Our Local Board
The City of London Corporation is absolutely committed to sponsoring the academy and to helping ensure that our students fulfill their potential in a happy, healthy, supportive, and safe environment.
Our Local Board (Governing Body) comprises governors appointed by the City of London Corporation, as well as local community, parent, and staff members. It is our role to set the strategic direction for the academy, working with the Chief Executive Officer, Principal, and Senior Leadership Team in helping to create a culture of high expectations, aspirations, and scholastic excellence.
Our Chair of Governors is Thomas Kibling (t.kibling@shoreditch.cola.org.uk).
* All governors sit on Disciplinary committee hearings on rotation.
| Governor | Appointed As | Committee | Link Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Kibling | Chair | GB Chair | Safeguarding |
| Holly Arles | Principal | Curriculum, Resources | Principal – Ex Officio |
| Barbara Hamilton | Co-opted Governor | Curriculum | PHSE & Careers |
| Darren Thompson | Co-opted Governor | Resources | Sixth form, History, Geography, RE |
| Veronica Wadley | Co-opted Governor | Curriculum | Music, Art, Drama |
| Kam Adams | Co-opted Governor | Resources | Science, Computing & Business |
| Grant Aidoo-Nash | Co-opted Governor | Curriculum | PE, Chemistry |
| Natalie Ohene | Co-opted Governor | Curriculum | N/A |
| Jonathon McIntosh | Trust Governor | Curriculum | N/A |
| Preet Singh | Staff Governor | Curriculum, Resources | Staff Governor (Teaching) |
| Matthias Baudisch | Parent Governor | N/A | N/A |
| Rachel Payne | Parent Governor | N/A | N/A |
Local Board member profiles
Parent Governor
I am a dedicated parent of a Year 8 student at COLA Shoreditch Park and a professional with a strong commitment to education and community engagement.
With a background in law and finance, I serve as legal counsel at the Bank of England and have a distinguished 25+ year career in New York and London, including ten years as a partner at Allen & Overy in London. I previously worked for Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York, McKinsey in Frankfurt and several
financial institutions.
A product of state schools in Germany, I hold graduate and post-graduate degrees in law from Germany and Columbia University, and have studied at the London School of Economics. In addition to my professional and academic achievements, I have been involved in recruiting and coaching university graduates and have taught classes at Columbia University, J.W. Goethe-University in Frankfurt, and Cardozo Law School’s summer programme at St Edmund Hall, Oxford.
Co-Opted Governor – Curriculum
I am a governor for the school, having previously served as a parent governor between 2021 and 2025. I have lived in Hackney for over 25 years, but grew up in north east Fife, Scotland, where I attended my local state primary and secondary schools. I work as a lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Oxford, where I have taught since 2012 and where I studied Mathematics and Philosophy as an undergraduate. I take a keen interest in issues of academic outreach and widening participation, as well as welfare and pastoral care, and am committed to ensuring that all students have access to the best educational opportunities, and are provided with a safe, supportive environment in which they can achieve their full potential.
Chair of the Local Board
For the past 30 years, I have lived in Hackney and continue to do so. For 10 of those years, I have been an elected school governor and Chair of Governors at London Fields Primary School and subsequently at City of London, Shoreditch Park. In addition to being the Chair of Governors, I am the designated Safeguarding Governor. I am a practicing barrister at Matrix Chambers, specialising in commercial and employment law.