The John Madejski Academy is a Trust and, as such, it must have a Board of Trustees and a Governing Body who are ultimately responsible for the academic and financial health of the Academy.

We are proud to announce that our current Board of Trustees and Governing Body is made up of some high-profile, local figures.
Essential to the Trust are the Sponsor: John Madejski and The Sponsor's Representative: Nigel Howe and they are ably assisted by Anthony Hudson (Retired Housemaster: Radley College and later Housemaster: Pangbourne College) and Bryan Stabler (Financial Controller: Reading FC).

Anthony Hudson is also Chair of Governors and heads up the rest of the Governing Body: Martin Salter (Labour MP: Reading West), Mary Singleton-White (Councillor), Alex Bayliss (Community Representative), Camilla Morris, David Lee, Richard Gordon, Peter Ashby, Beverley Callender, Edward Holloway, Ellise Storey (Parent Governor), Gemma Halsey (Staff Governor) and Chris Hook (Teacher Governor).

Who are they?

We asked everyone involved to tell us about themselves and explain why they wanted to become involed with the Academy. Here's what they said:

Anthony Hudson

I have accepted the role of Chairman for three main reasons:

Primarily I have reason to be grateful to John Madejski and anything I can do in return is inadequate - but I'm keen to try.

Secondly I've spent much of my life playing sport and, as the Academy evolves, our pupils will enjoy and learn so much from playing team games.

Thirdly, I've been a schoolmaster for 38 years and so the chance to end up with this exciting project is irresistible.

Mary Singleton-White

As a Councillor for Whitley Ward I was delighted to be asked to be the Local Authority representative on the Governing Body of the new Academy and welcome the opportunity to work closely with the Principal, staff, parents and the children who make up the school’s community to make this the best school in Reading.

The new school is massively important to the people of Whitley and to education in South Reading overall and I want to focus on building links with the local community.

Martin Salter

I am proud to be involved with the Academy and its innovative and holistic approach to the learning experience. I grew up in Reading and have strong personal links to the town. I have recently completed a Masters degree in Forensic Psychology and have worked in both psychological and television/ film research. I currently work for an arts organisation that uses music and digital arts to engage with young people to promote social inclusion within education, social housing, health, social care and regeneration schemes. Through this, and my experience working as a Prince’s Trust Team Leader in Hackney, I strongly believe that young people excel when they are made aware of their opportunities, such as those presented within the Academy.

Alex Bayliss

I am a South Reading resident and have had local connections for the past 12 years. I am a keen follower of all sports but my main passion is Reading FC where I am a season-ticket holder. I am married with two young children and work as a qualified Social Worker in the Berkshire area.

I see the John Madejski Academy as a great opportunity for the young people of South Reading and I’m keen to support the highly motivated and dedicated staff of the Academy. I was elected to the Governing Board as a Community Representative, therefore one of my main objectives is to ensure that the Academy is a community resource as well as an academic institution.

Chris Hook (Teacher Governor)

Born in London, I went to a girls’ school in Hammersmith. Here my great love of PE was developed and my particular love of hockey. My dad had always been a real sports enthusiast and as a young girl I learned to enjoy cricket and rugby too. (I have a fantastic collection of autographs of many great cricketers from all over the world)

It wasn’t too surprising that I was determined to become a PE teacher, so I attended Avery Hill College and learnt most sports from scratch which helped me to understand the difficulties involved in learning new skills.

As a teacher I have been head of PE in Islington, Hackney and Wandsworth before taking time out to raise my children and also study for a BSc (Hons) in Mathematics. I returned to teaching in 1996 this time teaching Maths and I moved to Thamesbridge college because I felt that the students in the school had the ability to achieve as well as any students in other schools and wanted to provide the opportunity to do so.

Now as Director of Mathematics and Science at the John Madejski Academy it is my vision that students will develop as independent learners, with an enjoyment of Mathematics that will go with them though life, and that through Maths and Science they will develop enquiring minds, and be able to question and challenge in an intelligent manner. I am pleased to see that, progressively, the students at the Academy are achieving their goals and aiming higher.

I am delighted to be a part of this great learning environment, offering so much to the students for their future.

We need you!

Do you think you would make a good governor?
We are looking for an enthusistic Parent Governor.
If you think you would be interested in becoming part of the Governing Body then you may want to read the roles and responsibilities document (261 kb pdf).

If you still think you have the committment then please e.mail the PA to the Principal Julie Godfrey on julie.godfrey@johnmadejskiacademy.co.uk stating your intention and attaching your C.V.