Governance

Meet the Directors

Helen Parkes

Helen Parkes

Chief Executive Officer

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I have been the Chief Operating Officer for the St John Bosco Catholic Academy from when it was formed in September 2013.  Since November 2022 I have had the privilege of being the Accounting Officer working strategically across all eight schools to secure outcomes for all of the children in our care.

I started my time as a Finance Officer at Dudley Council supporting schools and wider educational budgets and took the step in my early twenties to move into what was the brand new School Business Manager role at Bishop Milner Catholic College, a role I enjoyed immensely. When I joined, the school was a building site and I took great pride in preparing the school to welcome its students when the doors reopened.  Since starting at the school in 2003 I have achieved many great things including the development of the sports hall and the all-weather surface enjoyed by so many students and members of our community.

I have always been a lifelong learner, education is incredibly important and the opportunities it affords are great.  I myself have continued to develop and grow through study whilst working and my most recent achievement was completing a degree at 40 in School Business Leadership.  I am driven by my passion for Catholic education and developing the children in our cares God-given talents. Having the opportunity to strategically lead the St John Bosco Catholic Academy is something I am incredibly proud of, made easier by working with such a talented team, school leaders, pupils, students and staff.

We are called to serve and I see this as what I have been called to do. Faith driven leadership is an integral part of what we aim to achieve, caring for our community and developing the whole child.

Rachel Titchen

Rachel Titchen

Foundation Director

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Rachel is a mom of 2 and actively enjoys spending her weekend at a caravan or in the woods with her kids. As Chair of her daughter’s school’s PTA in another local MAC, Rachel felt her experience and desire to influence the education section would make for a big challenge but also wonderful opportunity.

Rachel is also a Trustee of the Veolia Environmental Trust and is passionate about making changes to our local communities and environment

 

Paul Piddock

Paul Piddock

Foundation Director

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Paul, is a retired Senior Local Government Manager. Having worked in a variety of Local Government settings: Leisure, Education, Transformation and Strategic Assets, skilled in Partnerships, Sustainability, Procurement, Asset Management, Stakeholder Engagement, Capital Projects; including 5 Primary PFI Schools and was Programme Director for Sandwell Building Schools for the Future project including a PFI school. A Post Graduate Diploma focused in Management Studies. With over almost 25 years’ experience in school governance within both Primary and Secondary settings serving boards as Chair or Vice Chair. He is a Trustee of Sandwell Leisure Trust and was appointed Director of St John Bosco Multi Academy Company in September 2019.

 

Alistair Campbell

Alistair Campbell

Foundation Director

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Alistair Campbell is from Dundee. He went to St Mary’s Lochee and Lawside RC Academy then to Heriot -Watt University in Edinburgh to study for a B.Sc in Civil Engineering.

A practising Catholic from Holy Name parish, his children went to St Mark’s primary and his sons to Stuart Bathurst. Alistair is active as a Knight of St Columba, a member of the St Vincent de Paul Society and a member the SPUC. He is on his parish finance committee, assists with the Journey in Faith program and sings and plays guitar in the church choir. Alistair also sings with the Birmingham Icknield Male Voice Choir and serves on its committee.

Alistair has considerable experience in school governance having served as a governor at St Mark’s as vice-chair, and chair; a governor at Stuart Bathurst, also serving for a time as chair; and a member of an Interim Executive Board for Sacred Heart Aston.

Now retired, his professional background is as a Chartered Civil Engineer working in Local Government. Ultimately, as a senior manager in the Highways Department of Birmingham City Council where he managed a range of services. He has significant experience in the management of staff, revenue and capital budgets, organisational change and service improvement in the public sector.

Phil Hancox - Chair of the Board

Phil Hancox - Chair of the Board

Foundation Director

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I am a retired Finance Controller having worked for a multi-national steel company for over 35 years. As a senior manager I have a wealth of experience across all aspects of financial and general management with particular focus upon corporate governance, risk management, strategic planning, cash and budgetary control. I am  CIMA qualified and was a director of a number of overseas entities providing the opportunity to experience and appreciate a variety of different cultures.

I have over 25 years experience within school governance having previously served as Chair of St Mary’s Brierly Hill and as a governor of Bishop Milner Catholic Collage. I attended two of the schools within the MAC; St Josephs Catholic Primary School and Bishop Milner. I now have grandchildren that attend St Chads Catholic Primary School.

 

James Wiltshire

James Wiltshire

Foundation Director

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James is a Chartered Engineer and Director of a local Building Services Engineering consultancy firm. He has experience in management and organisation of a team of staff. His work involves design and project management through engineering and construction projects throughout the UK.

James is a practising Catholic and attended two of the School’s in the MAC; St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School and Bishop Milner Catholic College. Following on from Bishop Milner Sixth Form he went to Birmingham University, where he graduated with a Bachelors in Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

His wife attended St Chads Catholic Primary School and Bishop Milner Catholic College and is now a teacher in a Catholic School in Walsall, as well as their RE coordinator. His daughter now also attends St Chads Catholic Primary School, so he has a good knowledge and experience on these school’s in particular.

 

Ian Bickley

Ian Bickley

Foundation Director

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Ian is a career Civil Servant and is currently Head of Transformation Communications for a Government department.

A Government Communications specialist he has been responsible for promoting and defending the reputation of several public bodies covering utility regulation, business and industry, estate management, transport, defence, social justice and welfare, and forensic science. Ian has worked on a number of senior leadership teams and in 2017 helped set up the office of the Small Business Commissioner.

His experience spans brand, reputation, and change management, business administration, finance, project and operational delivery.

A practising Catholic Ian nears 20 years’ experience in school governance within both Primary and Secondary settings serving boards as Vice Chair, and former Foundation Director of a Sandwell-based Multi-Academy Company.

Ian’s wife is an Executive Head Teacher, school improvement consultant and Section 48 Examiner in Catholic Schools. His children are both Catholic-educated attending schools in Sandwell and Worcestershire.

He has a Masters Degree in Visual Communications, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Graphic Design, and an Honours degree in Design and Audio-Visual communication. He is a certified Master Practitioner in Neurolinguistic Programming, a certified workplace coach, and Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

Yemisi Akinbobola

Yemisi Akinbobola

Foundation Director

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I am an award-winning journalist, academic, media entrepreneur, and speaker, with a passion for women empowerment in and through the media. I hold a PhD in Media, and I am the cofounder of African Women in Media, and the Data Journalism UK (DJUK) annual conferences. I am highly skilled in the developing international partnerships with a proven record of accomplishment of successful partnerships with media, HE, CSOs, and multinational organisations. My research interests are in the intersections of media and gender; African feminism(s); and Journalism Practice.

I have taught on a range of foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate courses at Birmingham University, designed curriculum, and supervise PhD research. I was Course Director for MA Global Media Management (2017-2020). My management responsibilities include international partnership development at faculty and institute levels, with a proven record of accomplishment of successful international credit mobility funding for partnerships developments. I am an active member of the Media and Place research cluster with the Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research (BCMCR).

Tim Mullen-Furness

Tim Mullen-Furness

Foundation Director

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I was appointed Principal of St Peter’s Collegiate Academy, Wolverhampton, in January 2023, after serving as acting Principal for four months and successfully leading St Peter’s through their most recent Ofsted inspection. With fifteen years of teaching experience in Telford, Cannock, Sandwell, and Wolverhampton, I bring a wealth of expertise as an experienced school leader. I anticipate my experiences and educational focus will add value to the board of directors.

Education is my passion, and I am deeply committed to finding ways to overcome the challenges faced by our students across all of our academies. As a devoted student of leadership, I immerse myself in extensive reading to discover effective systems and practices that can enhance the educational journey of our pupils. In my career, I had the opportunity to complete my NPQH at Cardinal Griffin Catholic College, where I served as an assistant headteacher for six years as part of the senior leadership team. Working within a secondary Catholic school allowed me to uphold the tenets of Catholic education’s religious ethos. I am committed to Catholic education in the Diocese of Birmingham, a key motivator to join and work with the board. I am on the verge of submitting my EdD at the University of Cambridge, which has instilled in me the importance of being research-led and informed by evidence.

Looking ahead, I am filled with excitement for the future. To serve the communities our academies serve.

Susan Lowry

Susan Lowry

Co-Opted Director

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Susan first trained in inner city Bradford, before working in Herefordshire and then Sandwell. Ensuring the best outcomes for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities has been a passion throughout her career. As a church school headteacher, she led her school to an outstanding Ofsted judgement and is proud of the curriculum and experiences that the school offered. Susan recently completed a Masters at the University of Birmingham with a focus on ethical leadership and effective governance.

 

 

Deborah Gramann

Deborah Gramann

Co-Opted Director

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With over 40 years Management and Human Resource experience, I am a people professional who works operationally while thinking strategically. I work full time for a Local Authority, managing a team in the field of Education. I deliver people solutions that drive change within organisations. I use in-depth knowledge of my organisation to inform the people strategy, polices and procedures.
It is important to aware of the wider impact of my work on other people in the public sector and educational organisation, and its impact on business practices and goals.
My role includes influencing and collaborating with a wide range of people including immediate colleagues, Unions, the Department for Education, the Local Authorities Designated Safeguarding Officer, to name a few.
I evaluate, question and assess information from a range of sources to make evidence-based judgements and decisions.
In my spare time, I support local charities such as  Welovecarers (dedicated to supporting those for support others), am a Primary School Governor and a Governing Council Member for a private college, all based within the Dudley Borough.

 

 

Aman Selomon

Aman Selomon

1974 - 2023

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Aman served as a director from May 2023 and though he had not been with the St John Bosco Catholic Academy family long he was a dedicated and valued director, with exceptional expertise that certainly made a difference to our work. Aman was a true gentleman and is sorely missed. May he rest in peace.

I was born and raised in Eritrea but came to the UK in 1999 after winning a scholarship to study a BSc in Actuarial Science and a PGCE in Secondary Mathematics at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh. Prior to teaching, I worked in financial services as a Pension Review Consultant and a marketing advisor.

I quickly realised that my passion lay in the education of the next generation and so I began my teaching career in 2004 and have worked for a variety of schools across the West Midlands as both a teacher, and middle and senior leader. My main objective is in providing all students with equal opportunities in allowing them to reach their potential.  As such I have played a key role in the advocacy of equality and diversity in the education system and have implemented mechanisms to improve representation across all areas of the sector. I have recently opened an educational consulting firm and now serving as a director with an aim to support schools, families, and pupils by promoting the positive contribution of immigrant communities. In addition, I am one of the founders of the Eritrean Catholic Chaplaincy in Birmingham and in the last two decades, we successfully developed a strong relationship with the archdiocese in the work of multiculturalism. In 20 years, we have become fully integrated members of the St Vincent RC Parish community who support communities in every spiritual and pastoral journey of the church. I have a strong Catholic faith and I actively take part in the life of my Parish church, supporting the parish community in varied ways. In addition, I am a member of a male voice choir and believe in a Vocation of service according to the Lord’s teaching. I love to take on varied challenges in the workplace including quality assurance, professional development, policy review, and strategic leadership to implement a long-term vision as well as maintaining a degree of accountability in the leadership and governance.

 

Director’s Register of Interests and Attendance Information

Board Committees and Link Directors

 

Chair Phil Hancox
Vice Chair Ian Bickley
FAR Chair Alistair Campbell
FAR Committee Membership Paul Piddock. Phil Hancox, Yemisi Akinbobola,  Ian Bickley, Rachel Titchen
EPH Chair James Wiltshire / Ian Bickley
EPH Committee Membership James Wiltshire,  Ian Bickley, Alistair Campbell, Yemisi Akinbobola, Tim Mullen-Furness, Susan Lowey, Deborah Gramann

 

Safeguarding Phil Hancox
SEND Alistair Campbell & Tim Mullen-Furness
Pupil Premium Yemisi Akinbobola
Health and Safety Paul Piddock
Finance Vacancy
Catholic Life Rachel Titchen
Behaviour Alistair Campbell
Performance Management Alistair Campbell
Care for Creation  James Wiltshire

Equality, Diversity Indicators Report 

Explore our EDI Indicators report to view the latest data on diversity within the Board of Directors of St John Bosco Catholic Academy. This insightful analysis shows our commitment to inclusivity and equality.

Click below to access the full report.

 

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Committees and their responsibilities

St John Bosco Catholic Academy has a Board of Directors with two sub comittees overseeing Finance, Audit and Risk and Education, Pay and HR. Each school or groups of schools have a Governing Body.

Each Director and Governor member is vetted by the Trustees of the Archdiocese of Birmingham.

The Boards of Directors is made up of a wide range of professionals who through their representation as board members bring vast experience from both education and business.

The Governors within each school or groups of schools work together with the Principals and staff of each school for the good of the pupils whilst also ensuring everything is underpinned by sound financial acumen.

Governance Structure of
St John Bosco Catholic Academy

SJBCA is an academy within the Archdiocese of Birmingham.

Our Schools

Bishop Milner

Stuart Bathurst

St Chad’s

St Joseph’s

Local Governing Body

St Mary’s

St John Bosco

Local Governing Body

St Bernadette’s 

St. Mark’s 

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