Local Advisory Board

What is a Local Advisory Board (LAB)?

The Northampton International Academy Local Advisory Board is the local tier of governance of East Midlands Academy Trust, and it acts as a sub-committee to the Trust Board. Members of the Local Advisory Board as known as Governors.

The key roles of the LAB are:

To offer proactive support and constructive challenge to the Headteacher
To advise the board of trustees about local issues they need to consider that affect the academy.
To ensure that EMAT vision, mission and values are evident throughout the Academy
Represent the local community.
Represent the Academy in its community.

These roles translate specifically into the following tasks:

ensure that all children receive the best possible education
ensure safeguarding is effective
support the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team in the development and implementation of the School Development Plan and other relevant plans,
ensure the implementation of Academy policies.
regularly review the Academy’s performance.
oversee and monitor the effectiveness of local strategies
act as a key link between the Academy, parents, and local community.
support the work of the Academy in the community.

The LAB’s role is not to manage the Academy as such. This is done through the Board of Trustees. Therefore, the LAB is not required to take decisions on staff or financial matters affecting the Academy.

Governors at the LAB will gain an understanding of strategic issues that impact on the Academy and will be updated on them regularly by the Headteacher, but they are not required to have direct responsibility for them. Instead the LAB should be in a position to assess the impact of the Academy locally; how it is contributing to the local community, how it is relating to local families and how it understands local issues. This in turn, will enable the LAB to contribute effectively to decisions which may require LAB involvement.

The LAB is drawn from the staff of the school, parents and the wider community that the school serves. The usual term of office for a governor is four years but many members of the LAB stand for re-election and serve more than one term. Members of a LAB need to take a full and active role in fulfilling the role assigned to them by the Board. This will include regular visits to the Academy and attending up to six meetings per year.

To contact any of our governors, please email governance@emat.uk

Name	Position
Martin Serrao	Headteacher
Carrie-Anne Hall	Parent governor
Russell Norton	Co-opted governor
Andrew Hill	Co-opted governor
Tariro Okoye	Co-opted governor
Hannah Litt	Co-opted governor
Becca Williams	Co-opted governor

Meet our governors

Russell Norton

Russell joined the NIA Local Area Board in March 2019 as a co-opted governor. His background is in developing and managing energy and commodities business recently focused on low emissions solutions. He has spent over 20 years working in Asia and also lived in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Russell grew up in Maidstone, Kent and has a M.Eng degree in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College, London.

Andrew Hill

Andy has been a professional educator for over 40 years and began his teaching career in Northampton and Wellingborough. Andy moved into International Education as an English teacher in Italy before becoming a Head of School in the USA, France, Belgium, Monaco, Kuwait and central Africa.

Andy has returned to Northants after ending his international career as a consultant and schools inspector for international schools. Andy qualified with a teaching degree from the University of Leicester at Nene College Moulton Park and completed his Masters in curriculum design at Michigan State University in the USA. Andy is also a qualified teacher of History with the International Baccalaureate.

Andy was Board Chair at Antwerp British School in Belgium for over ten years and has accredited school boards worldwide through his association with the Council of International Schools. As a student and NQT Andy lived in the neighborhood and on his return to the UK last year was intrigued by the international nature of the school, in particular the number of nationalities and languages spoken mirrors his own experience as an educator. Andy hopes his experience will assist the school moving forward.

Tariro Okoye

Tari is a Manager at Deloitte LLP. She works in the Technology, Media and Telecommunications sector of the firms Enabling function with a focus on strengthening Deloitte’s relationships and footprint with its technology clients. She has over a decade’s experience in business development, sales and marketing predominantly in the Financial Services - Capital Markets sector. Prior to Deloitte, Tari worked at Morrinson Wealth Management where she built and managed their Financial Wellbeing Business which is still providing services to companies across UK to date.

Tari studied BSc Financial Computing at Brunel University in Middlesex after completing her A-levels at St Francis Xavier 6th from college.

Tari recently moved to Northampton with her young family from London and looks forward to making a positive impact and contribution in the county through her work with NIA.

Hannah Litt

Hannah is Head of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Antiracism (EDIA) & Resourcing at Mindweaver, a technology organisation that brings antiracism and diversity to the world of enabling tech. Hannah has over 12 years of experience of working within people functions leading and implementing cultural change underpinned by EDIA, wellbeing, and a trauma informed approach. She has worked for organisations in the corporate sector such as Travis Perkins, Argos, Sainsburys, Balfour Beatty and Motorpoint and is currently also working alongside NASA Astro as an IDEA Consultant for NASA Astrophysics. Hannah graduated from university in 2009 with a BA in Marketing, Advertising and PR and is also an accredited practitioner in psychometric testing.

She was recently named one of the UK’s Top 100 Influential Muslims in the UK 2022. Hannah has a commitment to EDIA and wider social justice in both her professional and personal life and believes it starts with ensuring children have equity and access to opportunities by ensuring everything has a true intersectional approach. Hannah has significant experience of working at all levels from board level to junior levels and brings energy, enthusiasm, whilst being a critical friend and plans to bring the same approach to NIA and by being accessible to not just the senior leadership team but the learners and parents too. She joined the governing board board in 2023 to support with the great work that has already started, for the benefit of all of the children.

Carrie-Anne Hall

Carrie-Anne has lived in Northampton for over 30 years and has worked in the service and leisure industry. She has been a parent governor since the spring of 2023 and is passionate about the role and is keen to ensure every pupil can be the best they can be at NIA. Carrie-Anne has embraced the role of governor and has undertaken numerous training courses to improve hew knowledge and understanding of the role. She has three children currently attending NIA, with one of these starting in reception when it first opened. She also has a child that has SEND which means she interacts with various staff members across the school and to help ensure SEND pupils receive the appropriate support they need. Carrie-Anne can often be seen in and around the school during the start and end of the day and would be happy to discuss the role of governor.