Governance
The Academy Trust
The College became an academy within a single academy trust in 2016 and subsquently established a multi-academy trust in April 2019. Hereford Sixth Form College and Worcester Sixth Form College are managed by this trust, the Heart of Mercia Trust. King Edward VI College Stourbridge joined the Trust in February 2021.
Registered office: Hereford Sixth Form College, Folly Lane, Hereford. HR1 1LU
Business name: Heart of Mercia MAT
Place of registration: UK
Registered number: 10499174, registered on 28/11/2016
The Heart of Mercia MAT
The MAT governing structure and its aims and responsibilities are detailed in its Governance Procedures.
The Board of Governors of Hereford Sixth Form College
The College is overseen by a Board of Governors, the Local Governing Body. The Local Governing Body reports to the Trustees of the Heart of Mercia Trust.
The College Board comprises independent Governors drawn from the local community, the Principal, two staff Governors, two parent Governors and two students.
The current Chair of the Board is Mr James Miller.
What Does the Board Do?
The Board of Governors at Hereford Sixth Form College come together with the common goal of supporting the educational ethos of the College, ensuring its financial integrity, and maintaining a sustained quality of provision for its students. The role of the Board is extremely important and varied. The main responsibilities include:
- to determine the educational character and strategic vision for the College
- to ensure the College remains solvent, approve annual estimates of income and expenditure, and to monitor the effective and efficient use of resources
- to maintain the security of the College’s assets
- to make a significant contribution to what the College does to ensure the success of its students
- to review and assure the quality of provision
Governors commit to attending Board meetings, which are held at least four times a year.
Becoming a Governor
When recruiting Governors, we are always keen to hear from individuals who believe they can make a real difference to the College and our students. You need to be enthusiastic and committed to serving in this voluntary role. Individual Governors come from different backgrounds and with a variety of skills.
We welcome applications from people who can think strategically with a range of backgrounds including the arts, audit, business, finance, HR, legal and marketing, but this is not essential. The Board welcomes a diverse membership.
The qualities looked for in all Governors are:
- The ability to work as a member of the Board and to respect corporate decision making and the view of others whilst being willing and able to express their own opinions.
- A keen interest in education, especially of 16 – 19 year olds.
- The ability to look at the College from a top-level strategic point of view, without wishing to be involved in management.
- Good communication skills.
- Leadership skills.
- Empathy with students and community needs.
- A commitment to the seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership as set out in the Nolan Report.
In the first instance, please contact the Principal who will arrange an informal discussion with herself and the Chair.
Business and Pecuniary Interests
Any relevant business and pecuniary interests of senior staff and of Trustees are declared annually.
Meetings Attendance
This document shows the number of meetings the Governors have attended.
Minutes of meetings
If you require minutes from previous meetings of the Board of Hereford Sixth Form College, please contact Reception and these can be provided upon request.
Hereford Sixth Form College Annual Accounts
If you require minutes from previous meetings of the Board of Hereford Sixth Form College, please contact Reception and these can be provided upon request.
Meet the Governors
Darren Baysting
Appointed as a Parent Governor in July 2023
After recently completing a 27 year Military career, including extensive overseas service, and subsequently joining the Civil Service Darren is now Operations Lead for the Delivery of Support Information Systems managing several Prime Contracts, with a worldwide footprint. His previous military service includes several technical Command and Staff positions with a particular focus on leading and developing Service Police specialist and information capabilities.
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Underpinned by gaining four University Degrees in his career (BSc(Hons), 2 x Computer Science MSc and an MA in Defence Studies), he is very experienced with working with uncertainty, rapid operational planning, technical leadership and Programme Management. Â Also, as both a child of a military family, where he had several schools growing up and in turn, having children who have also moved across several schools due to his worldwide service he and his family are familiar with the effects that educational disruption can have on a student. He hopes that both his professional, personal and wider familial experiences can help make him an effective, supportive (and listening) Governor and parental representative.Â
Andrew Black
Appointed as Governor in September 2024
Andrew is a local private GP. He previously worked locally in the NHS for 20+ years. During that time he held a number of management and advisory positions both locally and nationally. He returns for a second spell as a Governor. He has had 3 children attend the College.
Catherine Brearey
Catherine became Principal of the College in March 2023 after a period as Acting Principal
First appointed at HSFC in September 2002 as a Maths Teacher, Catherine has a degree in Physics from Imperial College London and a PGCE in 11-18 education from King’s College London. She has held various posts at the College including Further Maths Co-ordinator, Head of Maths, Teaching and Learning Co-ordinator, Director of Quality, Vice Principal: Curriculum and Quality and now Principal.
Jonathan Godfrey
Appointed as Governor in September 2024
Jonathan Godfrey was the Principal of Hereford Sixth Form College for 20 years, having previously worked in colleges in Henley on Thames, Huddersfield and Worcester. In 2016, Hereford Sixth Form College was the inaugural winner of the TES Sixth Form College of the Year award. On retiring in 2017, he was made a Senior Fellow in the Institute of Education at the University of Worcester. Jonathan read chemistry at Jesus College, Oxford and after gaining a Doctorate in peptide chemistry worked in the pharmaceutical industry before becoming a teacher.
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He has been Chair of the Sixth Form Colleges Association and regularly represented the sector in discussions with education officials and Ministers, including giving evidence to the Public Accounts Committee in 2011 on value for money in post-16 education. In 2010, Jonathan was cited by the Sunday Times and HR Magazine as one of the top 5 most people-focused CEO’s in the public sector and in 2013 he was awarded an OBE for services to education. He is the Chair of Trustees of the English Symphony Orchestra and the founder and Chair of the Herefordshire Music Fund, a charity established to provide financial assistance to young people wishing to study singing or to learn an instrument.
Emma Finch
Appointed as Governor in June 2023Â
Emma graduated from Gonville & Cauis College Cambridge with an MA in History of Art and spent her early career in publishing and the arts. After starting a family in the late 1990’s she joined her husband’s business and with him has built a decorative lighting business selling to designers and architects across the globe and via a network of showrooms in the USA.  She has three children, two of whom have attended HSFC and runs her business from Herefordshire and London.
Christopher Law
Appointed as a Staff Governor in December 2023
Chris has been a teacher of History for over 30 years and joined the College as Head of History in 2007. Â Chris has a BA in History from Cambridge University and MA in International Affairs from King’s College, London.
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Chris has taught in a number of UK Secondary schools and spent a year teaching in Pebble Beach, California. Chris has extensive experience as an Examiner in A Level History for OCR examination board and as an organiser of overseas visits for students to locations including France, Germany and Russia.
Chris is a keen runner and has been Chairperson of the Ledbury and District Harriers and Race Director for numerous events.
Chandra Rao
Freelance Appointed as Governor in November 2022
After qualifying in Medicine from India, Chandra undertook Orthopaedic training at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic hospital, Oswestry, Shropshire, UK. He was awarded the Fellowship of Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh in Trauma and Orthopaedics and holds a Master’s degree in Orthopaedic Engineering from Cardiff University.
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He was appointed as Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Hereford County Hospital and Nuffield Hereford hospital in 2010. His Orthopaedic surgical expertise includes total hip replacement, total knee replacement, ACL reconstruction, total ankle replacement, knee and ankle arthroscopy, surgeries for ankle and foot arthritis and sports knee and ankle injuries.
Chandra has published original articles in journals of international repute on hip and knee replacement surgery. He has presented in international conferences on hip, knee and ankle surgery. His current research interests include outcome of ankle and foot surgery.
His interests outside of work include playing and watching Cricket and Tennis, Psychology, Theology and Eastern philosophy.
Danielle Thompson
Appointed as a Governor in October 2018 and Chair of the College’s Governing Body
Danielle started her career at National Grid on their graduate scheme after completing a Management degree at Loughborough University and after 8 years, she moved to work for an electricity transmission and distribution company in Perth, Australia. Danielle now runs her own business which is focused on helping business leaders to execute strategic change and implement associated projects. She has completed a MBA from Warwick University Business School specialising in strategic marketing and value proposition development. Â
Catriona Ward
Appointed as a Governor in October 2018
Catriona is an Icon Accredited Conservator who has worked in the heritage field in the UK and Australia for over twenty five years. She has worked in public sector organisations including the NSW Government, Herefordshire Council and the National Trust as well as in the private sector including International Conservation Services and is currently the Conservator for Ward & Co (Building Conservation) Ltd.Â
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She has also worked as a freelance Conservator. Her specialisms are Project Management, Preventive Conservation and Conservation Management. She has managed many individual collections conservation projects, provided training in care of collections and has been a Project Conservator on several large historic building re-servicing projects in the UK for the National Trust. Catriona has always been active in the conservation profession including several years as the Treasurer for the NSW Australian Institute of Conservation (AICCM) and as member of the NSW National Trust Cemeteries Committee. She provides training locally and abroad and has presented papers at national and international conservation conferences.  Â