The Academy Council collectively provide a challenge and support function to the Headteacher and the Senior Leadership Team.
The setting of rigorous and clear targets, and the frequent detailed monitoring and questioning of progress, is fundamental to providing the educational aspirations that Ramsden Hall Academy desires for all its students.
The Academy Council of an academy or Free School is responsible for ensuring that it is run to promote excellent pupil outcomes. Its duties include:
- Holding the Headteacher to account as a "critical friend"
- Supporting the Headteacher
- Agree policies delegated to this Council
- Making visits to the school to meet staff and pupils
- Monitoring the spend of the delegated budget, including Pupil Premium
Ryan Carter
Ryan is new to the Staff governance role. Ryan has the best interests of pupils in mind at all times and is developing new ways to engage the most reluctant of pupils. Ryan pursued his passion working with SEN children in a Pupil referral unit when he left university in 2014. Ryan has since worked a number of different roles; within a PRU and SEMH settings, working as a Teaching assistant, childcare officer, instructor and now as a Qualified Teacher at Ramsden Hall Academy.
Alongside Ryan’s passion for education and working in SEN provisions, Ryan also loves to travel not only the world but within the UK to push himself outside of his comfort zones whenever possible. Ryan also has introduced his dog Aavie as a therapeutic support for students who are unable to communicate their needs and feelings to adults, especially in times of crisis. This has allowed a number of students to have emotional breakthroughs and supports the therapeutic approach of Ramsden Hall Academy. As someone who is always looking to develop his skillset and learn from others around him, Ryan is relishing this new role working with the Academy council at Ramsden Hall as Staff Governor.
Callum Hemson
Callum has recently joined the Academy Council in May 2025; this is his first role in governance.
Callum is familiar with Ramsden Hall Academy having supported us since 2020 with staffing and recruitment working for an external education agency. Within his role he supports specialist settings across the whole of Essex. He has now expressed his delight of supporting Ramsden Hall Academy internally and is keen to conduct frequent visits.
Prior to this Callum worked for Colchester United Football Club delivering PE within schools and coaching at their Academy.
With this he is a keen runner and later this year will be running Amsterdam Marathon.
Rosemary Lovatt
Rosemary joined the Academy Council in August 2023 and became the Chair of the Academy Council in February 2024.
After leaving a 20-year career in the corporate sector as a senior global leader, Rosemary took her first steps into governance at her daughters’ secondary school where she became chair. Since then Rosemary has made school governance her career, as a consultant, trainer and National Leader of Governance.
Rosemary has experience chairing governing boards in many settings, including a large secondary academy, a maintained primary school, a primary school within a MAT and a large junior school within a diocesan MAT. She has been a trustee in four different MATs and is currently a trustee of a growing ten school primary MAT.
Martyn O'Donnell
Martyn has had links with Ramsden Hall since 2019 when he was Director of Learning for Parallel Learning Trust. Martyn is currently Headteacher of Inspire Academy in Medway, a mixed 11-16 SEMH school.
Apart from supporting Ramsden in previous Ofsted visits Martyn states that one of the best pieces of support to Ramsden was interviewing and offering the current Headteacher Antony Clements his position in 2023, which has made a huge difference to the Academy.
Martyn has previously been a Headteacher of Mainstream Secondary schools, PRU’s and Special school across London and the South East.
He graduated with a BEd (Hons) in Physical Education and still enjoys all sports regularly playing Paddle Ball and golf.
Jo Oldham
Jo joined the Ramsden Hall Academy Council in 2018, after their pupils joined the work experience programme at her IT company, Clear Thinking, in Billericay. Jo is currently Acting Vice Chair of the Academy Council.
With a background in TV production Jo was the youngest TV producer at Anglia TV, working closely with Trisha Goddard to promote the importance of speaking out about mental health.
Since becoming a mother in 2008, Jo spent over 10 years as a Breast-Feeding Peer Supporter and continues to be an advocate to mother centred breastfeeding support. She also spent 6 years as the secretary of a Parent Teacher Association organising memorable events for the children and local community.
With a Diploma in HR Jo promotes diversity in the workplace with an ongoing goal to empower others to succeed. A proactive yet personal leader she initiated PCs for Home Schooling during the pandemic, where devices are refurbished and donated to underprivileged pupils. Jo is also currently training to swim a Channel relay in 2022 to educate children living near water and in poverty about water safety and to teach them how to swim.
Now a member of the Academy Council at Ramsden Hall Academy, Jo has passed a Level 3 Safeguarding qualification to further support the pupils, parents and staff, as the Link Governor for Safeguarding
