Local Academy Committee
Local Academy Committee members
The Local Academy Committee (LAC) is composed of educationalists with years of experience, private sector professionals, civil servants and local parents. They have a record of excellence and of dedication to the service of our community.
Role of the Local Academy Committee members
Thomson House School is an academy within the Wandle Learning Trust. The Wandle Learning Trust is governed by a Board of Trustees and has oversight of all the academies in the Trust. A Local Academy Committee (LAC) is responsible for academy-specific matters - their role is to work in partnership with the school's Leadership Team to set a strategic vision which raises attainment across all aspects of school life.
Working closely together, the Board of Trustees and the Local Academy Committee (LAC) have the following core strategic functions:
- Provide strategic oversight of the education provision of the school
- Ensure that stakeholder voice is heard and helps to inform strategic decision-making
- Provide strategic oversight of compliance of the school with Trust policies
- Support the Board of Trustees to ensure good governance across the Trust
The LAC will meet twice a term during the autumn, spring and summer terms. Within the LAC there are key link role holders for:
- Safeguarding
- SEND, inclusion and equalities
- People and stakeholder management
- Premises and health and safety
Link role holders meet with relevant school leaders to monitor their area and also attend specific training for their role and meet at least annually with other link role holders and a trustee link role holder to share ideas and best practice and ensure communication flows between LAC members and Trustees.
Information on the composition, the role of the Board of Trustees and annual accounts can be found here.
If you have any questions about the work of Local Academy Committee members please contact the Chair, Kelly McEvoy, at kelly.mcevoy@thomsonhouseschool.org
Kelly McEvoy
Chair
Link Area: Leadership
Kelly grew up in Isleworth and attended Orleans Park School and Richmond Upon Thames College. She has lived in Sheen since the age of 16 and has two children at Thomson House.
After reading Modern Languages at university, Kelly began her career in the City and was a Bond Trader at the Royal Bank of Scotland for 13 years. She is now an Investment Consultant to Trustee Boards of corporate Defined Benefit pension schemes.
MICHAEL pARSLOW
LAC MEMBER
Michael joined as a LAC member in September 21 and is the Chair of the Finance Committee. He has lived in Sheen for over 20 years and had two children at Thomson House.
Michael is a qualified accountant and has worked in financial services for over 25 years, primarily at Credit Suisse. He now runs his own local financial planning business.
JO FIDDIAN
LAC Member (elected by parents) People and Stakeholders
Jo was elected as a LAC member in 2021. Born in Barnes but raised in Dorset, Jo has lived with her partner in Sheen for 10 years and has one child at Thomson House School. Jo is a Senior Civil Servant at the Ministry of Justice and has spent the last 15 years working in government, having studied social and political science at Cambridge University and completed a Masters in comparative politics at the London School of Economics. She loves sport, music and nature and is an enthusiastic contributor to Thomson House life, whether singing in the parents' choir (pre Covid!), baking cakes, as a parent rep, or playing hockey with fellow parents.
Heather LOcke
community LAC Member
Link Area: Safeguarding
Heather graduated from King’s College, London University in Geography and then completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Education at The Institute of Education. Since graduating she has taught in a number of International Schools in the Caribbean, Kuwait, Spain and London. In 1999 she joined The Harrodian School in Barnes as Head of Geography, and was later appointed Deputy Headmistress, Director of Studies and Designated Safeguarding Lead.
KRISH MISTRY
LAC Member
Krish is a lawyer at Clifford Chance, working in corporate mergers and acquisitions. Krish studied Politics at the University of Nottingham, which included a year spent studying in Melbourne, Australia, and, upon finishing his degree, he then completed his law qualifications.
Ed RAWSON
LAC MEMBER
link area: Health and safety
Ed is a Building Surveyor at a Central London and Surrey based consultancy. He has more than 10 years of experience in the property sector. Ed studied Business with Accounting and Law at the University of East Anglia before moving to London to complete his Master’s Degree. He aims to use his expertise and business acumen to support the governing board in their mission to provide an excellent learning environment. Living locally, when he is not on the tennis court you’ll find him out on the river where he is an active rower at a local club.
BernaDETTE Dooling
LAC Member
Link area: Send/EDI
With a career in education spanning over thirty years and a former deputy of two secondary schools, Bernadette brings a wealth of education experience to the LAC. She has a Masters in Psychology & Education and worked extensively in the areas of pastoral care, behaviour management and SEND. She has sat on Richmond LEA’s children's safeguarding board for ten years and is currently an improvement consultant focusing on inclusion, behaviour management and SEND provision. Since taking early retirement, Bernadette has worked for the NSPCC on their ‘Speak Out Stay Safe’ campaign in Primary Schools and also works for Surrey County Council Education Authority as an appeals panel member for admissions, SEND placements and exclusions.
Founding Members of Thomson House School
The following members of the Trust were part of the original founding team of Thomson House.
Sir Andrew Parmley
Founding Trustee
Andrew was Educated at Blackpool Grammar School, the Royal Academy of Music, Manchester and London Universities and Jesus College, Cambridge. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists and Trinity College, London and an Honorary Fellow of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. Andrew has an extensive experience in education including at Grey Coat Hospital, South Hampstead High School, and The Harrodian School. Andrew has been Chairman of both the City of London School for Girls and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and is currently Chairman of the Montessori St Nicholas Charity. He has been an Alderman since 2001 and has served on many of the committees of the Corporation of London. He is currently Sheriff of the City of London.
Matteo Rossetti
founding trustee
Matteo is one of the founders of Thomson House. Matteo studied in Milan and at St Edward’s School, Oxford, before graduating in Classics from Balliol College, Oxford University. After working in television, Matteo became a Classics teacher at The Harrodian School, where he then became Head of the Prep School. Matteo has worked with Hand in Hand School in Jerusalem, the only Arab-Hebrew bilingual school in Israel, and he is collaborating with the Custody of the Holy Land on founding a museum in Jerusalem. He is studying for an MA at the Institute of Education, University of London. Matteo is currently Founding Principal at King’s College School in the Bahamas.
Nicolas Tiffou
founding trustee
Nicolas is one of the original founders of Thomson House School. He is a member of the Finance, Premises and Pay Committees. Nicolas graduated in maths and physics at the Ecole des Mines de Paris where he then obtained an MSc in Engineering. Nicolas has had a 20-year long career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs, becoming Managing Director. He recently worked in India as advisor to the Chief Executive of Save the Children and he is Chair of the Leadership and Management Committee of a primary school in Brentford. He is a parent of four children.