Academy Council

Academy Council Information

Whilst the Board of Trustees holds overall governance accountability, the day-to-day responsibilities are delegated by the Trustees through a Scheme of Delegation to the Leadership Team, regional leaders and Academy Councils.

At a local level, each school in the Trust has an Academy Council. The Academy Council’s primary role is to provide independent assurance to the Trust based on the ‘lived experience’ of pupils, staff, parents, and members of the community, as well as promote stronger relationships between the Trust, the school and its community. 

The purpose of the Academy Councils is set out in the Terms of Reference:

For further  information about the Governance structure at Lift Schools, please visit the Lift Schools Governance Page. For the Articles of Association, Master Funding Agreement and the academy's Supplemental Funding Agreements, please also visit the Lift Schools Governance Page.


Do you want to make a difference?

If you are passionate about contributing to your community and are interested in finding more out about being part of your school’s Academy Council, we would love to hear from you!

For further details, please contact the Governance Team at governance@lift schools.org

Louise Martyn (Chair)

I am pleased to have been chosen as Chair of Hazelwood Academy Council and I am looking forward to getting to know the staff, parents and children. (Please come and say Hello if you see me) 


I have two children who are now young adults and I used to teach in a primary school in North Swindon so I know what it’s like to sit on both sides of the school gate!


Educating young children is a team effort and from what I have seen already, Hazelwood embraces a thriving community where everyone is working together to benefit our pupils. 

My role is to be an advocate for the school, to join in celebrating its achievements and to look for opportunities for growth. My ambition is to invite members of the local community including parents to share their knowledge and skills with us and to show them just how wonderful Hazelwood is!

Suzanne Lloyd (Principal)

Mrs Lloyd has been the Headteacher at  Hazelwood Academy since 2012. It is her second headship and a role she continues to enjoy as she leads the school, staff, pupils and families on a journey to excellence. Suzanne is passionate about the curriculum and is determined that every child across the academy will experience an ambitious and high quality learning entitlement. 


‘ I am proud of  the exciting learning environments and positive ethos that we have created at Hazelwood Academy where every child can thrive. Together with our parents and community we can build to excellence from these strong foundations.’ 

Chris Taylor (Regional Education Director)

Since 2021 Chris Taylor has worked as the Regional Education Director for AET South West schools including Hazelwood Academy. Prior to that Chris worked his first primary school headship in Kent before moving to take up the challenge of a larger AET Academy based on the South coast in 2019. His success in those roles means he brings with him substantial knowledge of what makes an effective and inspiring school. Chris will act as our link to the Trust during the Academy Council Meetings.

Rosemary Rogers (Community Member)

Lee Mottram (Parent Member)

As a Parent Council Member, I aim to bring a unique parental perspective to the Academy Council and act as a link for parents and staff at Hazelwood Academy to support networking, assist communication amongst the community and share common views/feedback.

I am a proud parent of a young daughter in Robins year 1 class, so I hope to share personal views/feedback throughout my school journey as a parent, whilst also helping to identify areas for improvement/suggestions; which can also be fed in from the wider parent network.

I hope this position will allow me to collaborate with parents and staff alike, bringing ideas and suggestions for a wide range of topics, whilst also helping to make a difference at the school for everyone.

Susan Irving-Gibbons (Staff Member)

Mrs Irving has worked as a member of support staff at Hazelwood Academy since 2014 when she moved from a career in finance 

 to work in education.

She likes working with the teaching and leadership teams to help shape and organise the experiences, learning and environment  that Hazelwood pupils are able to enjoy. 

‘Through my role on the Academy Council I hope to champion our fantastic pupils and their families within the Trust and work to broaden our school community and increase the scope of opportunities for all of those within it.’ 

James Browning (Trust Link Member)