Local Board - City of London Academy Islington
Source: https://www.colai.org.uk/community/local-board
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:31
Local Board - City of London Academy Islington
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Community
Local Board
All Academy local board members know what their legal responsibilities are and how these fit in with the responsibilities of the Principal, the Multi-Academy Trust, the Local Authority, and the Department for Education. The Local Board are a crucial part of how academies operate. They play both a supportive role, but also one related to accountability and challenge. As supporters of the Academy, the City of London Corporation and City, University of London make up the majority of the Local Board. There is, however, also representation from the community, staff, parents and the local council. The local board member responsibilities are listed in the Corporation of London Academies Trust’s scheme of delegation.
The City of London Corporation offers the Academy support in terms of sponsorship, but equally important are the partnerships we have formed with the schools in the City’s ‘Family of Schools’, those within the Trust, and with the business world. Their sponsorship allows us to make links with business, draw on the expertise of mentors, and set up work experience opportunities for our students in the City. The links are not just to the financial world, but also through the livery companies to other professions such as law and accounting. Equally important is our link to City, University London offering another source of expertise and a range of partnership activities. City, University of London has invested a great deal of time and resources to giving our students access to high-calibre experiences to enhance their educational and career aspirations and making students aware of the opportunities they can enjoy if they progress to higher education.
For further information about how to become a Local Board member, please contact us. If you would like more general information about the role of a Local Board member, then please click on the link below.
www.governornet.co.uk
Visit site
Local Board Member Attendance 2023 – 24
Download
Local Board Declaration of Pecuniary and Personal Interest
Download
Local Board Members
Mr Lisley
Chair of Local Board
First Appointed : 01 September 2023
Term Start: 01 September 2023
Term End: 31 August 2027
Peter was appointed to the Local Board by the City of London Corporation on his retirement after a 26-year career working for the organisation. During this time, he had a number of different roles including Assistant Town Clerk, Director of Major Projects and Culture Mile Director. He worked closely with many of the City Corporation’s Departments and several of the City’s family of schools.
Prior to joining the City of London Corporation, Peter was an officer in the Royal Navy which he joined immediately after graduating from Brasenose College, Oxford with a degree in Physics. During his service Peter specialised in engineering training from BTEC to MSc level. He served as an engineer on the nuclear submarine HMS Repulse and his final training role was as a Senior Lecturer in Reactor Physics at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich.
A member of the Institute of Physics, Peter retains a particular interest in science and maths and is the Link Local Board Member for STEM.
Ms Patel
Sponsor Local Board Member
First Appointed : 01 September 2020
Term Start: 01 September 2020
Term End: 31 August 2028
City, University of London
Hafiza represents City University of London whilst acting as a Governor for the City of London Academy Islington, she is a lead governor for safeguarding and is also a member of the Personnel, Finance and Premises Committee.
At the University she works as Assistant Director Financial Performance where she provides leadership to optimise the financial performance and promotes a culture of financial awareness to ensure delivery of financial results. The finance team was shortlisted in the Times Higher as outstanding finance team of the year in 2016.
She is also a Global visiting lecturer in Accounting and Finance as she teaches on the MSc Maritime and Operations Management programme both in London and in Greece, a programme ranked 12th in the world and 1st in the UK in 2020.
When she is not working or teaching, her love of sports, knowing the benefits it provides physically and more importantly mentally inspired her to help set up Muslimah Sports Association (MSA), a multi award winning charity, which aims to empower women through sports. MSA provides opportunities for women through participation, volunteering and coaching. As trustee at MSA, she leads on Strategic development and risk management.
Ms Hamilton
Local Board Member
First Appointed: 24th November 2025
Term Start: 24th November 2025
Term End: 23rd November 2029
Maia Hamilton is a young professional living in Islington, and works in politics at Westminster on a wide range of policy topics and strategies.
She is also running as a Labour councillor candidate for Laycock ward in Islington borough, and invested in the future of the area, particularly in maintaining the high performance and quality of education for local children, regardless of their background.
She is also interested in looking at alternative routes for young people after school, for example focusing on a mix of apprenticeships, university, and technical qualifications.
Mr Sorensen
Community Local Board Member
First Appointed : 01 September 2018
Term Start: 01 September 2022
Term End: 31 August 2026
Mr Glees
Local Board Member
First Appointed : 01 September 2024
Term Start: 01 September 2024
Mr Kottler
Trust – Personnel, Finance and Premises Link Local Board Member
First Appointed : 01 January 2022
Term Start: 01 January 2022
Term End: 31 December 2026
Educated at Northampton Grammar School, he then graduated in Law from Cambridge, Richard’s career path began in Human Resources in Ford and ICI before moving into Sales and General Manager roles in the apparel and retail sectors
Richard then moved to the footwear industry, buying into and running the premium ladies footwear brand, H & M Rayne for 4 years.
In 1994 he established a specialist management recruitment company, which operated in both the footwear and fashion market areas. After 14 years he sold the company and took up the position of Chief Executive of the British Footwear Association.
He is a Past Master Pattenmaker and chairs the Company’s Education and Training Committee, with a special interest in London schools and how a Livery should support them. In the last few years he has managed a re-write of the Company’s History book and also a booklet describing how the Company – and the Livery movement generally – survived and prospered during the pandemic.
His main leisure interests are travel, cycling, walking and reading.
Ms Sandino
Local Board Member
First Appointed : 01 September 2025
Term Start: 01 September 2025
Term End: 31 August 2029
Ms Robinson
Local Board Member
First Appointed : 01 September 2025
Term Start: 01 September 2025
Term End: 31 August 2029
Ms Bhatti
Safeguarding Link Local Board Member
First Appointed : 01 September 2024
Term Start: 01 September 2024
Term End: 31 August 2026
Naureen has worked for over 35 years both as a GP and in medical education. She is currently a Senior Appraiser for NHS England as well as Trustee for The Medical College of Saint Bartholomew’s Hospital Trust. She was appointed chair of the London Catalyst charity in January 2025.
Naureen has spoken and written widely about the impact of deprivation on health and the need for the wider determinants of health to be addressed if we are to make a difference. Furthermore, her work in medical education has led to an interest in addressing disparities in medical training and the need to promote a more inclusive healthcare culture enriched by the depth and breadth of talent across the NHS.
Naureen has lived in Islington for over 30 years.
Mr Colet Laurie
Co-opted Local Board Member
First Appointed : 01 September 2020
Term Start: 01 September 2020
Term End: 31 August 2028
The Worshipful Company of Saddlers
Peter is now retired, but upon leaving school, pursued a career in shipping for 50 years. For 45 of which he was a member of the Baltic Exchange as a shipbroker. Peter became a Freeman and Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Saddlers in 1970 and worked his way up through the Company until he became Master in 2011/12. Throughout his time on the Court he has sat on various of the Company’s committees,particularly their Charities committee.
Mrs Fay McKnight-Bailey
Support Staff Local Board Member
Fay grew up in Rochdale and had a very musical upbringing in the brass band circuit, playing the baritone horn for an award winning youth brass band, providing her with a number of opportunities and European tours. After studying a BA in music at Lancaster University, she continued her studies at St Martins College Lancaster to become a music teacher, specialising in SEN.
In 2012 she rerouted to West London to be a music teacher in an SEN school, rewriting three musicals in Makaton, and creating sensory stories to make literature accessible for all. She moved to COLAI in 2017, settling into the librarian role in 2019. During that time she has developed her love for Children’s Literature even further, embracing whole school events such as World Book Day and arranging author visits. In 2021 she graduated from Goldsmiths with a MA in Children’s Literature, writing a dissertation on ‘The representation of students with special additional needs in school stories’.
When Fay is not reading multiple books at the same time, she will most likely be writing children’s stories, doing needlework, quilting, bird watching, visiting art galleries and going to the theatre.
Skip to main content
Community
Local Board
All Academy local board members know what their legal responsibilities are and how these fit in with the responsibilities of the Principal, the Multi-Academy Trust, the Local Authority, and the Department for Education. The Local Board are a crucial part of how academies operate. They play both a supportive role, but also one related to accountability and challenge. As supporters of the Academy, the City of London Corporation and City, University of London make up the majority of the Local Board. There is, however, also representation from the community, staff, parents and the local council. The local board member responsibilities are listed in the Corporation of London Academies Trust’s scheme of delegation.
The City of London Corporation offers the Academy support in terms of sponsorship, but equally important are the partnerships we have formed with the schools in the City’s ‘Family of Schools’, those within the Trust, and with the business world. Their sponsorship allows us to make links with business, draw on the expertise of mentors, and set up work experience opportunities for our students in the City. The links are not just to the financial world, but also through the livery companies to other professions such as law and accounting. Equally important is our link to City, University London offering another source of expertise and a range of partnership activities. City, University of London has invested a great deal of time and resources to giving our students access to high-calibre experiences to enhance their educational and career aspirations and making students aware of the opportunities they can enjoy if they progress to higher education.
For further information about how to become a Local Board member, please contact us. If you would like more general information about the role of a Local Board member, then please click on the link below.
www.governornet.co.uk
Visit site
Local Board Member Attendance 2023 – 24
Download
Local Board Declaration of Pecuniary and Personal Interest
Download
Local Board Members
Mr Lisley
Chair of Local Board
First Appointed : 01 September 2023
Term Start: 01 September 2023
Term End: 31 August 2027
Peter was appointed to the Local Board by the City of London Corporation on his retirement after a 26-year career working for the organisation. During this time, he had a number of different roles including Assistant Town Clerk, Director of Major Projects and Culture Mile Director. He worked closely with many of the City Corporation’s Departments and several of the City’s family of schools.
Prior to joining the City of London Corporation, Peter was an officer in the Royal Navy which he joined immediately after graduating from Brasenose College, Oxford with a degree in Physics. During his service Peter specialised in engineering training from BTEC to MSc level. He served as an engineer on the nuclear submarine HMS Repulse and his final training role was as a Senior Lecturer in Reactor Physics at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich.
A member of the Institute of Physics, Peter retains a particular interest in science and maths and is the Link Local Board Member for STEM.
Ms Patel
Sponsor Local Board Member
First Appointed : 01 September 2020
Term Start: 01 September 2020
Term End: 31 August 2028
City, University of London
Hafiza represents City University of London whilst acting as a Governor for the City of London Academy Islington, she is a lead governor for safeguarding and is also a member of the Personnel, Finance and Premises Committee.
At the University she works as Assistant Director Financial Performance where she provides leadership to optimise the financial performance and promotes a culture of financial awareness to ensure delivery of financial results. The finance team was shortlisted in the Times Higher as outstanding finance team of the year in 2016.
She is also a Global visiting lecturer in Accounting and Finance as she teaches on the MSc Maritime and Operations Management programme both in London and in Greece, a programme ranked 12th in the world and 1st in the UK in 2020.
When she is not working or teaching, her love of sports, knowing the benefits it provides physically and more importantly mentally inspired her to help set up Muslimah Sports Association (MSA), a multi award winning charity, which aims to empower women through sports. MSA provides opportunities for women through participation, volunteering and coaching. As trustee at MSA, she leads on Strategic development and risk management.
Ms Hamilton
Local Board Member
First Appointed: 24th November 2025
Term Start: 24th November 2025
Term End: 23rd November 2029
Maia Hamilton is a young professional living in Islington, and works in politics at Westminster on a wide range of policy topics and strategies.
She is also running as a Labour councillor candidate for Laycock ward in Islington borough, and invested in the future of the area, particularly in maintaining the high performance and quality of education for local children, regardless of their background.
She is also interested in looking at alternative routes for young people after school, for example focusing on a mix of apprenticeships, university, and technical qualifications.
Mr Sorensen
Community Local Board Member
First Appointed : 01 September 2018
Term Start: 01 September 2022
Term End: 31 August 2026
Mr Glees
Local Board Member
First Appointed : 01 September 2024
Term Start: 01 September 2024
Mr Kottler
Trust – Personnel, Finance and Premises Link Local Board Member
First Appointed : 01 January 2022
Term Start: 01 January 2022
Term End: 31 December 2026
Educated at Northampton Grammar School, he then graduated in Law from Cambridge, Richard’s career path began in Human Resources in Ford and ICI before moving into Sales and General Manager roles in the apparel and retail sectors
Richard then moved to the footwear industry, buying into and running the premium ladies footwear brand, H & M Rayne for 4 years.
In 1994 he established a specialist management recruitment company, which operated in both the footwear and fashion market areas. After 14 years he sold the company and took up the position of Chief Executive of the British Footwear Association.
He is a Past Master Pattenmaker and chairs the Company’s Education and Training Committee, with a special interest in London schools and how a Livery should support them. In the last few years he has managed a re-write of the Company’s History book and also a booklet describing how the Company – and the Livery movement generally – survived and prospered during the pandemic.
His main leisure interests are travel, cycling, walking and reading.
Ms Sandino
Local Board Member
First Appointed : 01 September 2025
Term Start: 01 September 2025
Term End: 31 August 2029
Ms Robinson
Local Board Member
First Appointed : 01 September 2025
Term Start: 01 September 2025
Term End: 31 August 2029
Ms Bhatti
Safeguarding Link Local Board Member
First Appointed : 01 September 2024
Term Start: 01 September 2024
Term End: 31 August 2026
Naureen has worked for over 35 years both as a GP and in medical education. She is currently a Senior Appraiser for NHS England as well as Trustee for The Medical College of Saint Bartholomew’s Hospital Trust. She was appointed chair of the London Catalyst charity in January 2025.
Naureen has spoken and written widely about the impact of deprivation on health and the need for the wider determinants of health to be addressed if we are to make a difference. Furthermore, her work in medical education has led to an interest in addressing disparities in medical training and the need to promote a more inclusive healthcare culture enriched by the depth and breadth of talent across the NHS.
Naureen has lived in Islington for over 30 years.
Mr Colet Laurie
Co-opted Local Board Member
First Appointed : 01 September 2020
Term Start: 01 September 2020
Term End: 31 August 2028
The Worshipful Company of Saddlers
Peter is now retired, but upon leaving school, pursued a career in shipping for 50 years. For 45 of which he was a member of the Baltic Exchange as a shipbroker. Peter became a Freeman and Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Saddlers in 1970 and worked his way up through the Company until he became Master in 2011/12. Throughout his time on the Court he has sat on various of the Company’s committees,particularly their Charities committee.
Mrs Fay McKnight-Bailey
Support Staff Local Board Member
Fay grew up in Rochdale and had a very musical upbringing in the brass band circuit, playing the baritone horn for an award winning youth brass band, providing her with a number of opportunities and European tours. After studying a BA in music at Lancaster University, she continued her studies at St Martins College Lancaster to become a music teacher, specialising in SEN.
In 2012 she rerouted to West London to be a music teacher in an SEN school, rewriting three musicals in Makaton, and creating sensory stories to make literature accessible for all. She moved to COLAI in 2017, settling into the librarian role in 2019. During that time she has developed her love for Children’s Literature even further, embracing whole school events such as World Book Day and arranging author visits. In 2021 she graduated from Goldsmiths with a MA in Children’s Literature, writing a dissertation on ‘The representation of students with special additional needs in school stories’.
When Fay is not reading multiple books at the same time, she will most likely be writing children’s stories, doing needlework, quilting, bird watching, visiting art galleries and going to the theatre.