy trust are the guardians of the governance of the trust. They are essential to the integrity of an Academy trust, although it is the Trustees, not the Members, who are the organisation’s key decision makers. While Members have no day-to-day or week-to-week role, they have a key responsibility on the appointment/removal of Trustees.
| Designation | Appointed by | Name | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chair of Trustees | By original (signatory) members | Mrs Vanessa Smith | 1 March 2012 |
| Headteacher | By original (signatory) members | Mr Euan Ferguson | 1 March 2012 |
| Dean of the School of Education, University of Brighton | By members of the Academy trust | Dr Cathy Gower | 1 January 2021 |
Academy Trusts are independent charitable companies and are required to produce an annual report and financial statement at the end of every academic year, this being the same as our financial year. These accounts are audited by independent auditors and once approved, are submitted to the Education and Skills Finding Agency (ESFA) usually by the December following the latest academic year. They are also filed with Companies House.
Our latest accounts, along with the accounts for the previous two financial years, will always be available on the school website. This webpage will normally be updated by the January following the latest financial year.
Learn more about our trustees.
 | Vanessa Smith – Chair Vanessa has a long association with the school as both of her sons attended Isleworth & Syon School in the late 1980s /1990s. Now retired, she worked as a Civil Servant and had a spell as a London Borough of Hounslow Councillor from 1986 – 2002 representing Isleworth. Prior to the school becoming an academy, she served as a local authority nominated governor, and took over the role of chair of governors in the autumn of 2005 after the sudden death of the then chair, Tom Tranter. In 2012, she oversaw the conversion of the school from its original voluntary controlled status to becoming a converter academy and she has remained as the chair of trustees to the present day. She has committed many years of volunteering to support the school and currently serves on the Resources and Audit Committee and acts as the lead trustee for safeguarding. Vanessa also continues to undertake a range of voluntary activities in the local area. |
| Vanessa Smith – Chair Vanessa has a long association with the school as both of her sons attended Isleworth & Syon School in the late 1980s /1990s. Now retired, she worked as a Civil Servant and had a spell as a London Borough of Hounslow Councillor from 1986 – 2002 representing Isleworth. Prior to the school becoming an academy, she served as a local authority nominated governor, and took over the role of chair of governors in the autumn of 2005 after the sudden death of the then chair, Tom Tranter. In 2012, she oversaw the conversion of the school from its original voluntary controlled status to becoming a converter academy and she has remained as the chair of trustees to the present day. She has committed many years of volunteering to support the school and currently serves on the Resources and Audit Committee and acts as the lead trustee for safeguarding. Vanessa also continues to undertake a range of voluntary activities in the local area. |
