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School

Governor biographies

For further details relating to governance arrangements please read Governance.

Chris Schofield

Chris is the Chair of Governors for the school. He was elected in Spring 2020 after previously serving for 7-years as a school governor. Chris is the Chairman of Schofield Sweeney, a leading commercial law firm. He advises on corporate matters and regularly advises boards, educational and health institutions on governance issues. He is a Non-Executive Director of Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (Audit chair). He is also a Non-Executive Director of a number of client companies, a Director of Active Bradford and Bradford Live, a trustee of St Gemma’s Hospice. He is also a visiting lecturer of Law at Huddersfield University. “Chris is an experienced corporate practitioner who handles sophisticated matters on behalf of some of the firm’s most prominent clients. Clients say he is; an excellent lawyer and business adviser, bringing a huge wealth of experience and commercial understanding to his advice”. Chambers (global legal directory). Chris also serves as the Under-Sheriff of West Yorkshire. He is the legal advisor to One In A Million and kindly provides pro-bono support to the Charity, its CEO and Trustees. Chris says, “One In A Million Charity, and its school,  are important to me because they allow me the opportunity to make a contribution back into Bradford”. Chris has previously fulfilled the duties of Responsible Officer. He sits on the Finance Committee, Education Community, Principal’s Performance Management Panel and Appeals Panel.

Rachel Jacobs

Rachel is the Co-founder/Director of Leading Children Ltd, which offers consultancy services and training to teachers and Headteachers. During her time in education, Rachel’s expertise has seen her support 12 Local Education Authorities. She is a specialist in Early Years and KS1, however, she also has experience of working with teachers in all Key Stages through to KS4. Rachel has fulfilled many roles in her profession from mother, teacher, lecturer, deputy head, and Independent Education Consultant since 2008, and Associate Consultant to Early Excellence. Rachel is also a Director of Leading Children Imagine Ltd, the home of Leading Children, where the training base, resources and exhibition centre combine. Rachel’s latest Literacy Programme, Leading Children into Literacy is being developed in 5 comprehensive schools, a PRU and 15 primary schools in Bradford. Comprehension tests indicate 51-71% of children making rapid progress in reading across the 49 classrooms they represent. Rachel is an author of the book ‘Time of our Lives?’. Rachel is Vice Chair. She sits on the Education Scrutiny Committee, Appeals Panel and Principal’s Performance Management Panel.

Mark Hughes

Mark is a Member of One In A Million Academy Trust. He was the Chair of Governors for the school from 2013-20. He remains on the board to ensure a smooth transition with the new Chair. He is an employ for One In A Million Charity in an Executive capacity where he has been a member of the SLT since 2013. However, he has been actively involved in the Charity since 2005. First starting as a volunteer, then a Trustee for 8 years including 3 years as Chair of Trustees. Mark has over 20 years experience working within branding, graphic design and marketing. He worked for Freemans Grattan Holding (FGH) for 14 years. At the time, FGH were the largest mail order company in the UK. He has vast experience in art direction, which included ladies fashion and lifestyle homeware photography travelling across South America, North America, North Africa, South Africa and all across Europe. Not surprising, Mark has a first class BA Hons in Art & Design. He has over 18 years experience in management and leadership positions across the private sector and third sector. On behalf of the school, governance has always been regarded as a strength of the school during its Ofsted inspections. He has supported the Staff Pay Award Panel, Finance Committee, Principal’s Performance Management Panel, Appeals Panel, Recruitment Interview Panel and Policy Approval Panel.

Nick Aldridge

Nick is a Relationship Director at Barclays Bradford with a portfolio of 70 customers with a turnover up to £6.5million and a maximum debt threshold of £10million. Nick has been employed at Barclays for the past 23 years and is a skilled lender through the Advanced Credit Skills qualifications. His role is to put the client at the heart of his business by providing good client outcomes, exceptional service and deepening his understanding of them and their needs. Proactively helping his clients to respond to challenges and opportunities facing their business and supporting his local market internally and externally Nick demonstrate a high performance ethic through good client outcomes, his results and his behaviours – being an agent for change and challenging the status quo. He is a passionate Bradford City fan following them home and away for many years and is loyal to Bradford and the surrounding district having lived here all his life. Nick has been a governor since the school was formed and has a strong belief in what the school and charity have been seeking to achieve. He has encouraged others at the bank to become involved and helping to raise monies for the One In A Million Charity for many years. Nick is the Chair of the Finance Committee.

Pam Essler BEM

Pam is a leader with vast experience and detailed knowledge of governance gained through board membership for a range of large organisations. She has been able to develop a portfolio of interests and appointments mainly in relation to ‘health’ and ‘education’ but all focussed on developing equity of experience across the local population. Pam is the Deputy Chair and Lay Member on the Governing Body of Airedale Wharfedale and Craven Clinical Commissioning Group; Lay Chair for NHS England supporting the assessment of GP, dentist and optometrist performance; Lay Leader for Yorkshire and Humber Patient Safety Translational Research Centre supporting the inclusion of staff and public in Patient Safety research programmes; Chair of board of trustees of Bradford and Airedale Citizens Advice and Bradford Law Centre providing financial and legal advice to the most vulnerable; Chair of Keighley Healthy Living and Project6 (a substance misuse charity); and a Governor at Woodhouse Grove School where she is the chair’s the education committee. Pam is a Graduate biologist with experience of teaching at primary, secondary and further education levels. She has a strong commitment to interagency working to develop and support service delivery to address inequalities across the Bradford District. Pam was awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queens list of honours in January 2022.

Rob Moon

Rob Moon is the Managing Director of Bermar Building Company.  Bermar Building is a local, Bradford based Construction Company specialising in Education, Health and Public Building construction projects. It has been operating in the West Yorkshire Region for over 45 years. Rob has managed the company for the past 10 years, having taken over as Managing Director from his Farther in 2008.  Bermar Building have worked in approaching 200 schools in the local region. He was born and educated in Bradford before going on to study Construction Engineering Management at Loughborough University where he achieved a First Class Honour degree. He is an active member of the Chartered Institute of Building and the Chartered Institute of Environmentalists. Rob brings over 25 years of construction experience to his role as the Governor with the responsibility for Facilities and Health and Safety. His business experience is also invaluable when meeting with the Finance Committee. He says, “I feel passionate about bringing my skills to a local Bradford school. OIAM Free School, its staff and governing body are all likeminded, in their goals of improving the lives and opportunities of the young people of city”. Rob and his wife, have fundraised for the One In A Million Charity for over 10 years. Rob sits on the Finance Committee and is the named governor for Health, Safety and Facilities. He also sits on Recruitment Panels.

Steve Hawthorn

Steve was originally elected to the governing body as a parent governor where he served for more than 4 years. The Academy Trust have continued his term of office since. Steve has worked in football for nearly 15 years and worked in every league from League 2 to the Premier League. Steve has been Marketing Manager and Head of Communications for Bradford City AFC. In 2017, Steve joined Premier League football club, Burnley FC where he was Project Manager for the club’s FC’s Esports Team for nearly 6 years. He brings a strong commercial, media and digital background. In September 2023, he joined Astra Partners LTD (gold standard global sports management) as Chief Commercial Officer. Steve has been a long-standing volunteer of One In A Million Charity and has supported them in a variety of ways, including marketing, promotions and branding.

Susan Sharples

Susan is a retired deputy headteacher with 40 years teaching experience spanning two secondary schools. Her qualifications include: Certificate in Education awarded by Bristol University, a BA degree and a NPQH (National Professional Qualification for Headteachers). She has over 25 years of school senior leadership experience spanning across whole school strategic planning and development.

Susan is also a member of the Methodist Community, and is the safeguarding officer at her local church where she has been involved in children's work for over 30 years. She also delivers foundation level safeguarding training to workers and volunteers from other churches within the region.

Susan has served as a governor at her local primary school for over 20 years.

Susan joined the One In A Million Charity board of trustees in 2021 and the One In A Million Free School Governing Body in 2022. She is excited about having the opportunity to help improve the life chances of young people in Bradford.

Emma Nulty

Emma is Deputy Headteacher at Woodhouse Grove School. She is an educationalist with over 20 years teaching experience across a number of secondary schools and colleges. Her qualifications include a postgraduate certificate in education awarded by Leeds University, a BA Hons degree in Organisation Studies and Human Resource Management and a distinction in leadership and management awarded by the Association of Catholic Sixth Form colleges. She has 15 years of senior leadership experience with a special interest in pupil and staff development.  

Emma has been involved with One In A Million Free School since 2018 as she oversees the collaboration and partnership work between OIAMFS and Woodhouse Grove School. She says “I am proud to be a part of the partnership between our two schools and have loved working with the young people and staff involved. I look forward to serving and the OIAM community as a Governor”. Emma joined the One In A Million Free School Governing Body in January 2023 and will sit on the Education Scrutiny Committee.  

Shariq Mumtaz

Shariq Mumtaz is the Managing Director of Global Sales at Emerald Publishing, a global business located in Bradford and one of the world's leading digital first publishers. Emerald is a scholarly publisher of academic journals & books in the fields of business, management, education, library studies, health care, and engineering with 455 employees globally across 21 offices.

Emerald work with thousands of universities and business schools across the world to share knowledge and provoke the kind of debate that leads to positive change. 

Shariq joined Emerald's sales division in January 2005 and appointed Regional General Manager in 2006, where he set up operations in China and India and managed the expansion. He has also been instrumental in the agreement of several national licencing deals as well as setting up offices in Boston, Brazil, Dubai, Taiwan and Australia. 

In November 2009, Shariq joined the Executive Board and became responsible for managing Emerald’s global sales and commercial operations.

Prior to Emerald, he held various senior sales and management positions in retail and in an international arena, managing worldwide sales in the medical supply industry. Shariq graduated in International Business and Japanese in 1999 and obtained an MA in International Business in 2009.