Agenda item

To elect a Chair in accordance with Standing Order no. 29

RESOLVED, That Naresh Sonpar be elected Chair of the Education Board.

The Chair thanked the Board for entrusting him with the chairmanship of the Board and paid tribute to the past Chair, as well as to two Board Members who had tendered their resignation from the Board.

The Chair reiterated his commitment to ensuring that all the resources and additionality of the City of London Corporation to all schools would be directed to the areas that mattered most, including teacher and pupil access to digital technology and access to careers and apprenticeships, emphasising also the importance of supporting SEND students.

The Chair thanked Caroline Haines for the enthusiastic and dedicated manner in which she had carried out the duties of Chair of the Board since May 2018 and the leadership shown in steering it through significant periods of change over the past six years. The Board noted in particular her consistent, reasoned and visionary strategic direction that played an essential role in shaping and promoting the educational strategy of the Corporation across its family of schools and nurturing the partnerships and leadership needed to secure the continued delivery of excellent educational outcomes at the City of London Corporation, as well as her involvement in a wide range of other organisations including Newham Collegiate Sixth Form, City of London School, the City of London Academy Trust, and King Edwards School Witley. The Board was reminded of her significant experience as a lifelong educator and her steadfast commitment to social mobility, equality of opportunity, diversity and inclusion through her dedication to ensuring better access to education for the socially disadvantaged via a wide range of initiatives tirelessly and relentlessly championed by her. The Chair and the Board thanked Caroline for the gracious, good-humoured and energetic way in which she had presided over the meetings during the past six years, and wished her every success in her continued service in the City Corporation and in other bodies.

The Chair thanked Alderman Lyons for his contribution to the work of the Board - noting in particular his strong support for financial education in primary schools and his many initiatives to improve financial literacy and inclusion during his time as the 694^th Lord Mayor during 2022-23 as well as his involvement in King Edward’s School Witley, noting that he would continue to champion the importance of the City’s work in education. 

The Chair also thanked Ben Murphy, who joined the Board in March 2019 two years after being elected to represent the Ward of Bishopsgate, noting that Ben joined the Board during the Tomlinson Review and had been hugely supportive of the Board’s work – particularly its impact on social mobility and its drive to ensure that every child can thrive. The Board noted that Ben Murphy would continue to champion the work of the Board across a range of activities and groups including Policy & Resources, Finance, Natural Environment, and Epping Forest alongside a number of related groups, commending him for his work on the raising of the profile of environmental issues.