Welcome from Professor Hervé Borrion,
Chair of Governors, The UCL Academy
As Chair of the Board of Governors, I am proud to serve an academy that is deeply committed to the well‑being of pupils and to preparing them to thrive in tomorrow’s world. Our shared ambition is for every single one of them to be supported to realise their potential and grow into a capable and considerate citizens. We are equally committed to creating an environment in which all those who contribute to their education are supported and able to flourish.
I welcome comments and enquiries from parents and carers, and can be contacted by email at [email protected]
About the Governing Body
The Governing Body of The UCL Academy is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the Academy, holding the Interim Principal to account for the educational performance of students and performance of staff, and overseeing the financial performance of the Academy and ensuring its money is well spent.
Governors serve a term of four years and subject to remaining eligible to be a particular type of governor, any governor may be re-appointed or re-elected. It is made up of up to ten UCL sponsor-appointed governors, one Principal, two parent governors, two staff governors and one local authority representative from Camden Council.
The Governing Body meets five times per year. The following committees also meet a minimum of four times per year, to provide further focus on key strategic areas of the Academy:
- Finance, Audit and Resources
- Curriculum, Standards and Safeguarding
For the Academy Trust’s Scheme of Delegation, click here.
Please see the Academy Trust’s Funding Agreement and Articles of Association
For the Executive Summary – External Review of Governance at UCL Academy Trust, click here.
Governing Body meeting minutes are available upon request.
Governors on the Governing Body:
Professor Hervé Borrion – Chair of Governors; Appointed 1st September 2026.
Julia Balfour-Lynn – Sponsor Appointed Governor; Link Governor for Personal Development and Careers; Member of the Curriculum, Standards and Safeguarding Committee; Appointed 1st February 2022.
Julia is a Solicitor who lives locally and is a graduate of UCL. She worked for many years in private practice as a fraud litigation Partner in a City law firm. She then became the firm’s Managing Partner with responsibility for driving financial performance, business development, people management, and the firm’s corporate social responsibility programme. Since leaving her role, she has been active in the third sector, volunteering with various charitable organisations helping unemployed and disadvantaged individuals (many of them young people) to get into work.
Wendy Feher – Sponsor Appointed Governor; Member of the Finance, Audit and Resources Committee; Appointed 1st Sept 2023.
Wendy Feher is an independent consultant in the areas of business development, corporate client relationship development, leadership development, culture transformation, new technologies and social impact. Wendy served as a founding team member of DoinGud, a social impact & blockchain start-up, and has worked at London Business School, Yahoo and USA Today, where she served in B2B sales and growth of corporate client relationships. While at London Business School, Wendy and her team successfully sold, designed and implemented one of the largest-ever leadership and culture change programmes. The programme supported ING Bank’s transformation from a traditional bank to a global fintech. The collaboration went on to win an Europe-wide award for excellence in organisational transformation. Alongside her corporate career, Wendy consistently committed her efforts to building the confidence and competence of young people. Wendy was a co-founder of a career-readiness nonprofit (New York, USA) for senior school and university students. She has supported early-career professionals, with an emphasis on increasing diversity at the upper levels of organisations. Wendy earned her BA from Brandeis University (Boston, MA, USA) and her MBA from Kellogg Graduate School of Management (Evanston, IL, USA).
Jasper Green – Appointed Co-Opted Governor; Member of the Curriculum, Standards and Safeguarding Committee; Link Governor for Staff, Wellbeing and Development; Appointed 14th July 2023.
Jasper Green is Associate Professor (Teaching) and Head of Initial Teacher Education at IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society. At UCL, Jasper leads IOE’s initial teacher education programmes which educate around 1,000 teachers a year, in partnership with around 500 schools, colleges and early years settings. Prior to joining IOE, Jasper worked in a number of leadership roles in education. He was an HMI at Ofsted where he led the work on Ofsted’s Science Research Review and Subject Report. Jasper studied Biology at the University of Oxford, has a MA in Science Education from King’s College London and PhD from the University of York. He began his career as a science teacher working in London schools.
Charla Incedal – Staff Governor; Member of the Curriculum, Standards and Safeguarding Committee; Appointed 24th January 2024.
As a cover supervisor, Charla is deeply committed to prioritising the wellbeing of the teaching staff, ensuring a fair and supportive workplace environment. Her ultimate goal is to achieve academic excellence and create a positive school experience for our students. Charla firmly believes the academy’s success hinges on staff wellbeing, and she is dedicated to supporting them in every way possible. With her passion for education and unwavering commitment to staff wellbeing, Charla is confident that, through collaboration, a thriving and successful school community can be created.
Dr Anton McLean – Principal (Ex-Officio, Appointed 1st September 2026).
Dr McLean is an experienced senior leader with over a decade of leadership in diverse state secondary schools. He has a proven track record of improving academic outcomes, strengthening behaviour systems and leading whole‑school curriculum and organisational development.
He is committed to social justice and ensuring that every young person, regardless of background or circumstance, has access to exceptional opportunities. He holds a doctorate in education and has led significant school improvement work. His leadership is characterised by evidence‑driven practice and a deep belief in the transformative power of education.
Hannah Opoku-Mensah – Staff Governor; Member of the Finance, Audit and Resources Committee; Appointed 9th January 2024.
Hannah is a Psychology teacher who has worked in a range of schools across inner London. She is committed to serving as a mediator and advocate for the wellbeing of the teaching staff, ensuring a fair and supportive workplace. Hannah believes in navigating challenges and celebrating achievements collaboratively, working towards a shared vision of academic excellence and a positive school experience for students. Her primary motivation is to contribute to the overall success of the academy by prioritising the wellbeing of all stakeholders and fostering a collaborative environment. Hannah is confident that her passion for education, her strategic mind-set, and commitment to the development of the school community will facilitate progression for all.
Philip Quinn – Co-opted Governor; Member of the Curriculum, Standards and Safeguarding Committee; Link Governor for SEND; Appointed 14th April 2026.
Philip has three children including one at the UCL Academy. He lives locally and loves investing in this community. He serves as a governor at New End Primary, is a pastor at London Community Church and works as Deputy Director at a community charity in west London. The charity he helps to lead is focused on empowering, supporting and integrating migrant communities.
Val Russell – Sponsor Appointed Governor; Member of the Curriculum and Standards Committee; Link Governor for Safeguarding; Appointed February 2024.
Val has lived in Camden for 40 years. She qualified as a teacher in 1972 and has worked in various senior roles, including as a SENCo and in school/Industry links. Val is now retired, but remains busier than ever with her interests in art, reading, and voluntary work.
Tom Turner – Sponsor Appointed Governor; Member of the Finance, Audit and Resources Committee; Appointed September 2024.
Tom Turner is the Director of Finance Business Partnering at UCL. He is responsible for leading the strategic finance support to the university as well as helping deliver it’s change agenda. Tom has been with UCL since 2022, before that he has a background in large corporates including KPMG, British Airways and adm Promotions. His most recent role pre UCL took him to India where he relocated for two years to help grow adm across Asia. He has experience in a variety of finance and accounting roles, including audit, commercial finance, technical accounting and business partnering. In his private life, Tom has a young family at pre-school age, however has always been engaged in the education sector, with both his parents being teachers, as is his only sibling.
Zoe Cheng – Parent Governor; Member of Curriculum, Standards and Safeguarding Committee; Appointed February 2025
For the 2025/26 Governing Body Meeting Attendance, please click here.
Members of the Academy Trust
Members of the Academy Trust are appointed by the sponsor, UCL (University College London). The role of the Academy Trust Members is distinct from those of the Governors; they do not play a role in the strategic direction or day-to-day management of the Academy, but they have responsibility for a small number of significant decisions, as detailed in the Memorandum and Articles of Association, primarily to ensure the accountability of the Governing Body. The Chair of Governors is a member of the Academy Trust, as stipulated in the Academy’s Articles of Association.
The Academy Trust members meet biannually with the governors, and the current members are:
- Dr Clare Goudy (appointed 2nd February 2015)
- Professor Norbert Pachler (appointed 3rd July 2018)
- Amy Lightstone (appointed 1st September 2022)
- David Pacey (appointed 1st December 2025)
For the Register of Interests of current Governors and members of the Academy Trust, click here.
